Fukuoka · Futsukaichi Onsen
Chikushino Tenpai-no-Sato
筑紫野 天拝の郷
A popular day spa on a hillside of Mt. Tenpai in Chikushino, Fukuoka – the mountain where the exiled scholar Sugawara no Michizane is said to have pleaded his innocence to heaven. The main bath, Tenpai-no-Yu, uses natural spring water from 1,500 m underground and looks out over Chikushino to the distant lights of Fukuoka; the airy open-air bath is loveliest from dusk into night. Besides indoor and outdoor pools there are a sauna and cold plunge, and three styles of private family bath with their own open-air tubs (from ¥3,000 on weekdays, reservation required) make it a favourite with families and couples. Main-bath admission is ¥1,200 on weekdays and ¥1,300 on weekends and holidays for adults, ¥500/¥600 for ages 4 to elementary school (revised December 2024). Open 10:30–24:00 (last entry 23:00), closed as a rule on the second Tuesday. The buffet restaurant of Kyūshū produce is well regarded, with weekday lunch-plus-bath sets from ¥3,500. Parking for 200 cars, about 10 minutes by car from JR or Nishitetsu Futsukaichi Station or from Chikushino IC. The classic plan: visit Dazaifu Tenmangū, then climb the hill for a soak with the night view.
- Price (adult)
- ¥1,200
- Hours
- 10:30–24:00 (last entry 23:00)
- Closed
- 2nd Tuesday
- Access
- About 10 min by car from JR Futsukaichi or Nishitetsu Futsukaichi Station; about 10 min by car from Chikushino IC on the Kyūshū Expressway; about 15 min by car from Dazaifu Tenmangū
- Water type
- Alkaline simple
- Tattoos
- Not allowed
- Admission
- Adults (junior-high+) weekdays ¥1,200 / weekends & holidays ¥1,300 (members −¥100; special rates in peak periods such as Golden Week); age 4 to elementary ¥500/600. Six family baths with tatami rooms (weekend surcharge). Soap and shampoo provided (Kenbi Yakuto brand); towels extra. Cards and e-payment accepted
- Baths
- A panoramic spa halfway up Mt Tenpai. Two bath halls that swap between men and women — a big rotenburo overlooking Dazaifu, Mt Homan and the night lights of Chikushino, plus indoor tub, jet bath, a 36.4 °C body-temperature pool, saunas (self-löyly side and high-heat side) and cold plunge. Natural-food buffet restaurant and rest rooms on site
- Water
- Simple spring (neutral, hypotonic) from 1,500 m underground. Iron gives some tubs a brownish tint that bathers say “looks like it works”. Recirculated and heated
- Parking
- Large free car park. ~23 min on foot (4 min by car) from JR Tofurominami Station; 5–10 min by car from JR or Nishitetsu Futsukaichi (taxi recommended)
- Phone
- 092-925-8600
- Official site
- tenpainosato.com ↗
- Open in Google Maps
- Google Maps ↗
Essentials
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Why go
- Hillside open-air bath with Fukuoka night views
- Three private family baths; Kyūshū-produce buffet
- ¥1,200 weekdays; open till midnight; 15 min from Dazaifu
A rotenburo over Dazaifu and first-class saunas — a resort-style spa on the slopes of Mt Tenpai
Chikushino Tenpai-no-Sato is a resort-style day spa halfway up Mt Tenpai — the mountain where, legend says, Sugawara no Michizane prayed to heaven to prove his innocence — and the polar opposite of the humble communal baths in the Futsukaichi spa street. Its pride is the panorama from a large rotenburo: the town of Dazaifu and Mt Homan by day, the night lights of Chikushino and Fukuoka spread out below after dark. The water is a simple spring pumped from 1,500 m down; iron tints some tubs brown, and floating for ages in the 36.4 °C body-temperature pool is a favourite. The two bath halls, which swap between men and women, each have a self-löyly sauna and a high-heat sauna plus cold plunge, rated among the best in Kyushu by sauna devotees, and the amenities are upmarket, from herbal-brand shampoo to ReFa hair dryers. At ¥1,200 on weekdays and ¥1,300 at weekends it is expensive for a day spa, but with a natural-food buffet restaurant and six family baths with tatami rooms it has become a place where families and couples spend half a day. It sits on a hill too far to walk from the station, so a car or taxi is easiest; the ideal sequence is Dazaifu Tenmangu first, then arrive for the evening lights. Closed the 2nd Tuesday.
Tips & cautions
- Closed 2nd Tuesday (moved if a holiday). 10:30–24:00, last entry 23:00.
- Halls swap between men and women — if you want the self-löyly side, check the day’s allocation.
- The night view is the highlight — arrive at dusk and stay in the rotenburo from sunset into the lights.
- Special rates in peak seasons (Golden Week, Obon, New Year).
- Family baths (6 rooms) carry an hourly weekend surcharge; phone reservation advised — an option for tattooed guests.
- No published tattoo rule for the main baths — ask at reception.
- The buffet has fixed sittings — check times if you plan to eat.
- Without a car, a taxi from Futsukaichi Station takes 5–10 min.
Getting there
~23 min on foot or 4 min by car from JR Tofurominami Station (Kagoshima main line); 5–10 min by car from JR or Nishitetsu Futsukaichi (Tenpaizaka 2-4-3, Chikushino). ~10 min from Chikushino IC (Kyushu Expressway). Free parking. Tel. 092-918-5111.
Before you go
- Tattoos are explicitly not allowed, even if covered.
- Last entry is 30–60 minutes before closing.
Features
Sauna & wellness
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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