Kōchi · Nakatsu Gorge & Niyodogawa
Nakatsu Gorge Yunomori
中津渓谷 ゆの森
A public hot-spring lodge at the mouth of Nakatsu Gorge in Niyodogawa, Kōchi — the land of 'Niyodo blue'. The all-cypress open-air bath, rebuilt in 2019, sits right in the gorge, so you soak facing fresh greenery, autumn colour or snow depending on the season. The water is an alkaline simple sulphur spring, heated from a cold source. Day use 11:00–21:00 (last bath 20:00), ¥700 for adults, rising to ¥800 in cherry-blossom and autumn seasons, Golden Week, Obon and New Year. Closed Tuesdays (next day if a holiday) and two Wednesdays a month. The classic plan is a one-hour return walk along the gorge trail to Uryū Falls followed by a bath and a set meal of local produce in the restaurant. About 1 h 15 min by car from Kōchi city.
- Price (adult)
- ¥850
- Hours
- 11:00–20:30 (last entry 19:30)
- Closed
- Tuesdays (next day if holiday), some Wed/Thu closures, 31 Dec–1 Jan
- Access
- About 50 min by Kuroiwa bus from JR Sakawa Station to 'Nanokawa', then 5 min on foot; about 60 min by car from Ino IC via Route 33
- Water type
- Sulfur spring
- Tattoos
- Ask ahead
- Admission
- Day bathing adults ¥850 (raised in 2025–26 from ¥700/¥800), children 12 and under about ¥450, 2 and under free; peak-season surcharge (around +¥100) in cherry and foliage seasons, Golden Week, Obon and New Year. Saturday 'Silver Day' ¥420 for 65 and over (ID required). Ryoma Passport and JAF discounts. Shampoo provided, towels extra, sauna and plunge. Restaurant 'Ponte' (lunch and dinner; promotions offering a free bath ticket with dinner over ¥1,000). Lodging: Japanese rooms and three cottages (with private maki-wood tubs)
- Baths
- An onsen lodge (run by the town of Niyodogawa) at the mouth of Nakatsu Gorge on the upper Niyodo River in Kochi, famed for its 'Niyodo blue' water. The rotenburo, renewed in 2019, sits in the heart of the gorge forest with views of cliffs and trees; a glass-walled main bath with sauna and plunge. Meals are Western and French-style using local produce. Nakatsu Gorge (Uryu Falls, a 2.3 km trail, autumn colour) is next door, and spring brings the town's famous Hyotan cherry and the Nakagoe weeping cherry. A base for canoeing and rafting on the Niyodo
- Spring water
- Nakatsu Gorge Onsen, an alkaline simple sulphur cold mineral spring of 18.3°C and pH 9.0, heated and recirculated. Colourless with a faint sulphur scent and a slick feel that softens the skin. Indicated for neuralgia, muscle pain, poor circulation, skin conditions and fatigue. Other day baths around Niyodogawa include Gohoku Musasabi Onsen and Kinoka Onsen
- Access & parking
- From JR Sakawa Station, Kuroiwa Kanko bus toward Nakatsu Gorge about 50 min to 'Nakatsu Keikoku' then 5 min on foot (a few a day, fewer at weekends). About 1 h 10 min by car from Kochi city (Route 33), 1 h 40 min from Matsuyama, 1 h 20 min from Kochi Ryoma Airport. Free parking. Nakatsu Gorge trailhead 3 min on foot, the 'Niko-buchi' pool on the Niyodo 20 min by car
- Phone
- 0889-36-0680
- Official site
- yunomori.jp ↗
- Open in Google Maps
- Google Maps ↗
Essentials
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Why go
- All-cypress bath in the heart of the gorge
- Pair with the Niyodo-blue Uryū Falls walk
- ¥700 day use (¥800 peak)
At the gateway to the Niyodo-blue gorge: a rotenburo in the heart of the forest
Nakatsu Keikoku Yunomori is an onsen lodge at the mouth of Nakatsu Gorge, a tributary of the upper Niyodo River in Niyodogawa, Kochi, famous for the transparent blue water known as 'Niyodo blue'. Built and run under the town's auspices, it is fairly priced, and the rotenburo renewed in 2019 sits in the middle of the gorge forest, ringed by cliffs and trees — the feeling of bathing inside the gorge itself is its greatest charm. The glass-walled main bath also looks onto the forest, and a sauna and plunge make it popular with sauna-goers; the water, an alkaline sulphur cold mineral spring of pH 9.0 heated for use, has a faint sulphur scent and a slick feel. Next door, Nakatsu Gorge is a celebrated spot with a 2.3 km trail to Uryu Falls, lovely for its summer greenery and water colour and its November foliage, while in spring the weeping cherries around Niyodogawa make the lodge's surroundings busiest. Day bathing runs 11:00–20:30 (last entry 19:30) at ¥850 for adults (as of 2026, with peak-season surcharges); closures are irregular — Tuesdays plus two Wednesdays a month and more — so always check the calendar on the official site or Instagram. An hour and ten minutes by car from Kochi city, it is the classic stop on the way back from canoeing or rafting on the Niyodo or visiting Niko-buchi and Yasui Gorge, and its restaurant 'Ponte', serving Western dishes from local produce, and cottage stays are well regarded.
A forest-gorge rotenburo and sauna, paired with the Nakatsu Gorge walk
Park in the free Nakatsu Gorge car park, pay ¥850 for day bathing at the lodge entrance and you will be shown to the baths (towels extra, shampoo provided). The main bath is bright behind glass facing the forest, with a 40–41°C main pool, a sauna at 80–90°C and a plunge, allowing the sauna–plunge–fresh-air cycle. The rotenburo through the door is the real prize: the gorge cliff rises directly behind the rock-rimmed pool and trees lean overhead, deep green in summer and red with maples in autumn hanging over the water. The water is slick as an alkaline sulphur spring should be and, being heated, not too hot, so it suits long soaks; on rainy days the louder rush of the gorge adds atmosphere. The recommended order is to walk the Nakatsu Gorge trail next door before bathing — a little over an hour return from the entrance to Uryu Falls, past 'Niyodo-blue' pools and cascades between bridges and boulders; the path is maintained but undulating, so wear trainers. A soak after working up a sweat doubles the satisfaction. Afterwards the restaurant 'Ponte' serves Western-style lunches and dinners of local vegetables, Niyodo ayu and Kochi pork, and it often runs promotions giving a free bath ticket with dinner over ¥1,000. Saturdays are 'Silver Day' at ¥420 for those 65 and over, and discount coupons appear on the official social media in months such as September, so check before visiting. Cherry (late March to early April) and foliage (mid-November) weekends are very busy and carry the peak-season surcharge.
Practical details and a Niyodo River route
Day bathing is 11:00–20:30 (last entry 19:30); adults ¥850, children about ¥450 (peak surcharges apply); closed every Tuesday (next day if a holiday), New Year's Eve and Day, plus two Wednesdays a month and several Tuesday-to-Thursday closures from December to February, so always check the calendar at the top of the official site. A rental car is more realistic than the 50-minute bus from JR Sakawa Station (few services): 1 h 10 min from Kochi city on Route 33, 1 h 40 min from Matsuyama, parking free. Suggested routes: (1) a Niyodo-blue day — Kochi, Niko-buchi in Ino (best in morning light; bluest when sun enters between 10:00 and 14:00), Mikaeri Falls in Yasui Gorge, the Nakatsu Gorge walk, a bath and meal at Yunomori, then back to Kochi or a cottage night; (2) activities — canoe, SUP or rafting on the Niyodo (summer), then Yunomori; (3) spring blossom — Niyodogawa's Hyotan cherry and the Nakagoe weeping cherry (early April), then Yunomori; (4) autumn — Nakatsu and Yasui Gorge foliage (mid-to-late November), then Yunomori; (5) crossing Shikoku — an onsen break midway on the Route 33/440 drive between Kochi and Matsuyama. Shops and petrol stations are scarce in Niyodogawa, so fill up and carry cash, and beware icy mountain roads in winter. Besides Japanese rooms, three cottages with private maki-wood outdoor tubs are popular with families and couples, and the French-style dinner course is by reservation.
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
Price
Who with
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.
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