Shiga · Eigenji Onsen, Higashiōmi
Eigenji Onsen Happu-no-yu
永源寺温泉 八風の湯
A modern-Japanese spa on the clear Echi River at the gate of Eigen-ji, a temple famed for autumn colour. Named for the 'eight winds' off the Suzuka mountains, it offers a wide spread of tubs: indoor bath, herbal bath, seated bath, two open-air baths above the stream, pot baths, lie-down baths, sauna, salt sauna and cold plunge. The water is a gentle alkaline simple spring. Adults ¥1,300 on weekdays, ¥1,500 on weekends and holidays, with towels and loungewear included so you can come empty-handed. Open 10:30–22:00 (last entry 21:00), every day apart from maintenance. There is an optional bedrock-bath suite, a gorge-view restaurant, a charcoal-grill dining room and lodging, and at night the lit-up building feels like a ryokan. About 20 minutes by car from Yōkaichi IC or 35 minutes by bus from Ōmi Railway Yōkaichi Station. Pair with Eigen-ji's November foliage.
- Price (adult)
- ¥1,300
- Hours
- 10:30–22:00 (last entry 21:00)
- Closed
- Open daily (maintenance closures)
- Access
- Ōmi Railway bus for Eigenji-shako from Yōkaichi Station, about 35 min to 'Eigenji Onsen-mae' right by the stop; about 20 min by car from Yōkaichi IC
- Water type
- Alkaline simple
- Tattoos
- Ask ahead
- Admission
- Admission adults (junior high and up) ¥1,300 weekdays / ¥1,700 weekends and holidays, children (elementary and below) ¥700/¥800, infants (under 3) ¥200 — towels, bath towels, house robes and the bedrock bath are included (infants get no amenities). Akasuri scrubbing and massage 'Rakuyu' from ¥290 for 25 minutes (reserve). Restaurant 'Sansui' 11:00–22:00 (last order 21:00), charcoal grill lunch 11:30–13:00, lounge with manga, shop. No outside food or drink
- Baths
- A resort-style day-use onsen beside the Eigenji dam on the Happo road (Route 421) that crosses into the Suzuka mountains, in Higashiomi, Shiga. Its signature is a 'rotenburo of stillness' where you surrender to quietly flowing water and take in the seasons with all five senses; the spacious indoor bath, rotenburo, sauna and even the bedrock bath are all included in admission. Eigenji temple (a branch of Enryakuji and a famous foliage spot), the valley of Takano village, new green in April–May and maple colour in November are at their best. Charcoal-grilled Omi beef and Shiga vegetables, and kaiseki meals
- Spring water
- Eigenji Onsen, a soft, colourless to faintly tinted water of the alkaline simple-spring family (underground source, heated and partly recirculated), mild and suited to long bathing at any age. Indicated for neuralgia, muscle and joint pain, poor circulation, fatigue, dry skin and the digestive system. The bedrock bath uses germanium and tourmaline stones (included in admission)
- Access & parking
- 25 min by car from Yokaichi IC on the Meishin Expressway, 20 min from Koka-Tsuchiyama IC on the Shin-Meishin, 1 h 20 min from Osaka and 1 h 10 min from Nagoya. About 30 min by bus or taxi from Yokaichi Station on the JR/Ohmi Railway (via Eigenji; few services). Dedicated free parking for 90. Eigenji temple 10 min by car, the dam and Takano valley on foot to 5 min by car, the Rako-yama ropeway 40 min
- Phone
- 0748-27-1126
- Official site
- happunoyu.com ↗
- Open in Google Maps
- Google Maps ↗
Essentials
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Why go
- At Eigen-ji's gate, baths above the river
- Towels and loungewear included
- Pair with autumn leaves; open daily
A still rotenburo beside the dam and a resort onsen with bedrock bath included — gateway to Omi's foliage
Eigenji Onsen Happu-no-yu is a resort-style day-use hot spring in Higashiomi, Shiga, standing close by the Eigenji dam along the old Happo road (Route 421) that crosses the Suzuka mountains into Mie. The name 'Happu' comes from the strong winds that blow along this mountain road, and the wind off the mountain, the mist on the dam lake and the colours of the seasons are all felt from the bathhouse itself. Its pride is the 'rotenburo of stillness', an open-air bath designed so that you surrender to quietly flowing water and take in the seasons through birdsong, the sound of water and the scent of the forest; together with a spacious indoor bath, sauna and even a bedrock bath of germanium and tourmaline stones, everything is included in the admission, so for ¥1,300 on a weekday you get the onsen, sauna, bedrock bath, house robes and a full towel set. The water is a soft, colourless to faintly tinted spring of the alkaline simple family, mild enough for children and seniors to soak at length, and the in-house restaurant Sansui serves charcoal-grilled Omi beef and Shiga vegetables, Lake Biwa fish and kaiseki or set meals of prefectural rice, open until 21:00 (last order) so you can stay into the evening. There are effectively no closures (only maintenance days, which are announced) and hours run 10:30 to 22:00 (last entry 21:00), making it easy as a day trip from Kyoto, Osaka or Nagoya. The surroundings are Eigenji temple, a branch of Enryakuji with some of Kansai's finest November foliage, the dam's walking paths and the valley of Takano village; new green in April–May and the autumn colour are at their best, and in summer it is popular with families who add a dip in the gorge stream.
A resort day of bath, bedrock bath and dining, and foliage at Eigenji
Enter the dedicated car park (90 spaces) from Route 421, pay admission at the entrance (¥1,300 on weekdays) and receive house robes, towels and a bath towel along with a locker key. The order for getting the most from a resort-style facility: (1) warm up first in the great bath (spacious indoor tubs, rotenburo, sauna and plunge); (2) change into the robes and sweat it out in the bedrock bath (germanium and tourmaline stones; about 45 minutes recommended); (3) return to the great bath and take the air in the rotenburo; (4) finish with charcoal-grilled Omi beef or kaiseki at the restaurant Sansui. The rotenburo follows a concept of 'stillness' in which nothing is heard but water and birdsong, with lighting and planting kept low, so dusk is the most atmospheric hour; on rainy days the sound of rain and the steam suit that concept even better. Pairing the bedrock bath with 25 minutes of akasuri scrubbing or massage ('Rakuyu', ¥290, reservation) makes the relief of fatigue unmistakable. The water, colourless to faintly tinted, has no sulphur-like character, but in exchange it has no irritation at all, so two or three sessions of 30–40 minutes are no strain — which is why so many children and seniors come. Dining runs from 11:00 to 21:00 (last order), covering both the charcoal-grill lunch (11:30–13:00) and evening kaiseki, with Shiga specialities of Omi beef, smoked lake fish and local sake. Crowds peak weekend afternoons from 1 to 5 and on foliage-season (November) weekends; weekday mornings or after 19:00 are comfortable. Nearby you can combine Eigenji temple (10 minutes by car, with November foliage illuminations), the 30-minute circuit walk around the dam, and the Koto temples of Kongo-rinji and Saimyoji (20–30 minutes by car), and in winter the snow of the Suzuka mountains is visible from the rotenburo. Notes: no outside food or drink; admission rises to ¥1,700 on weekends and holidays; the bedrock bath has capacity limits and may involve a wait; roads toward Eigenji can ice in winter; cash and cards accepted.
Practical details and a Shiga (Omi) route
Open daily 10:30–22:00 (last entry 21:00), year-round (maintenance closures announced); adults ¥1,300 weekdays / ¥1,700 weekends and holidays (towels, bath towels, house robes and bedrock bath included), children ¥700/¥800, infants ¥200, free parking for 90. Access is 25 minutes from Yokaichi IC on the Meishin Expressway, 1 h 20 min from Osaka, 1 h 10 min from Nagoya, 30 minutes by taxi from JR Yokaichi Station. Suggested routes: (1) a foliage day in November — the three Koto temples (Kongo-rinji, Saimyoji, Hyakusaiji) in the morning, soba at the gate of Eigenji for lunch, the temple's maples, Happu-no-yu in the afternoon (bath plus bedrock bath), charcoal-grilled Omi beef at Sansui in the evening, then home to Kyoto or Osaka; (2) a dam and valley course — the 30–60 minute circuit of Eigenji dam and the Takano gorge, Happu-no-yu, then the Rako-yama ropeway for views or a night in Yokaichi; (3) with the east shore of Lake Biwa — Hikone Castle and Kurokabe Square (40 minutes by car), Happu-no-yu, a night in Nagahama; (4) a family summer — playing in the gorge stream (upper Takano river; check the safe zones), a bath, a cafe; (5) winter — the rotenburo with the Suzuka mountains in snow and Omi shabu-shabu afterwards. Notes: higher rates on weekends and holidays; possible waits for the bedrock bath; restaurant last order 21:00 (charcoal-grill lunch until 13:00); no outside food; icing on the Eigenji road in winter; the car park fills on foliage-season weekends (arrive early). Happu-no-yu scores higher as a 'rest package' than as a water-first onsen, and is one of the best places in Shiga to unwind from a long drive and spend a day slowly.
Before you go
- No official tattoo policy is published — ask at reception.
- Ryokan day-use hours are limited and may be suspended in peak season — phone the same morning.
- Last entry is 30–60 minutes before closing.
Features
Mood & scenery
Sauna & wellness
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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