I just can’t believe that almost two years have passed, and I haven’t stepped out of Japan. Thankfully, this summer, I got a chance to visit DHC Akazawa Onsen Resort & Spa, a premium resort in Izu-kogen. DHC brand is well known throughout Japan for high-quality cosmetics, and DHC Akazawa Onsen is a great place to experience these awesome Japanese quality cosmetics teamed with Japanese hospitality. restaurant coast of Japan’s beautiful Izu Peninsula. The blue ocean waters of a quiet bay, framed by lush greenery, is simply breathtaking! DHC Akazawa Onsen Resort & Spa spreads in around 240,000 square meters of land with hotels, restaurants and onsens all boasting of great ocean views. As you can see the area is huge, and guests can explore the facilities by taking a bus or driving their own buggy through the grounds, with a valid driving license, of course! Akazawa Onsen offers spa & relaxation facilities, treatments and services to both resort guests and day visitors. Locker rooms, changing facilities, towels, and above all the easy-to-understand instructions in both English and Japanese makes it convenient to fully enjoy this place! And not to forget all the luxe DHC skincare and toiletries you can use in all the facilities! I stayed there for two nights and was lucky to try all their facilities! We arrived at Izu-kogen station by Limited Express Odoriko and were picked up by the hotel’s shuttle bus. The shuttle buses run at regular intervals, and between all the facilities, which makes it convenient to access everything. It takes less than 15 minutes from the station to the hotel. Shuttle bus timetable is available on their website. Akazawa Onsen Hotel On our first day we checked into Akazawa Onsen Hotel which has 77 guestrooms, a restaurant, a large bath, and rooftop open-air baths overlooking the Pacific Ocean, a shop selling DHC products and souvenirs, karaoke, Mah-jong room and even a cute garden pool operating in summer. We stayed at the comfortable Standard Western room with an attractive interior and a huge balcony with great views of the bay and the summer pool. All the rooms at Akazawa Onsen Hotel are huge and come with DHC amenities and yukata to wear around the facilities. I highly recommend booking a suite or a room with an open-air bath if you are in a mood to splurge! Although they have many onsens in this facility, my favorite must be the large onsen on the 3rd floor. The infinity style baths gave the feeling of being in the ocean. The Akazawa hot spring is a smooth hot spring and is perfect for relaxing after a hectic week in Tokyo. Dinner and breakfast were served at the restaurant KIRA with a view of the sea on the lobby floor. We were offered Japanese style kaiseki cuisine using fresh seafood from the water around Izu Peninsula and other seasonal ingredients from the mountains. As I am allergic to seafood, they were kind enough to change my dishes. The appetizer consisted of assorted sashimi, followed by a soup, then grilled food. And after that we got a steamed dish, a fried dish and we wrapped up our nine-course meal with soba. Dessert and some Japanese tea were the perfect ending to this awesome and unforgettable meal. For breakfast, they served an elaborate buffet with Japanese and Western dishes. Freshly baked fish from the surrounding waters, Japanese dishes with seasonal ingredients, as well as Western food such as the gratin, freshly baked croissants and fruits were the perfect start to a great morning! Akazawa Geihinkan On our second day at DHC Akazawa Onsen Resort & Spa, we were fortunate to stay at Akazawa Geihinkan, which is honestly my best luxury ryokan experience ever! Geihinkan is a traditional Japanese style lodge or ryokan and the interior of the hotel offers the best in Japanese architecture. This ryokan is premier, and they only have 15 guestrooms, a restaurant where dinner and breakfast are served in a private room, a large onsen overlooking a Japanese garden, and a relaxation room with massage chairs! The public bath in this facility has deep ocean water which is seawater at a depth of more than 200m, where sunlight generally cannot reach. It retains the advantages of stable low temperature, eutrophication, mineral balance, and cleanliness compared to the surface water of the same seawater. The Akazawa deep seawater is collected from a depth of 800m, the deepest commercially available seawater in Japan which is said to be about 1,100 years old. It also has the highest values of all four major conditions for deep ocean water than any other district. The onsen includes a half open-air cypress and stone bath, a sauna, and a water bath. You can also enjoy a standing bath with a view of the garden. The rooms are huge, 70㎡, and can accommodate 1-3 guests. The living room and bedroom with Ajiro ceilings and Juraku walls and veranda and open-air baths overlooking a private garden is an epitome of Japanese architectural beauty. Even the open-air bath in the rooms has the same deep ocean water as in the public bath. The rooms are comfortable, luxurious and you would not feel like leaving them! The rooms have DHC amenities, the original Geihinkan yukata and the minibar has DHC beer and snacks. They also have full size DHC skincare products for the guests to take home! They provide Japanese style Kaiseki meals using high-quality seasonal ingredients from across Japan. It is traditional Kyoto-style cuisine but with a cool and creative twist. We got to try the rare and super expensive Kamo duck from Kyoto and matsutake mushroom. Meals were served in the private dining room. The private room overlooked the garden, and it was a great experience enjoying a luxurious meal in a private room served by a private server in a kimono. Dinner was served between 18:00-20:00 at our choice. It was a 9-course meal, and our server was kind enough to explain all the dishes in English. We could also use Akazawa Day Spa and Akazawa Fitness Club free of charge during the stay and after checking out as we stayed at Akazawa Geihinkan. It is also free for guests who are staying at Akazawa Onsen Hotel. Akazawa Day Spa The day-trip guests can enjoy hot springs and dining at Akazawa Day Spa or Akazawa Higaeri Onsen which is DHC’s day use hot spring. It is a hot spring facility with a view of the Pacific Ocean, including a large open-air bath of more than 20 meters in width, a selection of indoor baths including a rock bath, Jacuzzi and lie down baths. Guests with tattoos are also allowed. Towels, loungewear are available.. Also, they have the same DHC amenities used in the DHC hotels. Towels, hairdryers, make up goods, etc. are available so it’s a great place where you could even go empty handed. There is also a traditional Thai massage available there. If you reserve, for just 2,800 JPY on weekdays and 3,500 JPY on the weekends, you can rent a private room including an open-air bath as well as TV, futon, and closet. It is good if you want to have a private time with your family in the same way you could in a ryokan. There is a huge resting area with a tatami-covered floor. Blankets and pillows are available, and you can take a nap or enjoy a massage machine to further relax your body. There is also a restaurant where they serve food items from the Izu peninsula, such as sashimi, sea food bowls, tempura etc. using locally caught fish. We just had a quick snack of karage and French fries as we had to catch our train! Of course, this restaurant also has a great view! Akazawa Deep Sea Spa Akazawa Deep Sea Spa offers beauty and health treatment based on French marine therapy called Thalassotherapy, as well as a spa facility for relaxation of body and soul. The admission fee is ¥3,500 and includes the usage of three different domes: Healing Dome, Thalassotherapy Hammam, and Salt Pit. You can also use the Deep Ocean Water Pool, Sauna, Cold Plunge, Foot Bath, and other public spaces. The Deep Ocean Water Pool was a great experience for me. It is a swimming pool with deep ocean water rich in minerals from Sagami Bay. This warm-water spa pool works on loosening up the tight spots in your body with jets that target almost head to toe. Healing Dome full of aroma and salt pit are good to experience the space of clean air created by salt crystals. I also loved the thalasso hammam where you can enjoy a steam sauna with a body pack rich in vitamins and minerals. French-inspired body packs purify skin, and oxygen heals and refreshes. You can bring your own swimwear or rent for ¥600. The overnight guests at Akazawa Onsen Hotel and Akazawa Geihinkan can get ¥1,000 off for the admission fees and free rental swimsuits. Bath towels, bath robes, skin care, body care, hair care, and makeup products are available for use. I tried the watsu treatment with a qualified practitioner there and believe me I have never felt so relaxed after any massage or treatment before. Watsu is a form of water therapy, which is also called hydrotherapy. It involves stretches, massages, and acupressure in warm water. The term Watsu comes from “water” and “shiatsu.” Shiatsu is a type of traditional Japanese massage that uses acupressure to promote relaxation. Akazawa Fitness Club The resort’s fully equipped fitness center is just round the corner if you want to squeeze in a little workout on your holiday! Akazawa Fitness Club is operational all year round on weekdays from 10:00〜22:00 and weekends or holidays from 9:00〜20:00. This fitness club is equipped with state-of-the-art Cybex equipment and staffed full-time by fitness trainers. It is free to use for resort guests. I was given a stretching session by one of their trainers during my stay. And I learned so much in that short time that I am still doing those stretching exercises at home in Tokyo! I also tried some of their other machines and was really impressed by them. They have lockers and washrooms that also have DHC amenities. You can also rent workout gear and shoes if you need them. Akazawa Pool House We didn’t get a chance to use the Akazawa Pool House, but, if you have time, do use the full-sized 50m swimming pool with a water slide for children. Perfect for families with kids. Pool House Restaurant serves snacks, lunch and drinks and you can also just chill on a lounger there (and that is what I did!). This pool operates during Summer Season only from 9:30～16:00 Akazawa Tennis Court You can also enjoy playing tennis in the lush greens of DHC Akazawa Village. There are two tennis courts, equipped even for a game after sunset. Weekday’s cost ¥1,650 for an hour and weekends/holidays ¥2,750 for an hour. Timings are from 11:00 to 21:00. We didn’t get a chance to play tennis and honestly, I am not a tennis player. But those who play tennis will surely have a blast there! Akazawa Bowling After my gym session, I had a chance to play two games at Akazawa Bowling. DHC has it all sorted out! If you need more fun and excitement during your stay, try their bowling facility within the onsen resort with the latest state-of-the-art tech equipment. There are 20 lanes in a relaxing hall with a traditional Japanese feel. They have two more private lanes and if you stay at Akazawa Geihinkan they are complementary. This is a pro-quality bowling experience, and this place is known for holding tournaments! Bistro Akazawa. The most recent addition to the resort is Bistro Akazawa which opened in September 2019. If you need a change from eating Japanese cuisine, or those who would like to try French food, could try Bistro Akazawa. Chef Taro Michitani uses kiln ovens to serve up dishes of local beef, pork and of course, fish. The atmosphere is relaxed, with large windows with a view of a Japanese garden. We tried the 5-course lunch meal with soup, salad, main course, dessert, and coffee. They also served us freshly baked bread with olive oil. I went for the roast beef and my friend opted for fish of the day! And both the dishes were equally amazing! Finally, since we are talking about a cosmetic company’s resort, let’s talk about all the DHC products you can buy there! At the resort’s DHC Direct Management Store, you can shop DHC products, cosmetics, supplements and much more, with exclusive sale offers. And why not? A little retail therapy doesn’t hurt anyone! Trust me, this place will help you forget all the hustle and bustle of your busy Tokyo life. And the best part is that it is so near to Tokyo, but a world apart! Address: 163-1 Ukiyama, Akazawa, Ito-shi, Shizuoka 413-0233 TEL.+81-557-53-5555 Access: From Tokyo to Izu-kogen Station by bus and then shuttle bus to the resort will take 2 hours or 3 hours by car from Tokyo