Fukuoka · Chikugogawa Onsen, Ukiha
Chikugogawa Onsen Fukusenka
筑後川温泉 ふくせんか
A hot-spring inn on a rise above the Chikugo River in Ukiha, Fukuoka, whose pH 8.7 alkaline simple-sulphur water is so silky people say it feels like bathing in skin lotion. Chikugogawa Onsen lies across the river from Harazuru, a quiet designated health resort, and this inn actively welcomes day bathers. Besides the main and open-air baths there are characterful private family baths — 'Stone', 'Rock', even one with a slide — at ¥2,500 for 60 minutes, booked at the desk on the day; the inn states that guests with tattoos may use the private baths only. Day bathing: adults ¥800, children ¥600, 13:00–21:00, closed Wednesdays plus irregular days. The Harazuru–Chikugo River area is known for cormorant fishing and fruit picking, and many families drop in on the way home from the orchards. About 5 minutes by taxi from JR Chikugo-Ōishi Station or 3 minutes by car from Haki IC.
- Price (adult)
- ¥800
- Hours
- 13:00–21:00 (reception until 20:00)
- Closed
- Irregular (sometimes closed Wed)
- Access
- About 5 min by taxi from JR Chikugo-Ōishi Station; about 3 min by car from Haki IC; about 1 h from central Fukuoka
- Water type
- Alkaline simple
- Tattoos
- OK if covered
- Admission
- Day bathing: adults (junior high and up) ¥800 / age 1 to elementary ¥600 / under 1 free. Bath towel ¥200, face towel ¥100 to rent. Private open-air baths (stone, rock, cypress, slide, etc.) ¥2,500 per room per 60 min (¥1,650 for overnight guests), same-day booking at the front desk. Prices change at New Year, Obon and Golden Week. Day use is cash only
- Baths
- Two gender-separated bathhouses, left and right (indoor pool for 15 plus rotenburo for 5, overlooking the Chikugo River); no sauna. Several private open-air baths (stone, rock, cypress, and a room with a children's slide). Free footbath. A free-flowing hot-spring bath and dog run just for pets — the inn's concept is 'stay with babies and dogs'
- Water
- Alkaline simple sulphur spring (pH 8.7), 100% source water. Thick and slippery like soaking in skin lotion — the 'Milky Bath' — leaving smooth 'egg skin' afterwards. Gentle enough for babies. Indicated for poor circulation, joint pain, frozen shoulder, back pain, bruises
- Parking & access
- Free parking for about 50 cars. About 5–7 min by taxi from Chikugo-Oishi Station on the JR Kyudai Line (2 km). About 3 min from Haki IC on the Oita Expressway. About 60 min by car from central Fukuoka, 20 min from Hita
- Phone
- 0943-77-3131
- Official site
- fukusenka.com ↗
- Open in Google Maps
- Google Maps ↗
Essentials
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Why go
- pH 8.7 'skin-lotion' sulphur water
- Quirky private baths, one with a slide
- Tattoos OK in private baths; ¥800
A small spa village on the Chikugo's south bank, welcoming babies and dogs
Chikugogawa Onsen Fukusenka is a 20-room inn in Chikugogawa Onsen, a cluster of a handful of ryokan on the south bank of the Chikugo River in Ukiha, Fukuoka. Across the water on the north bank lies Harazuru Onsen, so the two spa towns effectively face each other, an hour's drive from Fukuoka city. The inn's pitch is 'a baby's first trip' and 'stay with your dog': besides baby amenities it even has a free-flowing hot-spring bath reserved for dogs and a dog run, and the rooms look out over the river to the Harazuru inns opposite. A free footbath outside the entrance is open to all.
The lotion-like 'Milky Bath'
The water is a pH 8.7 alkaline simple sulphur spring used 100% from the source, which the inn calls its 'Milky Bath'. The moment you dip a hand in it feels thick and slippery, like skin lotion; there is a faint sulphur scent and afterwards your skin is smooth 'egg skin' — gentle enough, the inn says, to bathe with a baby. There are two bathhouses, left and right (each an indoor pool for 15 and a rotenburo for 5), looking over the river; no sauna. Several private open-air baths — stone, rock, cypress — include a room with a children's slide that families love, and day visitors can book one at the front desk for ¥2,500 an hour.
Tips
Day bathing runs from the afternoon, 13:00–21:00 (reception until 20:00). There is no fixed closing day, but Wednesdays or group bookings can rule out day use, so a phone call ahead is wise. Adults ¥800, age 1 and up ¥600; prices differ at New Year, Obon and Golden Week. Day use is cash only and towels are rented. Tattoos are admitted only in the private baths. There is no sauna, so sauna-seekers should look elsewhere nearby. Five minutes by taxi from Chikugo-Oishi Station and three from Haki IC, it pairs naturally with the Harazuru inns across the river for a two-spa circuit, or with fruit picking and the white-walled old streets of Ukiha.
Before you go
- Tattoos are fine if covered with a sticker sold at reception (size limits apply).
- Ryokan day-use hours are limited and may be suspended in peak season — phone the same morning.
- Payment is usually by ticket machine in cash — bring coins.
- Last entry is 30–60 minutes before closing.
Features
Rules & private
Mood & scenery
Price
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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