Photo: Ken Masuda

McArthur Heights

On the water one hour from Tokyo

Photo: Ken Masuda
Ken Masuda   - 3 min read

McArthur Heights - Stay For Free With Japanese Government Subsidy!

It was General Douglas McArthur who upon entering Japan, arranged for a secret getaway from the busy life of the city in a place, just an hour outside of Tokyo, called McArthur Heights where international visitors can now stay for free with the daily subsidy from the Japanese Government beginning on October 11!

Nestled in a beautiful bay, sheltered from the open sea, McArthur Heights hosts the McArthur Heights Yacht Club where visitors can ride a yacht on Sagami Bay (which General Douglas McArthur so loved), or meet one of the locals who will show you a picture of his grandfather with General McArthur, or hear a story of one of the many beautiful bungalows on the water built by generations of Americans who also made the area their secret getaway.

Now, open to the public, one can stay at the famed McArthur Heights and enjoy a genuine Japanese hot spring onsen, pick fresh vegetables and take them home to eat from one of the fields nearby, visit the birth of Yachting in Japan, take a dip in the Pacific or just enjoy the beautiful atmosphere he loved so much.

A stay at the McArthur Heights hotel is a stay at an old fashioned, all wood, Japanese Ryokan complete with shared 24 hour hot bath, shared restrooms in the traditional style, a beautiful view over the ocean, short walk below to the beach and—if you can wake up early—a 6am call to meet the fishing boats returning from their haul at the Misaki port, or spend the afternoon on the water from the nearby McArthur Heights Yacht Club on one of the yachts.

In good Japanese style, you can rent a large, all Japaneses style, tatami mat room where you sleep on the floor in your own Futon by the room and sleep as many - within reason as you can fit in the room!

In Japan rooms are usually rented by the person - at the McArthur Hotel, you rent the room and along comes your friends.

To reach the McArthur Hotel, a little over a one hour ride from Shimbashi Station or anywhere on the Asakusa Line, literally one train to the last stop - Misakiguchi, get off and either take a short taxi ride, the local bus, again to the end of the line at Aburatsubo Onsen or a long walk that will be throughly enjoyable.

All self serve, you open the lock with your key code, check yourself in, leave your things in your room, take a hot bath, watch some TV or just take a look out the window the beautiful Sagami Bay, the view that transfixed General Douglas McArthur, over 70 years ago, a view that is virtually unchanged.

Reserve at https://hogetsu-hotel.business.site/

Getting there

Asakusa Line, direct to Misakiguchi Station, taxi, bus to Aburatsubo Onsen.

Ken Masuda

Ken Masuda @ken.masuda