Tochigi · Kinugawa Onsen
Kinugawa Onsen Niouson Plaza (day bathing)
鬼怒川温泉 仁王尊プラザ（日帰り入浴）
A small riverside hotel on the south side of Kinugawa Onsen, five minutes from Tobu World Square Station. While the big hotels stop day bathing around 15:00, this one welcomes walk-ins 9:00–21:00 for ¥700. Its own alkaline sulfur spring (43.6 °C) flows 100% free into a quirky set of baths: a rotenburo made from an actual Kinugawa river-cruise boat, a rock rotenburo, indoor baths and a swimsuit mixed bath. The slightly cool, silky water is highly rated by onsen fans.
- Price (adult)
- ¥700
- Hours
- 09:00–21:00 (last entry 20:00)
- Closed
- Open daily (occasional closures)
- Access
- 5 min walk from Tobu World Square Station; 20 min from Kinugawa-Onsen Station
- Water type
- Alkaline simple
- Tattoos
- Ask ahead
- Admission
- Adults (junior-high+) ¥700 / children (3+) ¥350. No booking. Bath towel rental ¥200, towel set ¥300, face towel ¥150 to buy. Cards, IC cards and e-money accepted
- Baths
- Four bath areas, each with its own changing room: indoor baths, rock rotenburo, the “yakatabune” rotenburo made from a retired Kinugawa river-cruise boat, and the swimsuit mixed open-air “Butai-no-yu”. Private bath also available
- Water
- Private alkaline simple sulfur spring, 43.6 °C, 100% free-flowing with no dilution, heating or recirculation. Clear, faintly sulfurous, mild and silky — rated by enthusiasts as one of Kanto’s genuine kake-nagashi baths
- Parking etc.
- Free, 50 cars. Fishing pond on site. Small 15-room inn, overnight stays possible
- Phone
- 0288-76-2721
- Official site
- niousonplaza.com ↗
- Open in Google Maps
- Google Maps ↗
Essentials
Stay in this onsen town
Compare and book stays in Kinugawa Onsen. Day bathing itself needs no booking.
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Why go
- 9–21, walk-in, ¥700
- A rotenburo made from a river boat
- 100% free-flowing private source
¥700 until 9 p.m. in a town of big hotels — the Kinugawa day-bath answer
Kinugawa Onsen, lined with big gorge-side hotels, is surprisingly awkward for day bathing: most inns close to outsiders around 15:00, the municipal Kinugawa Park Iwaburo shut in March 2024 and Hotel Mikazuki ended day use in February 2025. Niouson Plaza is the exception — walk-in bathing from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. for ¥700. Its 43.6 °C private alkaline sulfur spring flows with no dilution, heating or recirculation, earning a strong following as one of Kanto’s genuine free-flowing baths, and the playful line-up includes a rotenburo built from a whole retired river-cruise boat and a swimsuit mixed bath.
Tips & cautions
- The four bath areas have separate changing rooms, so you dress between each — allow time. Get a quick briefing at the desk, then head downstairs.
- The water is mild (~40–41 °C), suited to long soaks; adjust expectations if you want it hot.
- Swimsuit required in the mixed “Butai-no-yu”. Cards and IC cards accepted.
- 20 min on foot or ~¥1,000 by taxi from Kinugawa-Onsen Station; nearest is Tobu World Square Station (5 min).
- Day use may be suspended for group bookings — phoning 0288-76-2721 is wise.
Getting there
5 min on foot from Tobu World Square Station, or 20 min on foot / 5 min by taxi from Kinugawa-Onsen Station (Ohara 371-1). By car ~20 min from Imaichi IC via Route 121. Free parking for 50.
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.
- Payment is usually by ticket machine in cash — bring coins.
- Last entry is 30–60 minutes before closing.
Features
Mood & scenery
Price
Who with
Rules & private
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
Moto-yu Shika-no-yu
The 1,300-year-old birthplace of Nasu Onsen. Inside the wooden bathhouse, tubs are graded from 41 to 48°C, all fed with milky, strongly acidic sulfur water. No showers, no soap — start with the traditional head-dousing ritual.
Kojika-no-yu
A day-use facility on the same source as Shika-no-yu, open every day until 9 pm with an open-air bath and private rooms. Ideal for families or anyone daunted by Shika-no-yu's rituals — the milky water is identical.
Ōmaru Onsen Ryokan, Oku-Nasu (River Bath)
A lone inn at 1,300 m, the last stop in the Nasu hot-spring range. Spring water gushes out behind the building in such volume that it forms a river, dammed into the vast outdoor 'Kawa-no-yu' — nothing else like it in Japan. Mixed bathing since the inn's founding, but bathing wear is included so beginners can relax. Day use is limited to three hours (reception 11:30–14:30), ¥1,300 with face towel and bathing wear. The outdoor bath closes in bad weather or for cleaning, so phone ahead. Autumn colour and snow seasons are the draw.
