Nagano · Yudanaka-Shibu Onsen
Shibu Onsen Ishi-no-yu
渋温泉 石の湯
A day-bath facility attached to a coffee shop in the Shibu Onsen street. In a town where the nine communal baths are reserved for overnight guests, it is one of the few places you can soak without staying. The tub is ringed by the old stonework that gives the room its name, filled with clear water that runs straight from the spring with no added water and no heating. A partition divides the bath in two, and the side by the inlet runs very hot. Shampoo, body wash and dryers are provided; 600 yen for adults and 300 yen for children, 10:00 to 18:00, closed Tuesdays. It stands right off the street, which makes it easy to fit between other stops.
- Price (adult)
- ¥600
- Hours
- 10:00-18:00
- Closed
- Tue
- Access
- About 25 minutes on foot from Yudanaka Station on the Nagano Electric Railway, or 2 minutes from the Shibu-Wagobashi bus stop. Drivers park at the paid Shibu Onsen car park and walk in.
- Water type
- Sulfate spring
- Tattoos
- Ask ahead
- Admission
- 600 yen for adults and 300 yen for elementary pupils. You pay at the counter of the attached coffee shop and are let into the bath room, so bring your own towel. Shampoo, body wash and a dryer are provided.
- Spring water
- A sodium-calcium chloride sulphate spring, weakly alkaline and hot, rising at around 62 °C. The water is clear, tasteless and odourless, and runs flow-through with neither added water nor heating.
- Baths
- There is a single indoor bath for each sex and no open-air bath. A partition runs down the middle of the tub, dividing the side where the water pours in from the other; the inlet side runs hot enough to exceed 45 °C. There is no sauna, rest room or dining room.
- How it works
- Open 10:00 to 18:00, closed Tuesdays. Unlike the nine communal baths of Shibu, which are for overnight guests only, this one takes visitors without a booking to stay. No bath-tour key is involved; you simply pay the fee.
- Parking
- There is space for one car in front of the shop; otherwise drivers use the paid Shibu Onsen car park. The lanes inside the spa street are narrow and large vehicles are barred from entering.
- Phone
- 0269-33-3171
- Open in Google Maps
- Google Maps ↗
Essentials
Stay in this onsen town
Compare and book stays in Yudanaka-Shibu Onsen. Day bathing itself needs no booking.
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Why go
- A rock bath ringed by old stonework
- Flow-through water, neither diluted nor heated
- Shibu's spring without an overnight stay
A bath outside the nine-bath tour, open without a stay
The nine communal baths of Shibu are in principle reserved for overnight guests, and the only one open to day visitors is Bath No. 9, Shibu O-yu. There you buy a ticket and borrow a key from one of the nearby inns, so a poor fit of timing can leave you outside. Ishi-no-yu sits outside that system as a separate day-bath facility: pay at the coffee shop and go straight in. It stands right off the spa street, which makes it easy to drop in, and it stays open until 18:00, so late afternoons work too.
The stone-walled bath room and how to enter hot water
As the name suggests, the bath room is built from old stonework and rock, with the tub set inside it. A partition divides the tub in two, and the side where the water pours in hovers near 45 °C, which is hard to stay in for long. Warm up on the far side first and move across once you are used to it. Because the water runs flow-through, a film and flakes of onsen minerals can float on the surface. There is no open-air bath or sauna, so this is a place to concentrate on a single tub.
Handling a car in the spa street, and pairing nearby baths
The lanes of the Shibu spa street are narrow, so large vehicles cannot enter; drivers normally park at the paid Shibu Onsen car park and walk in. There is space for one car in front of Ishi-no-yu, but it fills quickly. If you are staying in the street, early morning or after check-out works well. For a day trip, pairing it with Bath No. 9, Shibu O-yu (800 yen for adults, 10:00 to 17:00) makes an easy two-stop round. Many itineraries slot it in on the way back down after the snow monkey park from Yudanaka Station.
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
Price
Who with
Convenience
Mood & scenery
Amenities
✔ Verified operating: 2026-10 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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Shirahone Onsen Awanoyu
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