Celebrate pancakes with a maple syrup bath at this famous Japanese hot spring resort

Sweet dreams are made of baths with a maple syrup.

Nothing quite beats the sweet smell of pancakes in the morning, topped with a dollop of butter and drizzled with maple syrup. Pancake Day – which, if you didn’t know, was February 28 – may have already passed, but starting March 3 you can celebrate these delicious fluffy treats at the famous Hakone Kowakien Yunessun hot spring resort by taking a dip in the maple-scented “hot cake bath”.

Yes, the same facility that has let guests relax in baths of green tea, coffee, and wine is now giving you the opportunity to take a soak in a bath scented like the breakfast time favorite. To celebrate the 60th anniversary of its pancake mix, Japanese confectionery company Morinaga has collaborated with the Yunessun resort to bring you this special bath scented like sweet maple syrup carrying gentle notes of vanilla. Three times a day, staff will pour bottles of real maple syrup into the bath, so you know you’re bathing in the real deal.

Image: Yunessun

This bath can be found in the resort’s “swimsuit area”, meaning that, unlike in more traditional hot springs, this area is for bathers who are not in the nude. This is great for families or mixed groups of friends who want to enjoy an onsen trip together, and a good compromise for those who want to experience Japan’s hot spring culture but don’t want to bare it all.

Hakone Kowakien Yunessun is accessible by train and bus, about two hours from Tokyo’s Shinjuku Station, making for an easy day-trip or weekend getaway. The hot cake bath will only be around until April 25, so don’t wait! If you can’t make it to the resort, these rice cooker apple pancakes may just be the next best thing.

Resort Information
Hakone Kowakien Yunessun / 箱根小涌園ユネッサン
Address: Kanagawa-ken Ashigarashimo-ku Hakone-cho Ninotaira 1297
神奈川県足柄下区箱根町二ノ平1297
Open 9 a.m.-8 p.m.
Website

Source: Yunessun via NariNari 
Top image: Yunessun

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