Saitama · Chichibu
Chichibu Onsen Mangan no Yu
秩父温泉 満願の湯
A day spa on the Hinosawa stream in Oku-Nagatoro, named after Suisen-ji, the final temple of the Chichibu 34 Kannon pilgrimage. Mangan Falls tumbles right in front of the open-air bath—stunning in fresh green and autumn colour. pH 9.4 alkaline water with a pronounced silky feel. ¥980 weekdays (¥750 after 17:00), ¥1,200 weekends. Combine with the Nagatoro river boats or Mt. Hodo.
- Price (adult)
- ¥980
- Hours
- 10:00–21:00 (last entry 20:30; food last orders 20:00)
- Closed
- Open daily (about 3 maintenance days once a year around June)
- Access
- About 20 min by town bus from Minano Station (Chichibu Railway) to Mangan-no-Yu; 40 min by car from Hanazono IC
- Water type
- Simple spring
- Tattoos
- Ask ahead
- Admission
- Weekdays adults (junior high and up) ¥980, children (3 to elementary) ¥700; weekends and holidays ¥1,200/¥800; weekdays after 17:00 ¥750/¥600 (older listings show ¥850/¥1,000 — confirm current rates). Soap, shampoo and dryers included. Towels sold ¥250, bath-towel set rental ¥300. Key lockers ¥100 refundable. Free large rest hall; private room ¥2,500 per hour. Restaurant (local Japanese fare), shop and massage chairs
- Baths
- A day-spa (opened 1990) on the Hinosawa river gorge in Oku-Nagatoro. Gender-separated indoor halls overlooking a pure Japanese garden (with jet bath), a panoramic rotenburo looking down on the stream and 'Mangan Falls', a hot sauna and an unheated source-water cold plunge (under 25°C, free-flowing). Tatami hall, private rooms, a restaurant serving local dishes, shop and terrace. Autumn colour right before the outdoor bath. Nearby are the Hinosawa waterfalls and Suisen-ji, temple 34 and the closing temple of the Chichibu pilgrimage
- Spring water
- Simple sulphur cold mineral spring (alkaline, hypotonic), pH 9.3 — among the most alkaline in Japan — 18°C at source, 141 L/min from 603 m underground, 0.289 g/kg total minerals. Colourless with a faint sulphur scent and a distinctly slippery 'beauty water' feel. The main and outdoor baths are heated (no dilution, with recirculation); the cold plunge is the raw unheated source. Indicated for neuralgia, muscle pain, poor circulation, fatigue and skin disease. 'Mangan' refers to the completion ('mangan') of the 34-temple Chichibu Kannon pilgrimage at nearby Suisen-ji, temple 34
- Access & parking
- Free parking for 200 cars. By car about 30 min (25 km) from Hanazono IC on the Kan-etsu Expressway via Route 140, 25 min from Chichibu city. By public transport 15–18 min on the Minano town bus towards Hinosawa/Nishi-Tatsuzawa from Minano Station (Chichibu Railway) to 'Chichibu Onsen-mae', right outside (infrequent). Free pick-up from Nagatoro or Minano stations on request. About 2 h from Ikebukuro by Seibu limited express and the Chichibu Railway
- Phone
- 0494-62-3026
- Official site
- chichibuonsen.co.jp ↗
- Open in Google Maps
- Google Maps ↗
Essentials
Stay in this onsen town
Compare and book stays in Chichibu. Day bathing itself needs no booking.
Opens partner booking site (affiliate)
Why go
- Waterfall right by the bath
- Silky pH 9.4 water
- ¥980 weekdays, evening discount
A pH 9.3 alkaline spring and a waterfall-view rotenburo in Oku-Nagatoro
Chichibu Onsen Mangan-no-Yu is a day-spa on the Hinosawa river gorge in 'Oku-Nagatoro', upstream of the Nagatoro ravine in Minano, Saitama. The name comes from 'mangan', the completion of the 34-temple Chichibu Kannon pilgrimage at Suisen-ji, the final temple five minutes away by car. Opened in 1990, it draws a simple sulphur cold mineral spring from 603 m down with a pH of 9.3 — among the most alkaline in Japan — so slippery that you feel it the moment your hand enters: classic 'beauty water'. An indoor bath overlooking a pure Japanese garden, a rotenburo above the stream looking down on 'Mangan Falls', a hot sauna and, beloved of sauna fans, a cold plunge of raw unheated source water complete the set. Open 10:00–21:00 every day at ¥980 on weekdays, and two hours from Ikebukuro, it is a staple of Tokyo day trips combined with the Nagatoro river boats, Chichibu Shrine or Mitsumine Shrine.
Slippery water, a raw-source plunge and a rotenburo to the sound of the falls
Stow your shoes in a locker at the entrance and pay at reception (¥1,200 at weekends), then pass the tatami hall and restaurant to the baths. The indoor hall looks through large windows onto a Japanese garden of pines and stone lanterns, has a jet bath, and provides soap and shampoo. The water is clear with a faint sulphur scent, and in the tubs heated to around 42°C your skin instantly slides as if soaped — the signature of a highly alkaline spring. The rotenburo opens onto the gorge, with the murmur of the Hinosawa river directly below and 'Mangan Falls' visible through the trees opposite; at a mild 38–40°C it invites long soaks, and the foliage from mid to late November is superb. Famous among sauna devotees is the unheated plunge, where the 18°C source flows in untouched for the rare sensation of a 'syrupy cold bath'; alternate it with the hot sauna and the outdoor chairs for a perfect 'totonoi'. Weekday afternoons are quiet, but weekend afternoons and leaf season get crowded, so aim for opening time or the discounted hours after 17:00. The restaurant's Chichibu specialities — waraji katsudon, miso potatoes, soba — are well regarded; last orders 20:00.
Practical details and a Nagatoro–Chichibu itinerary
Hours are 10:00–21:00 (last entry 20:30), open all year except about three days around June for machinery maintenance. Weekday adults ¥980, children ¥700; weekends and holidays ¥1,200/¥800; weekdays after 17:00 ¥750/¥600; soap and shampoo included, towels extra (older listings show ¥850/¥1,000 — check the official site). Parking for 200 is free; by car 30 minutes from Hanazono IC, by rail 15–18 minutes on the town bus from Minano Station (Chichibu Railway) to 'Chichibu Onsen-mae', with free pick-up from Minano or Nagatoro stations by arrangement. A recommended day: the Nagatoro rock terraces and Arakawa river boats (March–November) in the morning, then the Hodosan ropeway or a visit to Suisen-ji, a soak at Mangan-no-Yu, and back to Chichibu city for the shrine and the Banba-dori street; the Chichibu Night Festival in early December (UNESCO intangible heritage) and the moss phlox at Hitsujiyama Park (April–May) are highlights. With Seibu's 'Chichibu Free Pass', the Laview limited express reaches Seibu-Chichibu from Ikebukuro in 78 minutes, plus 20 minutes on the Chichibu Railway to Minano, so a Tokyo day trip out in the morning and back by evening is easy. Add Mitsumine Shrine (1 hour by car) for an overnight itinerary.
Before you go
- No official tattoo policy is published — ask at reception.
- Last entry is 30–60 minutes before closing.
Features
Sauna & wellness
Mood & scenery
Who with
Price
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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