Fukushima · Dake Onsen, Nihonmatsu
Dake Onsen Dake-no-yu
岳温泉 岳の湯
A public bathhouse (doubling as a self-catering lodge) in the centre of Dake Onsen, about 600 m up the slopes of Mt Adatara. The acidic spring is rare nationally; piped roughly 8 km from the source, the water cools on the way and arrives milky white with a slight tingle. The basement bath is indoor only but 100% free-flowing. Day use 10:00–19:00 (last entry), ¥400 for adults, closed Tuesdays. The sloping resort street keeps traces of the town's playful 'Nikoniko Republic' era and has a free foot bath. About 25 minutes by bus from Nihonmatsu Station; popular with hikers coming down Mt Adatara and skiers.
- Price (adult)
- ¥400
- Hours
- 10:00–19:00 (rest room until 16:00)
- Closed
- Tue (open if a holiday, with a substitute closure)
- Access
- About 25 min by Fukushima Kōtsū bus from JR Nihonmatsu Station to 'Dake Onsen', then 2 min on foot; about 15 min by car from Nihonmatsu IC
- Water type
- Acidic spring
- Tattoos
- Ask ahead
- Admission
- Adults ¥400 / elementary ¥150 / infants free. No soap or shampoo provided (bring or buy). Rest room open until 16:00
- Baths
- A simple communal-bath layout with just one indoor pool per side. No rotenburo or sauna. The water runs a little hot (around 43°C) with white sulphur flakes drifting in it. Rest room available
- Water
- Simple acidic spring (around pH 2.5), 100% source water, free-flowing, no dilution. Piped 8 km down from the Kurogane springs near 1,500 m on Mt Adatara, the long journey 'kneads' the water so it is acidic yet mellow — a faintly blue-white cloudy bath with a lemonade-like tang. Rich in metasilicic acid, a 'beauty bath'. Indicated for skin conditions, eczema, diabetes, neuralgia
- Parking & access
- Free parking for about 20 cars. From Nihonmatsu Station on the JR Tohoku Line, Fukushima Kotsu bus for Dake Onsen about 25 min to the terminus 'Dake Onsen', then 1 min on foot. About 15 min from Nihonmatsu IC on the Tohoku Expressway
- Phone
- 0243-24-2139
- Open in Google Maps
- Google Maps ↗
Essentials
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Why go
- Rare acidic milky spring, free-flowing
- ¥400 public bath
- After hiking or skiing Mt Adatara
A ¥400 communal bath at the gateway to Dake Onsen
Dake Onsen Dake-no-Yu is a day-bath at the entrance to the Dake Onsen village, which spreads across the foot of Mt Adatara at about 600 m in Nihonmatsu, Fukushima — look for the big 'yu' curtain. Dake is a nationally designated health resort, famous for one of Japan's longest hot-spring pipelines: the water is carried about 8 km, dropping 950 m, in a single pipe from a group of springs near the Kurogane hut at 1,500 m. Dake-no-Yu is one of the few places that uses it undiluted and 100% free-flowing, and it bustles all day with local elders and regulars who drive up from Nihonmatsu — a true 'town bath'.
An acidic spring mellowed by an 8 km journey
The water is a simple acidic spring around pH 2.5 — unusually strong for Japan — yet the natural churning it undergoes on its 8 km descent through the pipe, the so-called 'yumomi' effect, leaves it surprisingly gentle on the skin. It is faintly blue-white and cloudy, with white sulphur flakes drifting through it, and a sip has a lemonade-like tang. Rich in moisturising metasilicic acid, it is called a 'beauty bath' and has long been valued for skin conditions and eczema. There is just one indoor pool per side, and at around 43°C it runs hot — locals call it the 'atchii' (scorching) bath — so short repeated dips are the trick, followed by a cooling stroll along the village's Himalaya Avenue.
Tips
Open 10:00–19:00 (rest room until 16:00), closed Tuesdays (open if a holiday, with a substitute closure). The ¥400 adult / ¥150 child price is the big draw, but there is no soap or shampoo, so bring your own (sold on site). No rotenburo or sauna, and the small bathroom gets crowded at weekend midday. As it is acidic, a light rinse with plain water afterwards is kinder to the skin, and take off silver jewellery, which will tarnish. 25 minutes by bus from Nihonmatsu Station, right at the terminus. Handy after a hike from the Mt Adatara ropeway or a Skyline drive, and several inns in the village (Azumakan among them) also take day bathers, so a bath-hopping afternoon is possible.
Before you go
- No official tattoo policy is published — ask at reception.
- Strongly acidic water — rinse off afterwards, avoid long soaks, and remove silver jewellery.
- The water runs hot (43–45°C). Don't add cold water; take short repeated dips instead.
- Payment is usually by ticket machine in cash — bring coins.
- Last entry is 30–60 minutes before closing.
Features
Price
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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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Takayu Onsen Attaka-yu
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