Kōchi · Kochi City
Sansuien Suisaikaku Onsen
三翠園 湯殿 水哉閣
The bath wing of a historic hotel built on the site of the Yamauchi lords' residence below Kochi Castle. A rare natural hot spring in central Kochi, with a rotenburo facing the Kagami River and Mt. Hitsuzan, a large indoor bath and sauna. Day use is daytime only, 10:00–16:00. Fifteen minutes on foot from Harimaya Bridge — easy between sightseeing and the Sunday market. ¥1,200; bring or rent a towel.
- Price (adult)
- ¥1,200
- Hours
- 10:00–16:00(last entry 15:30)
- Closed
- Open daily
- Access
- 5 min walk from Kencho-mae tram stop, or 10 min by taxi from JR Kochi Station
- Water type
- Simple spring
- Tattoos
- Ask ahead
- Admission
- Adults (junior high+) ¥1,200 / 65+ ¥800 / elementary ¥600 / age 3+ ¥400 / under 3 free. Bring towels (rental: face ¥50, bath ¥100). Shampoo, body soap and dryers provided. Day plans with meals (reservation) available
- Baths
- Suisaikaku, the only natural onsen beneath Kochi Castle — men’s “Katsutoyo-no-yu” (2F) and women’s “Chiyo-no-yu” (3F), each with indoor tubs (hot and tepid), rotenburo, sauna and cold plunge. Reached via a 2F corridor from the main building overlooking the garden. On the grounds stands the nationally designated Important Cultural Property “Former Yamauchi family lower residence nagaya”
- Water
- Kochi Sansuien Onsen — sodium chloride spring (weakly alkaline), slightly salty and moisturising. Heated and filtered with recirculation. Drilled on the former residence site of the Yamauchi lords of Tosa
- Parking
- Paid parking (ask about bather discounts). ~5 min on foot from the Tosaden tram stop “Kenchō-mae”, 10 min by car from Kochi Station, ~10 min walk to Kochi Castle (Otemon gate), 15 min from Kochi IC
- Phone
- 088-822-0131
- Official site
- sansuien.co.jp ↗
- Open in Google Maps
- Google Maps ↗
Essentials
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Why go
- Natural onsen in central Kochi
- River and mountain views
- Day use 10:00–16:00 only
A hot spring on the estate of the Tosa lords — the only natural onsen below Kochi Castle
Sansuien is a long-established hotel-ryokan on the Kagami River in central Kochi, built on the site of the lower residence of the Yamauchi lords of Tosa; a samurai row house on the grounds is a nationally designated Important Cultural Property. The spring drilled here, Kochi Sansuien Onsen, is the only natural hot spring in the castle-town centre, and its annex bathhouse Suisaikaku admits day visitors from 10:00 to 16:00. The men’s bath is Katsutoyo-no-yu, named after the first lord, and the women’s Chiyo-no-yu after his wife; each has hot and tepid indoor tubs, a rotenburo, sauna and cold plunge. The water is a weakly alkaline sodium chloride spring — faintly salty, with a moisturising feel that wraps the skin. The walk itself, along a second-floor corridor from the main building looking down on the garden, is one of the inn’s pleasures. Admission is ¥1,200 for adults, but ¥800 for over-65s with finely graded children’s rates, making it family-friendly; bring a towel or rent one cheaply. Kochi Castle’s Otemon gate is 10 minutes on foot and Hirome Market (seared bonito) and the Sunday Market about 15, so a natural itinerary is castle in the morning, bath before lunch, then a daytime drink at Hirome. Day plans with meals run by reservation. Kochi has few hot springs even by Shikoku standards, and this is a rare chance to find a real onsen downtown.
Tips & cautions
- Day bathing only 10:00–16:00 (last entry 15:30); evenings are for overnight guests (16:00–24:00, 5:30–8:30). Open daily, but may be restricted for large banquets or maintenance — phone ahead.
- Towels not included — bring or rent (¥50/¥100).
- Chloride water keeps you warm if you don’t rinse; rinse lightly if your skin is sensitive.
- Tattoos: a traditional inn with no published policy — enquire first.
- Get off the tram at Kenchō-mae and walk 5 min toward the Kagami River.
- The Important Cultural Property row house in the garden can be viewed freely — stroll before or after.
- Bring ID for the ¥800 senior (65+) rate.
- During the Yosakoi Festival (9–12 August) both lodging and baths are crowded.
Getting there
~5 min on foot from the Tosaden tram stop Kenchō-mae (Takajo-machi 1-3-35, Kochi). 10 min by car / ~25 min on foot from JR Kochi Station; ~35 min by airport bus from Kochi Ryoma Airport (alight at Harimaya-bashi, then 15 min walk). By car ~15 min from Kochi IC; paid parking. Tel. 088-822-0131.
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: 2025-04 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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