Miyagi · Naruko Onsen
Naruko Waseda Sajiki-yu
鳴子 早稲田桟敷湯
A communal bath using a spring that Waseda University students struck during fieldwork in 1948. Architect Osamu Ishiyama's yellow avant-garde building is unmistakable; descend the stepped 'sajiki' gallery to the bathroom. The modern counterpart to Taki-no-yu.
- Price (adult)
- ¥660
- Hours
- 09:00–21:30 (last entry 21:00)
- Closed
- Open daily (hours change at New Year)
- Access
- 3 min walk from JR Naruko-Onsen Station
- Water type
- Sulfate spring
- Tattoos
- Ask ahead
- Admission
- Adults ¥660 / children ¥330 (up from ¥550). Private rotenburo +¥1,100 per 50 min (phone booking possible). Body wash and showers provided; shampoo, dryers (¥100) and towels (~¥350) extra. Lockers free (double as shoe lockers)
- Baths
- Named for the source struck in 1948 by seven Waseda University engineering students on a drilling exercise; rebuilt in 1998 to an avant-garde design by Waseda’s Osamu Ishiyama lab — a yellow-plastered landmark. High-ceilinged indoor baths lit from above, heated changing-room floors, a free tatami lounge (10–18) and one private rotenburo
- Water
- Sulfur-sodium sulfate-chloride spring (hypotonic, neutral, pH 6.6), a blend of sources at 85.6 °C. Neutral, clear to faintly cloudy and soft — a contrast to Taki-no-yu’s acidic milky water
- Parking
- Free, 30 cars (Yumeguri car park). 2–3 min on foot from the station, almost flat
- Phone
- 0229-83-4751
- Official site
- naruko.gr.jp ↗
- Open in Google Maps
- Google Maps ↗
Essentials
Stay in this onsen town
Compare and book stays in Naruko Onsen. Day bathing itself needs no booking.
Opens partner booking site (affiliate)
Why go
- Architect-designed avant-garde bathhouse
- 3 min from Naruko-Onsen Station
- Classic pairing with Taki-no-yu
A spring struck by students, a bathhouse built by an architect
Waseda Sajiki-yu takes its name from the spring struck in the summer of 1948 by seven Waseda University students on a geology and mining field exercise. Long cherished as the wooden “Waseda-yu”, it was completely rebuilt in 1998 by the university’s Osamu Ishiyama laboratory into the avant-garde yellow-plastered building that stands out on the spa street. A bathroom lit from a high ceiling, a heated changing-room floor and a tatami “nakazashiki” lounge make it unlike any ordinary communal bath. The water, a neutral pH 6.6 sulfur spring, feels soft in contrast to Taki-no-yu’s strongly acidic milk — which, together with its two-minute walk from the station, makes it the natural partner in the classic Naruko day: soak at Taki-no-yu, wash and rest here.
Tips & cautions
- ¥660 (raised in 2025). Body wash provided, but shampoo and towels cost extra — bring your own to save.
- Private rotenburo +¥1,100 per 50 min, bookable by phone (0229-83-4751); popular with couples and families.
- Lounge open 10–18 only; hours change at New Year.
- Many find the water on the hot side.
- Taki-no-yu (¥300) then here (¥660), 3 min apart: two Naruko baths for under ¥1,000.
- Naruko Gorge’s autumn colours (late Oct–early Nov) bring heavy crowds — go early.
Getting there
2–3 min on foot from JR Naruko-Onsen Station (Shin-yashiki 124-1). ~1 h 20 min from Sendai (change at Furukawa). ~30 km / 40 min from Furukawa IC via Route 47. Free parking for 30 (Yumeguri car park).
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.
- Payment is usually by ticket machine in cash — bring coins.
- Last entry is 30–60 minutes before closing.
Features
Convenience
Price
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
Taki-no-Yu, Naruko
A communal bath with over a thousand years of history as the shrine's sacred spring. Milky acidic sulfur water pours like a waterfall from log flumes into cypress tubs. ¥300; bring your own soap.
Akiu Onsen Public Bath
The only communal bath in Akiu Onsen, Sendai's classic hot-spring retreat. Among upscale ryokan charging ¥1,000-plus for day use, this humble bathhouse offers free-flowing chloride spring water for ¥300. Near the Yakushi-do temple at the source, it has a single tub and a mostly local crowd; soap is sold, not provided, and a sign asks for 40-minute stays. About 55 minutes by bus from Sendai Station, right by the Yumoto stop.
Tōgatta Onsen Kami-no-yu Communal Bath
The signature communal bath of Tōgatta, gateway to the Zao range on the Miyagi side. A wooden bathhouse with nothing but two indoor tubs — a 'hot' one around 44°C and a 'mild' one at 42°C — fed free-flowing by a 400-year-old source. The sodium-calcium sulfate-chloride water is reputed for cuts and skin complaints and keeps you warm long afterwards. ¥400, 9:00–20:30. The source and Tōgatta Shrine sit behind it and a free footbath in front; combine with a stroll through the kokeshi-doll village.
