Hokkaido · Hakodate city (Yachigashira)
Yachigashira Onsen
谷地頭温泉
Hakodate's signature day-use hot spring at the foot of Mt Hakodate, five minutes on foot from the Yachigashira tram terminus. Opened by the city in 1953 and privatised in 2013, when a sauna was added. The high-ceilinged bathroom feels airy; the rust-brown sodium-chloride water is strong and on the hot side, and the open-air bath is star-shaped after Goryōkaku fort. Adults pay just ¥490; open 06:00–22:00 (last entry 21:00), closed 2nd Tuesdays. A 'hands-free set' with towels is sold and there is a canteen. Close to the Mt Hakodate ropeway, Cape Tachimachi and the morning market — bathe with the locals at dawn or to round off a day of sightseeing. Soap and shampoo provided.
- Price (adult)
- ¥490
- Hours
- 6:00–22:00 (last entry 21:00)
- Closed
- 2nd Tuesday
- Access
- 5 min on foot from the Yachigashira tram stop (about 15 min by tram from Hakodate Station); about 25 min by car from Hakodate Airport
- Water type
- Simple spring
- Tattoos
- Ask ahead
- Admission
- Adults ¥490 (revised 1 Nov 2025), children 7–12 ¥150, ages 3–6 ¥70, under 3 free. Ticket machine. A 'hands-free set' (towel, shampoo etc.) sold for ¥500. Massage chairs ¥100 per 15 min
- Baths
- Second-floor bath hall: a high-ceilinged indoor room with three pools at different temperatures (about 41–43°C) and roughly 100 wash stations; an open-air bath shaped like the star fort Goryokaku, with a pavilion; sauna (about 90°C, humid) and cold plunge (below 10°C in winter). Ground-floor canteen (soba etc.) and rest room; lockable lockers and shoe boxes
- Water
- Sodium chloride spring (hypertonic, neutral, high-temperature), 65.6°C and pH 6.9 at source. Rich in iron and salt, it is a cloudy ochre-brown that stains towels. Free-flowing from the source (cooled with water). Exceptionally warming — ideal in winter. Indicated for joint pain, poor circulation, cuts and gynaecological complaints
- Parking & access
- Free parking for 101 cars. 5 min walk from 'Yachigashira', the terminus of tram line 2 (about 15 min from Hakodate Station). The Mt Hakodate ropeway and Cape Tachimachi are within walking distance. 3 min from the 'Yachigashira Onsen' bus stop
- Phone
- 0138-22-8371
- Open in Google Maps
- Google Maps ↗
Essentials
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Why go
- Foot of Mt Hakodate, 5 min from the tram
- Strong rust-brown water, star-shaped bath
- From 6 am for ¥490; towel set sold
Hakodate's brown bathhouse spring at the foot of the mountain
Yachigashira Onsen is a large day-bathing complex in a residential quarter at the southern foot of Mt Hakodate, a 5-minute walk from 'Yachigashira', the terminus of tram line 2. Opened by the city in 1953 and privatised in 2013 (when a sauna was added), it remains a neighbourhood bath that locals visit daily, at a sento-level ¥490. Its iron- and salt-rich brown water — far stronger than Yunokawa's — overflows the tubs straight from the source, and the star-shaped rotenburo modelled on Goryokaku fort is a Hakodate signature.
A 65°C iron-and-salt spring and the star-shaped rotenburo
The water is a sodium chloride spring (hypertonic, neutral, high-temperature) emerging at a remarkable 65.6°C — a reminder that Mt Hakodate belongs to a volcanic belt. Iron turns it a cloudy ochre that stains white towels, and its heavy salt content keeps you warm long after you leave. The indoor hall is high-ceilinged and vast, with about 100 wash stations and three pools graded by temperature (roughly 41–43°C), reflecting Hakodate's taste for hot water. The open-air bath is star-shaped with a pavilion; the sauna added after privatisation runs humid at about 90°C, and the cold plunge drops to single digits in winter, earning a following among sauna fans.
Practical details and what to see nearby
Hours are 6:00–22:00 (entry until 21:00), closed the second Tuesday of each month; adults ¥490 (raised in November 2025), children ¥150, infants ¥70. Buy a ticket from the machine; a ¥500 'hands-free set' with towel and shampoo means you can drop in empty-handed while sightseeing. Soba in the ground-floor canteen and a post-bath milk are the ritual. Close to the tram terminus, it pairs well with the Mt Hakodate ropeway, Cape Tachimachi and the Ishikawa Takuboku family grave for a half-day, and since it opens at 6:00 it makes a fine morning bath after the previous night's view. Locals far outnumber tourists here, so keep it quiet and respectful.
Before you go
- No official tattoo policy is published — ask at reception.
- As a communal bath there is no soap or shampoo — bring your own or buy at the shop.
- Payment is usually by ticket machine in cash — bring coins.
- Last entry is 30–60 minutes before closing.
Features
Sauna & wellness
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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