Ishikawa · Awazu Onsen, Kaga
Awazu Onsen Sōyu (Public Bath)
粟津温泉 総湯
The communal bathhouse at the heart of Awazu Onsen in Komatsu, Hokuriku's oldest spa, said to have been founded in 718 by the priest Taichō. It stands opposite Hōshi, known as the world's oldest inn, and makes a fitting finale to a tour of the four sōyu public baths of the Kaga spa region (Yamanaka, Yamashiro, Katayamazu and Awazu). The clear, silky sodium sulfate-chloride water (mildly alkaline, high-temperature) runs hot, and soaking shoulder to shoulder with locals warms you to the core. There is no open-air bath or sauna – just an indoor pool – but that simplicity lets the water speak for itself. Adults pay ¥500, elementary pupils ¥150 and infants ¥70; open 8:00–22:00 (last entry 21:30), closed Tuesdays, parking for 10 cars. From JR Awazu Station take the Komatsu Bus for Awazu Onsen to Awazu-Onsen Kitaguchi and walk 2 minutes, or drive about 15 minutes from Kaga IC on the Hokuriku Expressway. Combine with Natadera temple, Yunokuni-no-Mori craft village and Komatsu's aviation museum.
- Price (adult)
- ¥500
- Hours
- 8:00–22:00 (last entry 21:30; 9:00–19:00 on 2–3 Jan)
- Closed
- Tue
- Access
- Komatsu Bus for Awazu Onsen from JR Awazu Station about 10 min to 'Awazu-Onsen Kitaguchi', then 2 min on foot; about 15 min by car from Kaga IC (Hokuriku Expressway); about 25 min by car from Komatsu Airport
- Water type
- Sulfate spring
- Tattoos
- Ask ahead
- Admission
- Adults ¥500, elementary ¥150, infants ¥70 (after Ishikawa's 2025 public-bath tariff revision). No shampoo or soap provided (sold). Drinking-water fountain. Shop sells Awazu souvenirs — 'yunomoto' bath salts, onsen eggs, straps
- Baths
- A Japanese-style public bath house. Indoor pools only for both sexes (no rotenburo or sauna), with hot, clear water. Security camera in the changing room. Small rest area. In the centre of the spa street, near Daioji temple and the legendary inn Hoshi. Free foot bath in the town
- Water
- Sodium sulphate-chloride spring (hypotonic, mildly alkaline, high-temperature), 51.8°C at source. Colourless, odourless 'beauty water' that sinks smoothly into the skin. Said to have been opened by the monk Taicho in 718 — the oldest spring in the Kaga area. Indicated for neuralgia, muscle pain, skin disease and cuts
- Parking & access
- Free parking for about 10 cars (limited, often full). About 30 min by Hokutetsu bus (Awazu line) from JR Komatsu Station to 'Awazu Onsen', then 3 min on foot. 10 min by car (4.4 km) from JR Awazu Station. About 20 min from Komatsu IC or Kaga IC on the Hokuriku Expressway. 10 min by car to Natadera temple
- Phone
- 0761-65-1120
- Official site
- komatsuguide.jp ↗
- Open in Google Maps
- Google Maps ↗
Essentials
Stay in this onsen town
Compare and book stays in Awazu Onsen, Kaga. Day bathing itself needs no booking.
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Why go
- Public bath of Hokuriku's oldest spa (founded 718)
- Opposite Hōshi, the world's oldest inn; Kaga sōyu tour
- ¥500; open 8:00–22:00; closed Tue
Opened in 718: the oldest bath in the Kaga spa country
Awazu Onsen Soyu is the public bath in the middle of Awazu, the oldest of the Kaga hot-spring towns, in Komatsu, Ishikawa. Awazu is said to have been discovered in 718 through a dream by the monk Taicho, who opened Mt Hakusan, and the inn Hoshi founded then still operates today — 1,300 years of history. The soyu is a modest Japanese-style bath house with just one indoor pool for each sex, but its colourless, silky sodium sulphate-chloride water is kept hot and is praised for 'sinking into the skin even after a brief dip'. At ¥500 for adults from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m., it is a working local bath whose car park fills even on weekday afternoons.
Hot, clear beauty water — the power of a single tub
The bath is a single plain indoor pool of tile and wood, with no rotenburo or sauna. But the water, from a 51.8°C source, is colourless, odourless and mildly alkaline, leaving skin smooth, and its combination of sulphate and chloride keeps you warm long afterwards. Like most public baths it runs hot, so take short dips several times and rehydrate at the fountain. No soap or shampoo is provided — bring your own or buy at the shop — and there is a security camera in the changing room. The shop's 'yunomoto' bath salts and onsen eggs make fitting souvenirs, and the free foot bath, Daioji temple and the statue of Taicho in the spa street add up to a short stroll.
Practical details and getting there
Hours are 8:00–22:00 (last entry 21:30), closed Tuesdays, and 9:00–19:00 on 2–3 January. Adults ¥500, elementary ¥150, infants ¥70. Parking holds only about ten cars and is often full, so use car parks around the spa street or come off-peak. By public transport, take the Hokutetsu bus (Awazu line) about 30 minutes from JR Komatsu Station to the 'Awazu Onsen' stop and walk 3 minutes; JR Awazu Station is 4.4 km away and needs a taxi. Twenty minutes by car from Komatsu Airport and ten from the cave temple Natadera, it makes a fine closing bath for Komatsu and Kaga sightseeing, and slots easily into a 'Kaga soyu circuit' with the Katayamazu, Yamashiro and Yamanaka public baths.
Before you go
- No official tattoo policy is published — ask at reception.
- Payment is usually by ticket machine in cash — bring coins.
- Last entry is 30–60 minutes before closing.
Features
Baths
Mood & scenery
Price
Who with
Convenience
Only here
Amenities
✔ Verified operating: 2026-09 Operating status and rates cross-checked against the official site and onsen guides (full source notes in Japanese on the JA page)
Prices and hours change. Check official sources before visiting.
More in this area
Wakura Onsen Sōyu
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Yamashiro Onsen Ko-Sōyu
A faithful reconstruction of the Meiji-era public bath, with stained glass and Kutani-ware tiles. No washing stations — you simply soak, the old way. The combined ticket with the adjacent Sōyu is the better deal.
Yamanaka Onsen Kiku-no-yu (Sōyu)
The communal 'sōyu' of Yamanaka, praised by the poet Bashō as one of Japan's three finest baths. Men's and women's halls stand in separate buildings across the street; the deep, hot (~43°C) pool is the signature. 6:45 am to 10 pm, ¥500. Bring your own soap.
