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 ゆる〜と2026-02・じゃらん・指宿市観光協会
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.