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Hi, this is Hiroshi from "Ramen, Beer, and Sometimes a Blog."
One weekday morning I was staring at the sunrise, thinking, "I'd like to try a dog run we've never been to." Both my wife and I had the day off. Our Shiba Inu Momiji has been going to the same few dog runs lately and might be bored (or might not care at all, being a dog). Time to open up a new one.
I asked ChatGPT for something "not too far, not too close," and it pointed me to Dog Resort Woof at Lake Yamanakako in Yamanashi, about 90 minutes from the Sagamihara and Machida area west of Tokyo. It's a dog-focused resort that opened in 2010: roughly 30,000 m² of grounds, around ten indoor and outdoor dog runs, a 25 m indoor heated dog pool, and a 47-room hotel.
One thing worried me, though. Type the resort's name into Google and the first autocomplete suggestion is the Japanese word for "closed down." The official website wouldn't load on some days either. Was the place still open? We drove up on Tuesday, October 7, 2026, to find out. Short version: yes, it's open.
Who this article is for: anyone wondering whether Dog Resort Woof is still operating and what a day visit costs, how crowded it gets on weekdays versus weekends, and whether a Shiba Inu or other mid-size dog can enjoy it. If you're based near one of the US military communities in Kanagawa and looking for a Mt. Fuji dog outing, this is a solid half-day trip.
The Short Answer: Three Questions, Three Answers (Field-Checked October 7, 2026)
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| Is it open? | Yes. We used it as day visitors on Tuesday, October 7, 2026. Reception, the dog runs, the indoor pool and the outdoor pool were all operating. One catch: credit-card payment was down that day, cash only. Since the official website is sometimes unreachable, call ahead (0555-72-8000, Japanese) to be safe. |
| What does a day visit cost? | From the price board in the lobby (photographed on site): regular season ¥1,360 (about $9) per adult, ¥1,360 per dog, children of elementary-school age and under free. Dog-run use is included. Two adults plus Momiji came to ¥4,080 (about $27). The dog pool is extra at ¥1,884 (about $13) per dog (regular season). Parking is free. High season (Fridays, Saturdays, days before holidays, etc.) is ¥1,631 (about $11) each; top season is ¥2,039 (about $14) each. Dollar figures throughout are rough, at about ¥150 to the dollar. |
| Is it good for a Shiba Inu? How crowded? | On a weekday morning it was practically ours. In about 90 minutes (10:36 to 12:05) we barely shared a run with another dog. The highlight is the Forest Run, where you walk off-leash through the woods with your dog, something no ordinary dog run offers. The other visitors were mostly large breeds; I saw exactly one small dog. |
Contents
- Getting there via the Doshi Road (and my wife's car sickness)
- Cards didn't work. The real price board
- The 25 m pool door: "extra charge beyond this point"
- The indoor run: a gym all to ourselves
- Covered walkways and the grass runs
- The Forest Run: off-leash in the woods
- Blue sky over the large run
- A big dog swimming laps. Momiji watches
- Café-front run, water barrels, the outdoor pool
- The hotel and the café deck
- How it compares with other dog runs we've tested
- Visitor information
- Final thoughts
Getting there via the Doshi Road (and my wife's car sickness)
To keep costs down we skipped the expressway and took the Doshi Road (Route 413) from Sagamihara to Lake Yamanakako. It's a winding mountain road, and halfway along my wife started feeling queasy and went a bit quiet on me. But the tolls add up! For reference, the expressway from the Sagamihara interchange to the Yamanakako interchange takes about an hour and costs around ¥2,500 (about $17). The Doshi Road has few traffic lights and is a pleasant drive, but if your passengers get car sick, the expressway keeps the peace.
My first impression of the building: "This is a resort hotel." Fancy dog run, I thought, and started worrying about the price.
Cards didn't work. The real price board
The lobby is a brick atrium, and a large price board hangs from the second-floor railing. Prices online range from 2016 figures to 2025 figures, so I photographed the board.
Here's the board transcribed (tax included; dollar figures are approximate at ¥150 = $1).
| Item | Regular | High | Top |
|---|---|---|---|
| Day visit, adult (dog runs included) | ¥1,360 ($9) | ¥1,631 ($11) | ¥2,039 ($14) |
| Day visit, elementary age and under | Free | Free | Free |
| Day visit, per dog | ¥1,360 ($9) | ¥1,631 ($11) | ¥2,039 ($14) |
| Dog pool, per dog | ¥1,884 ($13) | ¥2,144 ($14) | ¥2,144 ($14) |
| Small-dog run private rental (up to 2 hours) | ¥1,359 ($9) | ¥1,631 ($11) | — |
| Day-use guest room (up to 3 hours, 10:00–17:00) | ¥4,081 ($27) | Extra hour ¥1,359 | |
| Private bath (1 hour) | ¥3,400 ($23) | Extra 30 min ¥2,039 | |
| Dog daycare (per hour per dog) | ¥1,155 ($8) | Capped at ¥3,465 ($23) | |
For us, two adults plus Momiji came to ¥4,080, about $27. Pricey for a dog run. But Momiji looked happy, so fine, I thought. Then came the twist.
I went to pay by credit card and was told that card payments were down that day, cash only. I had exactly ¥3,000 (about $20) in my wallet. My wife covered the rest. "Three thousand yen-plus for a dog run?!" I thought, quietly. Bring more cash than you think you need.
The 25 m pool door: "extra charge beyond this point"
On the way to the runs we passed the indoor dog pool. I peeked in: a full 25 m pool, good enough for humans, under a roof. Super rich. Was our working-class Momiji about to make her celebrity debut?
The pool is not included in admission: ¥1,884 (about $13) per dog in regular season. We only looked (more on that below).
The indoor run: a gym all to ourselves
We decided to visit every run, starting with the indoor one. Under a wooden roof there's a sign reading "Indoor Run," and inside it's a gymnasium. Big enough that I wondered if it used to be a tennis hall.
Being a weekday, nobody else was there. Just the sound of Momiji's paws on the floor. It felt like a private dog run, like I'd been reincarnated as a duke in some fantasy novel. The Duke and the ducal hound Momiji. My imagination ran wild. I'm sure hers did too.
This hall is the resort's rainy-day trump card, but reviews mention days when it was fully booked for events and unavailable to regular visitors. If you're going on a rainy day specifically for the indoor run, call first and ask whether it's reserved.
Covered walkways and the grass runs
Leaving the indoor run, covered walkways with green artificial turf connect the various runs. You can move between them without getting wet.
Here's a short video of Momiji on the grass run.
The Forest Run: off-leash in the woods
The main reason we came was the Forest Run (Hayashi Run). Looking at the website, this was the one area I absolutely wanted to try: a stand of trees spaced out across the grass, so that walking through it feels like a stroll in the woods.
The sign says deer live in the area, that staff patrol regularly and clean up "droppings," and to watch your step. In other words, deer poop. We managed not to step in any.
This was the fun part. An ordinary dog run is a place where the dog runs and the owner watches. The Forest Run felt like hiking off-leash together with Momiji. We were exploring side by side. I've never had that feeling at any other dog run.
I worried that if I threw a ball, Momiji would crash into a tree. But even our goofball managed to dodge them.
One more. She comes right up to the camera, then heads straight back into the trees.
Blue sky over the large run
Shortly after 11:00 the clouds broke and the sky turned blue. We toured the other runs, and every one of them was empty. The whole vast property started to feel like our own private super dog run. It costs more than a normal dog run, but on a weekday the value is excellent.
This clip gives the best sense of the grounds. The brown roof in the background is the indoor run.
Toy time on video. Momiji goes for the toy my wife is holding.
A big dog swimming laps. Momiji watches
Around 11:30 we went back inside to look at the indoor pool. A large dog was swimming happily up and down.
I wanted to put Momiji in, just for the memory. But although she loves splashing in water, she doesn't seem to like actually swimming. And while she adores people, she's not great with other dogs, especially big ones. I think they scare her. Picturing a scuffle in the pool, we skipped it this time. Grow up a little, Momiji.
If you're unsure whether to pay the ¥1,884 (about $13), enter on the run-only ticket first, watch the pool, and ask at the front desk whether you can add it. The "extra charge beyond this point" door is set up for exactly that.
Café-front run, water barrels, the outdoor pool
Out through the building to the café side, where there's another grass run. Under the sign: "Beware of wasps." Even in early October they're apparently still around, so take care.
Next to the café-front run is an outdoor pool under a domed roof. It's meant for small dogs and operates May through October, and on this day a black dog was enjoying it.
The other dogs were mostly big, expensive-looking breeds. People who spend a weekday at an upscale (to me) dog resort are probably upscale themselves, I thought, as working-class me and working-class Momiji kept to the edges.
The hotel and the café deck
Beyond the runs stands the three-story hotel. It has 47 rooms, and overnight guests can use the runs from 8:00 on check-in day until 18:00 on check-out day. That's attractive if you want two full days of running, but reviews consistently flag the lack of a communal bath (private bath only) and rate the bathing experience poorly, which matters to a 50-something like me. A day visit felt like plenty.
Seeing that poster, I realized resort-style dog runs are more common than I'd thought. Next time, maybe a different one.
We didn't use the café, so I can't report on the menu or whether it's fully operating. The terrace was there. If you're counting on eating here, call ahead.
Total stay: 10:36 to about 12:05, roughly 90 minutes. We made a full loop of the runs and Momiji got plenty of exercise. For 50-something legs the grounds are gently graded, and the covered walkways make it easy going.
How it compares with other dog runs we've tested
Actual costs for two adults and one dog at dog runs we've visited (dollars approximate at ¥150 = $1):
| Facility | Runs only | With pool | Parking |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yadoriki Nanatsuboshi Dog Run (Matsuda, Kanagawa) | ¥1,100 ($7) | Free (spring-water pool) | ¥500 ($3) |
| Wonderful Nature Village (Akiruno, Tokyo) | ¥2,550 ($17) | ¥5,050 ($34) | ¥700 ($5) |
| Dog Resort Woof (Lake Yamanakako) | ¥4,080 ($27) | ¥5,964 ($40) | Free |
Runs alone cost nearly three times Yadoriki. What you get for the money is sheer acreage, an indoor run and indoor heated pool for rainy days, and the Forest Run, which has no equivalent elsewhere. If you can go on a weekday and have the place to yourself, I think it's worth it. Weekends and holidays switch to high-season prices, and reviews mention days when the parking lot fills up, so I'd aim for a weekday morning.
Visitor information
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Name | Dog Resort Woof, Lake Yamanakako |
| Address | 280 Yamanaka, Yamanakako-mura, Minamitsuru-gun, Yamanashi |
| Access | By car: 10–15 minutes from the Yamanakako IC on the Higashi-Fujigoko Toll Road. From Sagamihara you can also take the toll-free Doshi Road (Route 413), but it's winding and passengers may get car sick. By train: about 30 minutes by bus from Fujisan Station on the Fujikyu Line |
| Parking | Free, roughly 100 spaces. Nearly empty on a weekday morning |
| Prices | Day visit (dog runs included, tax in): regular ¥1,360 (about $9) per adult, ¥1,360 per dog, elementary age and under free; high ¥1,631 ($11) each; top ¥2,039 ($14) each. Dog pool ¥1,884 ($13) per dog (¥2,144 high/top). Transcribed from the lobby board on October 7, 2026. Cards were not accepted that day; bring cash |
| Hours | Dog runs (day visitors) 8:00 to sunset; dog pool 9:00–17:00 (signs on site). Open year-round with occasional maintenance closures |
| Dogs | Of course. Dogs allowed everywhere inside except the bath and kitchen. Off-leash only inside the runs. Bring proof of rabies vaccination (reportedly checked on first visit). There's a small-dog-priority run; Shiba Inu and other mid-size dogs use the general runs |
| Watch out for | Deer on the grounds (signs warn about droppings). "Beware of wasps" at the café-front run. The indoor run is sometimes reserved for events |
| Official | Dog Resort Woof official site (Japanese; sometimes unreachable, so phone 0555-72-8000 is more reliable) |
📍 Google Maps: Open Dog Resort Woof in Google Maps
If you want a Mt. Fuji view on the way home, Hananomiya Park at Lake Yamanaka is about 10 minutes away by car and dog-friendly outdoors.
Final thoughts
Dog Resort Woof was open and operating on October 7, 2026. The "closed down" autocomplete is probably just people re-searching after the official website failed to load. One phone call before you leave will save you a wasted trip.
Two adults plus one Shiba Inu came to ¥4,080, about $27. Honestly, that's expensive for a dog run. But on a weekday morning we had the indoor run, the Forest Run and the large runs almost entirely to ourselves. Walking off-leash through the woods with Momiji was something no other dog run has given us.
On the Doshi Road home, my wife went quiet again. Momiji slept soundly in the back seat. Next time: the expressway, and more cash.