Kagoshima · Ibusuki Onsen
Ibusuki Onsen Mura-no-yu
指宿温泉 村之湯温泉
In the town centre of Ibusuki, famous for its sand baths, this is one of the oldest communal baths, dating from 1882. Locals call it 'Muran-yu'. Its pride is the wooden bathhouse and the spring that wells up straight through the floor of the tub; there are no taps — you scoop the emerging water with a bucket to rinse, the old way — and there are two tubs, hot and lukewarm. The sodium-chloride water is strongly salty in true Ibusuki fashion and keeps you warm for ages. Adults drop ¥350 into the unattended fee box; open 08:00–22:00. No soap provided, so bring your own. About 13 minutes on foot from Ibusuki Station. For onsen fans who want a 'real locals' bath' after the Saraku sand-bath hall; entry may not be possible during cleaning or crowding, so check closure days in advance.
- Price (adult)
- ¥350
- Hours
- 08:00–22:00
- Closed
- Open daily
- Access
- About 13 min on foot from JR Ibusuki Station; about 30 min by car from Ei IC on the Ibusuki Skyline
- Water type
- Simple spring
- Tattoos
- Ask ahead
- Admission
- Adults (junior-high+) ¥350 / children ¥100 / infants ¥50 (as of Feb 2026). Pay at the house opposite; if nobody is there, use the coin slot
- Water
- Sodium-chloride spring, neither heated nor diluted, welling up directly beneath the slatted tub floor and from the sides. Two tubs, hot and lukewarm (~6 people each). Drinkable
- History
- Founded 1881–82 (Meiji 14–15), Ibusuki’s oldest public bath; a single-storey wooden bathhouse locally called “Muran-yu”. Said to have been visited by Saigo Takamori
- Amenities
- No amenities (towels and sundries sold at reception). No lockers — shoe rack, shelves and tubs are all in one line of sight. Dim bathroom with draughts
- Parking
- Free, ~4–12 cars
- Phone
- 0993-23-3713
- Open in Google Maps
- Google Maps ↗
Essentials
Stay in this onsen town
Compare and book stays in Ibusuki Onsen. Day bathing itself needs no booking.
Opens partner booking site (affiliate)
Why go
- Founded 1882, among Ibusuki's oldest
- Spring welling up through the tub floor
- ¥350 in the honesty box
Ibusuki’s oldest bath, welling up underfoot for 140 years
Mura-no-yu, founded in 1881–82, is Ibusuki’s oldest public bath, a single-storey wooden bathhouse standing like an ordinary house in a residential street. Its glory is “ashimoto yushutsu”: the spring rises directly beneath the thick slatted boards on the tub floor and from the sides, so you soak in water that is neither heated nor diluted — as fresh as it gets. Of the two adjoining tubs the front is hot and the back lukewarm; the dim barn-like room and draughts through the boards only add atmosphere. Rarely in tourist brochures, yet rated by onsen connoisseurs as the best in Ibusuki.
Tips & cautions
- If nobody is at reception, drop the fee in the slot — bring coins.
- No lockers or partitions; leave valuables behind. Bring soap and towel (also sold).
- The hot tub can exceed 44 °C; kakeyu well and start lukewarm.
- A residents’ bath: no photos, keep quiet, don’t linger.
- 13 min from Ibusuki Station; pair with Togo Onsen (1 min) and Yajigayu (15 min) for a public-bath crawl.
- Check latest details with the city tourist association (phone may go unanswered).
Getting there
About 13 min on foot from JR Ibusuki Station (Omure 3-16-2, in the residential area near the chamber of commerce). Free parking.
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
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.
More in this area
Sunamushi Kaikan Saraku
The municipal facility for Ibusuki's famous natural sand bath. Change into a rental yukata, walk down to the beach, and staff bury you in hot sand for about ten minutes; afterwards rinse off in the indoor onsen. At high tide the sand baths move under a roof. ¥1,500 includes the yukata; bring or buy a towel. 20 minutes on foot or 5 by bus from Ibusuki Station.
Kirishima Hotel Iōdani Garden Bath
A vast garden bath hall fed by 14 sources at 1,400 litres a minute, with four water types — sulfur, alum, saline and iron — in one place. The central pool is mixed-gender (women-only hours; bathing garments allowed).
Nigatsuden Onsen Tonosama-yu
A public bath from the early Shōwa era beside the ruins of the Shimazu lords' private bathhouse. The Shimazu crest decorates the tub; the salty water runs hot and free-flowing. Free drinking spring too — a local follow-up to the sand bath.
