Fukushima · Bandai-Atsumi Onsen
Bandai-Atami Reisen Motoyu Public Bath
磐梯熱海温泉 共同浴場「霊泉」元湯
A municipal public bath two minutes from Bandai-Atami Station. Two pools of free-flowing spring water — a lukewarm one at about 36°C and a hot one — with silky alkaline water made for long soaks. Unusually, admission is highest in the morning and drops to ¥400 from 14:00 and ¥300 from 16:00. No towels or soap; bring your own.
- Price (adult)
- ¥600
- Hours
- 06:00–20:00(last entry 19:30)
- Closed
- Wednesdays & 30 Dec–2 Jan
- Access
- 2 min walk from JR Bandai-Atami Station
- Water type
- Alkaline simple
- Tattoos
- Ask ahead
- Admission
- Time-banded fees: from 06:00 adults ¥600 / from 14:00 ¥400 / 16:00–20:00 ¥300 (children half). An unusual scale — dearest in the morning, cheapest in the evening when locals bathe. Tatami lounge upstairs ¥1,100 (08:00–16:00). No soap or shampoo; bring a towel. Free lockable lockers
- Baths
- Two indoor tubs per gender — the large one an unheated 30–32 °C “nuru-yu” straight from source, the small one a 42 °C “atsu-yu” fed by the municipal supply. No rotenburo or sauna. Retro bathroom with spring water pouring from holes in the tiled wall and a pipe; about three taps. Lounge upstairs
- Water
- Alkaline simple spring, pH 9.1 (the municipal blended source at 50.4 °C feeds the hot tub) plus the inn’s own “Reisen” spring at about 29.5 °C, said to have flowed since the 1610s, feeding the cool tub — free-flowing. Clear, odourless, slippery “beauty water”, long reputed for skin ailments. Chlorination is declared but undetectable
- Parking
- Small free car park. 8 min on foot from JR Bandai-Atami Station; 2 min from the “Atami-eki” bus stop at the spa street entrance
- Phone
- 024-984-2690
- Open in Google Maps
- Google Maps ↗
Essentials
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Why go
- 2 min from the station
- Lukewarm 36°C free-flow bath
- Price drops through the day
The communal bath that costs more in the morning — alternating between the 32 °C “Reisen” and the hot tub
Bandai-Atami Onsen, 15 minutes from central Koriyama on the Ban’etsu West line, is an 800-year-old spa town that is Fukushima’s handiest hot spring from the Shinkansen. Eight minutes’ walk from the station at the mouth of the spa street, the communal “Reisen Motoyu” is a worn two-storey building attached to an inn, yet among onsen devotees it is a must in Bandai-Atami. The reason is the unheated 30–32 °C “Reisen” brimming in the big tub — a private source said to have flowed since the 1610s, poured straight in through holes in the tiled wall and a pipe: cool in summer, and in winter half an hour of soaking brings a slow warmth, in slippery pH 9.1 alkaline water. The small tub beside it is the 42 °C municipal supply, and alternating between the two is the local way. Fees fall as the day goes on — ¥600 from 06:00, ¥400 from 14:00, ¥300 after 16:00 — a quirk designed to keep evening bathing cheap for residents. No soap or shampoo and only a few taps; the facilities are basic, but the water is first-rate. Closed Wednesdays.
Tips & cautions
- Closed Wednesdays and 30 Dec–2 Jan. Reception until 19:30.
- No soap or shampoo — bring your own, and a towel.
- The ¥300 slot from 16:00 fills with locals; mornings are quieter.
- The cool tub is around 30 °C — chilly at first, but your body adjusts in 10–15 minutes. Alternate with the hot tub.
- Showers run the cool spring, so they are lukewarm.
- Ageing facilities and an elderly owner — mind your manners so it survives.
- Tattoo policy unconfirmed; as a communal bath, cover up.
Getting there
8 min on foot from Bandai-Atami Station (JR Ban’etsu West line) — Atami 4-22, Atami-machi, Koriyama. ~15 min by local train from Koriyama (Tohoku Shinkansen). By car ~5 min from Bandai-Atami IC; small free car park. Tel. 024-984-2690.
Before you go
- No official tattoo policy is published — ask at reception.
- As a communal bath there is no soap or shampoo — bring your own or buy at the shop.
- Payment is usually by ticket machine in cash — bring coins.
- Last entry is 30–60 minutes before closing.
Features
Convenience
Price
Mood & scenery
Who with
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.
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