Hakone Retreat Fore
A forest onsen retreat with Scandinavian clarity.
Hakone Retreat Fore (pronounced 'fo-re', from the Japanese for forest) sits in a wooded valley in the Hakone highlands, surrounded by deciduous trees that shift through the seasons. The architecture is modern and restrained — clean lines, natural timber, and large windows that frame the forest. The onsen baths are the highlight: indoor and outdoor pools fed by natural hot springs, set among trees and rocks. The water is sodium bicarbonate, known for its softening effect on the skin. Rooms are simple but warm, with tatami floors and futon bedding in the Japanese-style options, or beds and wooden floors in the Western rooms. Fore has a quality that Nordic visitors recognise instinctively — the forest as sanctuary. The pace is slow, the design is quiet, and the emphasis is on the elemental pleasures of hot water, cold air, and trees.
Good to know
- Natural hot spring baths in a forest setting
- Surrounded by seasonal deciduous forest
- Both Japanese and Western-style rooms
- Sodium bicarbonate spring water
- Quiet highland valley location
Location
- 1320-862 Gora, Hakone-machi, Ashigarashimo-gun, Kanagawa 250-0408
- Nearest station: Hakone-Yumoto Station
- From Tokyo: ca 1 h 25 min med Romancecar eller shinkansen + lokalbana
- Best time to visit: Best from afternoon check-in