Tokushima · Iya Onsen
Hotel Kazurabashi – Sky Open-Air Bath
新祖谷温泉 ホテルかずら橋（天空露天風呂）
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.
- Price (adult)
- ¥1,200
- Hours
- Day use 10:30–16:00
- Closed
- Irregular (check ahead)
- Access
- Bus from JR Ōboke Station to Kazurabashi, then hotel shuttle; 60 min by car from Ikawa-Ikeda IC
- Water type
- Alkaline simple
- Tattoos
- Ask ahead
- Admission
- Adults ¥1,200 / age 6–12 ¥600 / age 3–5 ¥300. Towel ¥200 and bath towel ¥400 sold. Cable car included. Day visitors use the sky rotenburo only (the goemon cauldron baths etc. are for guests). Meal-inclusive day plans from ¥3,850 (11:30–14:00, reservation)
- Baths
- “Sky rotenburo”: from the 3rd-floor courtyard a small hut-style cable car (or a footpath) climbs to the hilltop, where the men’s “Unkai-no-yu” and women’s “Jukai-no-yu” — rock baths of local Awa blue-stone — look over Iya’s mountain hamlets and gorge, with a sea of clouds on lucky mornings. Sky footbath and rest lounge alongside. Gender-separated indoor baths on the 3rd floor
- Water
- Simple sulphur spring — clear, gentle water that leaves skin smooth. Heated and recirculated. Indicated for joint and muscle pain, poor circulation, fatigue
- Parking
- Large free car park. 5 min by car from the Kazurabashi vine bridge. Bus ~20 min from Oboke Station to “Kazurabashi Hotel-mae”, or taxi ~15 min
- Phone
- 0883-87-2171
- Official site
- kazurabashi.co.jp ↗
- Open in Google Maps
- Google Maps ↗
Essentials
Find a stay on Trip.com
Search and book accommodation across Japan on Trip.com. Day-use bathing needs no booking.
Opens partner booking site (affiliate)
Why go
- Cable car up to a sky bath
- 5 min drive from Kazurabashi
- Free sky footbath
Up the hut-shaped cable car to the “sky rotenburo” — Awa blue-stone baths above the Iya gorge
Hotel Kazurabashi stands on a hillside five minutes by car from the vine bridge that is the highlight of any Iya trip. Where Hotel Iya Onsen’s cable car descends into the gorge, this one climbs up the mountain: from the 3rd-floor courtyard a tiny log-cabin-shaped car rattles up a steep slope to the “sky rotenburo” on the summit — the men’s Unkai-no-yu and women’s Jukai-no-yu, rock baths of local Awa blue-stone looking down on Iya’s hamlets and folded ridges, and on the right mornings a sea of clouds spreads beneath you, true to the name. The sky footbath and rest lounge beside it, where you cool off in the breeze, complete the experience. The water is a gentle simple sulphur spring (heated, recirculated), slippery and mild enough for children and the elderly, and the ¥1,200 day ticket includes the cable car, making this Iya’s most accessible “scenic onsen”. Meal plans with Iya country cooking (reservation required) make vine bridge → lunch → sky bath the classic half-day. Day bathing 10:30–16:00; irregular closures, so confirm ahead.
Tips & cautions
- Irregular closures and group bookings can suspend day use — phone ahead (0883-87-2171).
- The cable car is small; when busy you can walk up the adjacent path (5–10 min, steep).
- Day visitors get the sky rotenburo only; the goemon cauldron baths are for guests.
- Cold and often foggy on the hilltop in winter; sea-of-cloud mornings favour spring and autumn — and overnight guests.
- Towels not included (sold ¥200/¥400).
- The vine bridge is 5 min by car or bus; its car park charges about ¥500.
- Tattoo policy unconfirmed — ask in advance.
Getting there
Shikoku Kotsu bus (towards Kazurabashi) ~20 min from Oboke Station (JR Dosan line) to “Kazurabashi Hotel-mae”, right outside, or taxi ~15 min (Zentoku 33-1, Nishi-Iyayama-mura, Miyoshi). 5 min by car from the vine bridge. By car ~50 min from Ikawa-Ikeda IC; free parking. Tel. 0883-87-2171.
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
Mood & scenery
Who with
Price
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
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.
Iyakei Onsen Hotel Hikyo-no-yu
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.
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.
