Shizuoka · Itō Onsen
Itō Onsen Tōkaikan (weekend bathing)
伊東温泉 東海館（週末限定の日帰り入浴）
A three-storey wooden former inn built in 1928 on the Matsukawa River, now run by Itō city as a cultural facility and a masterpiece of early-Shōwa architecture. The carved transoms, rooftop lookout and guest rooms where rival carpenters showed off are worth the ¥200 admission alone — but on Saturdays, Sundays and holidays, 11:00–19:00, you can also bathe in the tiled 'large' and 'small' bath halls (¥500 adults including admission; halls swap by gender). The water is Itō's simple spring. Note the baths are closed on weekdays. Seven minutes on foot from Itō Station; combine with the riverside promenade and the old spa quarter opposite — a treat for lovers of retro buildings.
- Price (adult)
- ¥500
- Hours
- 11:00–19:00 (weekends & holidays only; men/women alternate by time)
- Closed
- Weekdays (bath closed) and 3rd Tuesday (next day if a holiday)
- Access
- 7 min on foot from Itō Station (JR Itō Line / Izukyū); about 1 h 40 min from Tokyo by Odoriko limited express
- Water type
- Simple spring
- Tattoos
- Ask ahead
- Admission
- Bathing on Saturdays, Sundays and holidays only: adults ¥500, children (elementary and under) ¥300 including admission; no bathing for age 2 and under. Men and women alternate by time: men 11:00–12:45 and 15:00–16:45, women 13:30–14:45 and 17:00–19:00 (subject to change). Weekdays are building tours only (9:00–21:00, adults ¥200, students ¥100). Ground-floor café (coffee, matcha) and souvenirs. Bring or buy a towel; no shampoo. The 3rd-floor watchtower lookout can be visited
- Baths
- 'Tokaikan', a three-storey wooden onsen inn built in 1928. Standing on the Matsukawa river, it is the symbol of Ito Onsen, with transoms, carvings and joinery in which the craftsmen of the day vied with one another. After closing in 1997 it was donated to the city and opened in 2001 as a tourism and culture facility, now a city-designated cultural property. The retro bath hall tiled from floor to wall and the carved Chinese-lion spout are its hallmarks — a 'cultural property you can bathe in' at weekends only. Illuminated at night with a riverside view; the 3rd-floor watchtower overlooks the town
- Spring water
- Ito Onsen, an alkaline simple spring of pH 8.4, colourless, odourless, soft and slippery — a 'beauty bath'. Heated and recirculated (to preserve the cultural-property tubs). Indicated for neuralgia, muscle pain, poor circulation, fatigue and skin care. Ito has one of Japan's largest outflows (over 30,000 litres a minute) and communal baths around town (about ¥300, locals' baths) make a 'bath pilgrimage' possible alongside Tokaikan
- Access & parking
- 10 min on foot (along the Matsukawa) from Ito Station on the JR Ito Line and Izukyu. About 1 h 40 min from Tokyo Station by Odoriko limited express, 25 min from Atami on the Ito Line. By car about 2.5 h from Tokyo via the Odawara-Atsugi road, Manazuru road and Route 135. No dedicated parking (use nearby paid lots). Ito Marine Town 5 min, Jogasaki coast 20 min by car
- Phone
- 0557-36-2004
- Official site
- itospa.com ↗
- Open in Google Maps
- Google Maps ↗
Essentials
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Why go
- Bathe inside a 1928 wooden inn
- Weekends/holidays only, 11–19, ¥500
- 7 min from Itō Station on the river
A 1928 three-storey wooden inn whose tiled bath opens only at weekends
Ito Onsen Tokaikan is a three-storey wooden hot-spring inn built in 1928 on the banks of the Matsukawa in Ito, Shizuoka — the symbol of the Ito spa town and a 'cultural property you can bathe in'. Its founder, a timber merchant, is said to have gathered fine wood from across Japan and set three master carpenters to compete floor by floor; openwork transoms, ornamental room windows and curved corridor ceilings preserve early-Showa craftsmanship in every corner. After closing in 1997 it was donated to the city and opened in 2001 as a tourism and culture facility. On weekdays a ¥200 admission lets you tour the building and climb the third-floor watchtower for a view over town, while only on Saturdays, Sundays and holidays does the retro bath hall, tiled from floor to wall, open for a ¥500 soak (admission included) in the alkaline simple 'beauty water'. With a single bathroom, men and women alternate by time slot — a quirk of the place — and the black-patinaed carved lion spout and light through the arched windows convey an early-Showa bathing scene unchanged. At 1 h 40 min from Tokyo by limited express and a 10-minute walk from Ito Station, it suits the first or last day of an Izu trip, and at night the illuminated building becomes a highlight of a riverside stroll.
The tiled hall and lion spout — mind the men's and women's hours
Remove your shoes at the riverside entrance and buy a ¥500 bath ticket (tour included) at reception to be shown to the bath hall at the back of the ground floor. With only one bathroom, the slots alternate — men 11:00–12:45 and 15:00–16:45, women 13:30–14:45 and 17:00–19:00 (subject to change) — so check your slot first and tour the building in between. The changing room is the old inn's wooden space with only simple lockers, so leave valuables at reception. The hall is early-Showa style, covered floor, walls and tub in small tiles, light falling through arched windows and water pouring from the mouth of a black-patinaed lion carved by sculptor Morita Toko. The pH 8.4 alkaline simple spring feels slick at 41–42°C; the tub seats six to eight, so expect a wait when busy. There is no shampoo or soap — bring your own or buy at reception, likewise towels. Afterwards take your time over the 120-mat hall on the second floor, the ornamental windows and carvings in the guest rooms, and the third-floor watchtower lookout over town and sea, then rest with matcha and sweets in the ground-floor café. It stays open until 21:00, so an evening bath followed by a yukata stroll past the illuminated building along the Matsukawa is lovely. On weekdays the bath is closed, so plan for a weekend; on a weekday use one of the town's communal baths such as Wada Yukaido instead.
Practical details and an Ito / east Izu route
Bathing is Saturdays, Sundays and holidays only, 11:00–19:00 (men's and women's slots alternate; times may change, so check with the Ito tourist association or by phone); building tours run daily 9:00–21:00; closed the third Tuesday (next day if a holiday). Bathing costs ¥500 for adults and ¥300 for children including the tour; tour only ¥200 for adults and ¥100 for schoolchildren; no bathing for age 2 and under; no shampoo or towels. Access is a 10-minute walk from Ito Station, 1 h 40 min from Tokyo Station by Odoriko limited express; there is no dedicated parking, so drivers use nearby paid lots. Suggested routes: (1) a day trip from Tokyo — Atami in the morning (Kiunkaku villa, shopping streets), the Ito Line to Ito, a kinmedai (splendid alfonsino) lunch at Ito Marine Town or in the arcades, a Tokaikan tour plus weekend bath, a yukata stroll along the Matsukawa, and home; (2) an overnight on east Izu — stay in Ito, then the Jogasaki coast suspension bridge, the Mt Omuro lift, Izu Kogen and Shimoda; (3) an Ito bath pilgrimage — combine Tokaikan with communal baths such as Wada Yukaido and Yukawa Daiichi (about ¥300, mainly locals, so mind your manners). Ito bustles with the Anjin Festival fireworks in July–August and the Ito Onsen Festival in October, and around Tokaikan are retro Meiji–Showa shopping streets and 'Ito yukata' rental shops. The bath is small and weekend afternoons see queues, so aim for the start of a slot, and since men's and women's hours differ, couples and families should plan to alternate touring and bathing.
Before you go
- No official tattoo policy is published — ask at reception.
- Payment is usually by ticket machine in cash — bring coins.
- Last entry is 30–60 minutes before closing.
Features
Baths
Mood & scenery
Convenience
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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