Aomori · Ōwani Onsen
Ōwani Onsen Wanicome – Wani no Yu
大鰐温泉 鰐come（わにかむ）鰐の湯
A town-run community centre at the gateway to Ōwani Onsen, a spa with 800 years of history south of Hirosaki. Just 2 minutes on foot from Ōwani-Onsen Station on the JR and Kōnan lines, its day bath Wani no Yu has an indoor pool, open-air bath, bubble bath and sauna. The clear sodium-calcium chloride and sulfate spring warms you to the core, and in winter the outdoor bath becomes a snow-viewing tub. Admission is a modest ¥550 for adults and ¥270 for children (town residents ¥400/¥200), and long hours of 9:00–22:00 are a strong point; two reservable family baths, Hagikatsura and Kawasemi, rent by the hour. Closed the third Thursday. Inside are a farm-produce corner, free rest areas with tables and tatami, and a lunch-only restaurant serving dishes and souvenirs made with the famous Ōwani onsen bean sprouts. Free parking for 80 cars. Open late enough to drop by after dinner in Hirosaki – a handy base for Hirosaki Castle or the Ōwani ski slopes.
- Price (adult)
- ¥550
- Hours
- 09:00–22:00
- Closed
- 3rd Thursday (occasional closures)
- Access
- About 2 min on foot from Ōwani-Onsen Station (JR Ōu Line / Kōnan Railway); about 5 min by car from Ōwani-Hirosaki IC on the Tōhoku Expressway; about 25 min by car from central Hirosaki
- Water type
- Simple spring
- Tattoos
- Ask ahead
- Admission
- General: adults ¥550 / children ¥270 (Owani residents ¥400/¥200). Book of 11 tickets ¥5,500. Family baths 'Hagikatsura' and 'Kawasemi' (each with an outdoor tub) ¥1,800 per hour — phone bookings only from 9 a.m. on the day. Face towel ¥350, towel-set rental ¥350
- Baths
- The day bath 'Wani-no-yu' inside 'Wanicome', the community centre in front of the station — gender-separated indoor baths, rotenburo and sauna, plus two family baths. Also inside: a restaurant (11:00–15:00, closed Wed), a 'salt room' (¥300 per 30 min), relaxation salon and a stall selling Owani onsen bean sprouts
- Water
- Sodium-calcium chloride-sulphate spring, source 66.4°C. Colourless, nearly odourless, gentle chloride water that holds heat well. Owani Onsen has an 800-year history and is also famous for 'Owani onsen moyashi', bean sprouts grown with the heat of the springs
- Parking & access
- Free parking. 1 min on foot from Owani-Onsen Station (JR Ou Line) / Owani Station (Konan Railway). About 10 min by local JR train from Hirosaki. About 5 min from Owani-Hirosaki IC on the Tohoku Expressway
- Phone
- 0172-49-1126
- Official site
- wanicome.com ↗
- Open in Google Maps
- Google Maps ↗
Essentials
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Why go
- 2 min from Ōwani-Onsen Station; open 9:00–22:00
- Open-air bath, bubble bath, sauna and family baths
- ¥550; restaurant serving Ōwani onsen bean sprouts
Ten minutes by train from Hirosaki, one minute from the station — 800-year-old Owani Onsen for ¥550, bean-sprout ramen included
Wanicome is a 'community exchange centre' opened in 2009 directly in front of JR Owani-Onsen Station in Owani, Aomori, and its day bath 'Wani-no-yu' is the easiest way to experience Owani Onsen, an 800-year-old spa. Generations of Tsugaru lords came here to take the cure, but the town had been fading as its big ryokan closed — until this station-front complex of bath, restaurant, local-produce shop and relaxation salon brought it back to life. The water, rising at 66.4°C, is a sodium-calcium chloride-sulphate spring: clear and gentle, yet warming thanks to its salt. Alongside gender-separated indoor baths, a rotenburo and a sauna there are two family baths with their own outdoor tubs (¥1,800 an hour, phone booking from the morning of the day), a useful option for families and for guests with tattoos. Owani's speciality, long, crisp bean sprouts grown with the heat of the springs, is served in the restaurant as moyashi ramen or set meals and sold at the shop. Ten minutes by local train from Hirosaki and ¥550 — no onsen is more convenient for an evening after a day of Hirosaki sightseeing.
Tips & notes
① Besides the regular 3rd-Thursday closure there are occasional closures — check the calendar on the official site. ② Family baths are booked only by phone from 9 a.m. on the day (0172-49-1126) and popular slots go fast — call at opening time. ③ The restaurant runs 11:00–15:00 and closes Wednesdays, so no meals after an evening bath; buy sprouts at the shop (eat the same day). ④ No towels provided (sold/rented ¥350). ⑤ JAF and AEON card discounts have been reported. ⑥ It's at the station, but Ou Line local trains run only about hourly — check your return time first.
Getting there
1 min on foot from JR Owani-Onsen Station on the Ou Line (about 10 min by local train from Hirosaki; about 40 min from Odate coming from Akita), and also 1 min from Owani Station, the terminus of the Konan Railway Owani Line (about 30 min from Chuo-Hirosaki). By car, about 5 min from Owani-Hirosaki IC on the Tohoku Expressway; free parking. Ideal as an evening bath from a Hirosaki base after the castle and Neputa Village, or paired with Owani Onsen ski resort (shuttle from the station) in winter. A day's bath circuit with Furutobe Onsen (20 min by car) and the Ikarigaseki roadside station also works.
Before you go
- No official tattoo policy is published — ask at reception.
- Payment is usually by ticket machine in cash — bring coins.
- Last entry is 30–60 minutes before closing.
Features
Sauna & wellness
Rules & private
Price
Who with
Mood & scenery
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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