Aomori · Ikarigaseki & Furutōbe, Hirakawa
Furutōbe Onsen, Ikarigaseki
古遠部温泉（平川市碇ヶ関）
A lone hidden spring at the end of a forest road in the hills of Ikarigaseki, Hirakawa, near the Aomori–Akita border. Famed nationwide for its gushing flow — said to be 500 litres a minute — the overflow from the tub streams across the entire washing floor like a river, and the place once topped a fan vote for the best free-flowing bath in Japan. The sodium-calcium-chloride-sulphate water is pale yellow-brown with an iron tang, and the local way to enjoy it is 'todo-ne': lying flat on the floor and letting the running water wash over you like a sea lion. After a long closure it reopened, renovated, in December 2025: day bathing adults ¥600, children ¥200, 09:00–20:30. Lodging is bed-and-breakfast or room only. Pick-ups from Ikarigaseki Station and Yunosawa can be arranged (contact in advance). Facilities are basic and days and hours can change, so check by phone or on the official social media. About 15 minutes by car from JR Ikarigaseki Station or Ikarigaseki IC; beware of deep snow in winter.
- Price (adult)
- ¥600
- Hours
- 09:00–20:30 (last entry around 20:00)
- Closed
- Irregular (check ahead)
- Access
- About 15 min by car from JR Ikarigaseki Station (Ōu Line; pick-up available, contact in advance); about 15 min from Ikarigaseki IC; about 50 min from Hirosaki city
- Water type
- Simple spring
- Tattoos
- Ask ahead
- Admission
- Day bathing: adults ¥600 / elementary ¥200 (revised after the December 2025 renovation). Lodging is breakfast-only or room-only; winter heating surcharge. Pick-up from Ikarigaseki or Yunosawa Station for both day and overnight visitors (arrange in advance)
- Baths
- One indoor bath per side (room for about four), no rotenburo. The speciality is 'todo-ne' — this is the birthplace of the practice of lying like a sea lion on the floor, where overflow from the tub runs like a river. Rim and floor are thickly crusted with reddish-brown mineral deposits
- Water
- Sodium-calcium chloride-bicarbonate-sulphate spring (neutral, pH 6.3) from the inn's own 'Furutobe No. 2' source: natural flow at 43.6°C, about 480 L/min, total minerals 5.4 g/kg, metasilicic acid 172 mg. Fully free-flowing with no added water or heat. Iron and earthy notes with a complex fizzy-sweet-salty taste; skin feels both slick and squeaky afterwards
- Parking & access
- Free parking. About 10 min by car from Ikarigaseki or Tsugaru-Yunosawa Station on the JR Ou Line (no public transport; arrange the inn's pick-up in advance). About 10 min from Ikarigaseki IC on the Tohoku Expressway — deep in the hills near the Akita border, with weak mobile signal
- Phone
- 0172-46-2533
- Official site
- x.com ↗
- Open in Google Maps
- Google Maps ↗
Essentials
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Why go
- Japan's most famous 'gushing' free-flow bath
- Lie on the floor as the water streams over you
- Reopened Dec 2025; ¥600
The holy ground of 'todo-ne' — a lone mountain inn voted Japan's No. 1 free-flowing bath, where 480 litres a minute river across the floor
Furutobe Onsen is a plain lone inn at the end of a single mountain road in Ikarigaseki, Hirakawa, Aomori, close to the Akita border — known among onsen devotees as the birthplace of 'todo-ne'. The bathroom is tiny, one indoor tub per side, but the inn's own Furutobe No. 2 source flows naturally at 43.6°C and roughly 480 litres a minute, so water spilling from the four-person tub streams across the floor like a river. Lying on that floor like a sea lion (todo), letting the flowing source water wash over you, is todo-ne, and regulars happily stay prone for an hour or two. The water is a neutral sodium-calcium chloride-bicarbonate-sulphate spring with 5.4 g/kg of dissolved minerals, so rim and floor are crusted thick with reddish-brown deposits, and it tastes complex — iron and earth with fizz, sweetness and salt. After a pause in 2024 it reopened refurbished in December 2025 with admission set at ¥600, and it has been voted No. 1 in an onsen site's 'Top 100 free-flowing baths'. There is no rotenburo, no sauna, no view — but if you want to understand what a bath that wins on water alone means, this is the first name to call in Tohoku.
Tips & notes
① Closures are irregular and it's deep in the hills — always phone on the day (0172-46-2533) or check the official X account. ② For todo-ne the floor is hot (about 42°C) and lumpy with deposits — start with 5–10 minutes and mind your footing when you stand. ③ Daytime fills with day visitors; for the full todo-ne experience come at opening or stay overnight. ④ No shampoo or towels provided; check for a dryer. ⑤ Iron-rich water turns white towels brown and tarnishes silver. ⑥ Almost no mobile signal — arrange pick-up beforehand. ⑦ Heavy-snow country in winter; if you're not used to snow driving, take the station shuttle.
Getting there
10 min by car from Ikarigaseki Station on the JR Ou Line (about 30 min by local train from Hirosaki, 25 min from Odate) or from Tsugaru-Yunosawa — there is no bus, so use the inn's pick-up (arranged ahead; not available every day) or a taxi (few wait at Ikarigaseki, so book). By car, about 10 min from Ikarigaseki IC on the Tohoku Expressway via Route 7 and a prefectural road; about 45 min from central Hirosaki, about 40 min from Odate in Akita. Base yourself in Hirosaki or Owani Onsen; the Ikarigaseki roadside station bath 'Tsugaru Seki-no-sho' (¥400) makes a good pairing.
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.
- Payment is usually by ticket machine in cash — bring coins.
- Last entry is 30–60 minutes before closing.
Features
Mood & scenery
Price
Who with
Convenience
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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