Tokushima · Iya Onsen
Iyakei Onsen Hotel Hikyo-no-yu
祖谷渓温泉 ホテル秘境の湯
Five minutes by car from the Kazurabashi vine bridge, the day-use bath of a large hotel at the mouth of the Iya Valley — the biggest bathhouse in Iya, with a rotenburo facing the green gorge, indoor pool and sauna. At ¥1,100 it's a cheaper, later-opening alternative to Hotel Iya Onsen's cable-car bath (¥1,900). 20 minutes by car from Oboke Station. Closed Tuesdays.
- Price (adult)
- ¥1,100
- Hours
- Mon/Wed/Thu/Fri 15:00–20:00 (last entry 19:00) / weekends & holidays 12:00–18:00 (last entry 17:00)
- Closed
- Tuesdays (next day if a holiday)
- Access
- 20 min by car from JR Oboke Station, or bus to Hikyo-no-yu stop
- Water type
- Alkaline simple
- Tattoos
- Ask ahead
- Admission
- Adults ¥1,100 / elementary and under ¥600 (groups of 20+ ¥1,000/¥500). Reviews mention JAF and similar discounts. Towels sold and hired. Hours differ by day — weekdays (Mon, Wed–Fri) only from 15:00
- Baths
- In the gable-roofed bath building: gender-separated indoor halls, gender-separated rotenburo down a flight of steps, and a sauna. Sits at the mouth of the gorge on the Ikeda side — the easiest Iya bath to reach. Restaurant and rest room inside; cottages and a hotel wing next door for overnight stays
- Water
- Alkaline simple spring (bicarbonate type), clear and remarkably slippery “beauty water” — reviewers write that they “haven’t felt water this slick in ages”. Heated and recirculated. Indicated for neuralgia, rheumatism, back pain
- Parking
- Free. ~20 min by car from Ikeda town, ~25 min from Oboke Station. At the Ikeda-side entrance to the gorge road (prefectural road 32), en route to the Iya gorge viewpoint and the “Peeing Boy” statue
- Phone
- 0883-87-2300
- Official site
- oboke-iya.jp ↗
- Open in Google Maps
- Google Maps ↗
Essentials
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Why go
- Largest bathhouse in Iya
- 5 min from Kazurabashi bridge
- Gorge rotenburo for ¥1,100
Slippery alkaline water at the mouth of the Iya gorge — the easiest rotenburo to drop into on a drive
Hotel Hikyo-no-yu stands at the Ikeda-side gateway to the Iya gorge, where the valley road (prefectural road 32) begins — far easier to drop into than Iya’s other two baths with their cable cars, a true “drive-by onsen”. The gable-roofed bath building holds gender-separated indoor halls, gender-separated rotenburo facing the hillside down a flight of steps, and a sauna. Above all there is the water: an alkaline simple spring among the slipperiest in Iya, with review after review saying “I haven’t felt water this slick in ages” — skin-smoothing beauty water (heated, recirculated). It is ideally placed for washing off the day at the end of a drive round the gorge viewpoint, the cliff-side “Peeing Boy” statue and the vine bridge, and the restaurant serves Iya soba and amego trout. But note the split hours: weekdays (Mon, Wed–Fri) from 15:00 only, weekends and holidays 12:00–18:00, closed Tuesdays — a daytime visit is possible only at weekends. Day bathing ¥1,100.
Tips & cautions
- Mind the split hours: weekdays 15:00–20:00 (last entry 19:00), weekends/holidays 12:00–18:00 (last entry 17:00), closed Tuesdays (Wednesday if a holiday).
- The rotenburo is down steps — take care if mobility is limited.
- The water is extremely slippery — watch your footing on the bathroom floor.
- The gorge road (prefectural road 32) is narrow, and passing large vehicles is tricky; avoid driving at night.
- Suggested Iya loop: Ikeda → Hikyo-no-yu → Peeing Boy → Iya Onsen → vine bridge (or reverse).
- Tattoo policy unconfirmed — phone ahead (0883-87-2300).
Getting there
~20 min by car from Awa-Ikeda Station (JR Dosan line), ~25 min from Oboke (Oinouchi 401, Nishi-Iyayama-mura, Miyoshi). ~25 min from Ikawa-Ikeda IC via Route 32 and prefectural road 32 (the gorge road); free parking. Buses from Ikeda bus terminal or Oboke Station towards Kazurabashi stop at “Hikyo-no-yu” (infrequent). Tel. 0883-87-2300.
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.
- Last entry is 30–60 minutes before closing.
Features
Sauna & wellness
Mood & scenery
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.
More in this area
Hotel Iya Onsen (cable-car bath)
A five-minute ride down a 42-degree cable car to the bottom of the Iya gorge, where a self-flowing bath sits beside the river. Day use 7:30–17:00, cable car included. A member of the Secret Onsen Preservation Society.
Hotel Kazurabashi – Sky Open-Air Bath
Five minutes by car from the Kazurabashi vine bridge, this popular Iya inn is famous for its 'sky open-air bath' reached by private cable car. Day bathing (¥1,200) runs 10:30–16:00; the goemon cauldron baths are for overnight guests only. A free sky footbath on the viewing deck is spectacular on mornings with a sea of clouds. With Hotel Iya Onsen it forms Iya's pair of 'cable-car onsen', ideal for a break while touring the valley.
Naruto Natural Onsen Aratae-no-yu
A large day-use onsen next to the Naruto boat-race stadium, 10 minutes by car from the whirlpools and the Ōtsuka Museum of Art. The open-air bath, fed by the site's own natural spring, opens to Naruto's hills and sky; there are also a carbonated bath, pot tubs, a hot sauna, cold plunge and outdoor rest area. Open 8:00–24:00 (last entry 23:00), from early morning to late night; ¥750 weekdays, ¥900 weekends and holidays. The ground-floor restaurant is known for fresh fish — Naruto sea bream and sashimi at fair prices. Walkable from the Konaruto-bashi bus stop on the Tokushima Bus Naruto line. Irregular closures.
