Kumamoto · Kurokawa Onsen
Jizō-yu (Kurokawa communal bath)
地蔵湯（黒川温泉 共同浴場）
The oldest communal bath in town, next to the Jizō hall that gives Kurokawa its identity. Not covered by the bath-hopping pass, but only ¥200. No soap; the water runs hot.
- Price (adult)
- ¥200
- Hours
- 08:00–19:00 (visitor hours)
- Closed
- Open daily
- Access
- 3 min walk from Kurokawa Onsen bus stop
- Water type
- Sulfur spring
- Tattoos
- Ask ahead
- Admission
- Adults ¥200 / children ¥100. Insert two ¥100 coins beside the automatic door to open it; exit is a one-way turnstile, no re-entry. Nyuto Tegata not accepted
- Water
- Sulfur spring, hot. One large tub plus a small, very hot source tub; adjust by redirecting the wooden inflow channel
- Amenities / layout
- Changing area and bath share one room. No showers, shampoo, soap or lockers; no rotenburo or sauna. Bring a towel
- Residents
- Effectively a 24-hour residents’ bath, open to visitors only 8:00–19:00. Right beside the Jizo hall (steps below it)
- Phone
- 0967-44-0076
- Official site
- www.kurokawaonsen.or.jp ↗
- Open in Google Maps
- Google Maps ↗
Essentials
Stay in this onsen town
Compare and book stays in Kurokawa Onsen. Day bathing itself needs no booking.
Opens partner booking site (affiliate)
Why go
- Kurokawa's most historic bath
- Pair it with a visit to the Jizō hall
- ¥200; visitors 8:00–19:00
Beneath the Jizo hall, Kurokawa’s oldest communal bath
Jizo-yu, just below the Jizo hall that symbolises Kurokawa, is the oldest communal bath in the village and tied to its founding legend of a beheaded Jizo statue that revealed the spring. Walk down the steps, insert two ¥100 coins and the automatic door opens. Inside is the old-style single room with changing area and bath together: a large tub beside a very hot source tub, tempered by turning the wooden inflow channel. Not covered by the Nyuto Tegata, so it remains mostly a locals’ bath.
Tips & cautions
- Two ¥100 coins required (no notes or other coins). Children ¥100.
- One-way turnstile — check you have everything before leaving.
- The source tub can be scalding; test with your hand first.
- A locals’ bath: no photos or loud talk, no entry after 19:00.
- Wash with a basin away from the tub; keep soap out of the water.
Getting there
About 2 min on foot from the Kurokawa Onsen bus stop (Manganji 6606), down the steps beside the Jizo hall in the village centre. Use the free car park at the village entrance.
Before you go
- No official tattoo policy is published — ask at reception.
- As a communal bath there is no soap or shampoo — bring your own or buy at the shop.
- The water runs hot (43–45°C). Don't add cold water; take short repeated dips instead.
- Payment is usually by ticket machine in cash — bring coins.
- Last entry is 30–60 minutes before closing.
Features
Price
Mood & scenery
✔ Verified operating: 2026-09 ゆる〜と2025-08・アソビュー2026-05
Prices and hours change. Check official sources before visiting.
More in this area
Kurokawa Onsen Nyuto Tegata (bath-hopping pass)
One cedar 'nyuto tegata' pass (¥1,500) admits you to any three of the rotenburo at Kurokawa's 26-odd ryokan. Valid for six months, and one of the three stickers can be spent on food or souvenirs instead. Most inns accept bathers roughly 8:30–21:00, but hours vary and some close for cleaning or when full. Buy the pass at any ryokan or the association office 'Kaze no Ya'.
Ana-yu communal bath
A tiny bath hut on the Tanohara River, rebuilt by donations in 2022 after the 2020 floods (now separate men's and women's rooms). Slide the shutters open and it becomes almost open-air. ¥200 in the box.
Kurokawa Onsen Yamamizuki
Five minutes' drive beyond the village in Oku-Kurokawa, this inn's riverside open-air bath 'Yūkoku-no-yu' is often called the finest in Kurokawa. Day use 10 am–3 pm, ¥600 (or with the ¥1,500 hopping pass); private baths ¥2,500/50 min until 8 pm.