Nagano · Yudanaka-Shibu Onsen
Shibu Onsen Shunran no Yado Sakaeya
渋温泉 春蘭の宿 さかえや
A Japanese-modern inn at the centre of Shibu Onsen, where two springs of different character are blended and run flow-through, and day visitors can use them too. Day bathing costs 1,500 yen for adults and 800 yen for elementary pupils (tax included), with a bath towel and a face towel provided. Reception runs 9:00 to 12:00 and 14:00 to 19:00. The great baths close for cleaning at times such as 12:00 to 14:00, and a private loyly sauna opened in 2021. There is a deep tub and an open-air bath, and after bathing you can rest on the first and fourth floors. Overnight guests receive keys for the nine-bath tour.
- Price (adult)
- ¥1,500
- Hours
- 09:00–12:00 / 14:00–19:00
- Closed
- Irregular (closed for cleaning; check closure days)
- Access
- About 7 minutes by taxi from Yudanaka Station on the Nagano Electric Railway; about 15 minutes from Shinshu-Nakano IC via the Shiga-Nakano toll road and Route 292. Large vehicles cannot enter the spa street and must use the Shibu Onsen car park.
- Water type
- Sulfate spring
- Tattoos
- Ask ahead
- Admission
- Day bathing is 1,500 yen for adults and 800 yen for elementary pupils, both tax included. A bath towel and a face towel are provided, so there is no need to bring your own.
- Spring water
- Its hallmark is the blending of two springs of different character, run as a full flow-through of 100 per cent natural onsen. The water belongs to the sodium-calcium chloride sulphate family typical of Shibu, and bathers often speak of how smooth the skin feels afterwards.
- Baths
- There is a great bath and an open-air bath, known for a tub deep enough to stand in and for stones laid on the floor to press the soles of the feet. In 2021 a private sauna opened with a loyly sauna, a cold plunge, natural onsen and a relaxation space.
- How it works
- Reception is split into two windows, 9:00 to 12:00 and 14:00 to 19:00. The great baths are cleaned from 12:00 to 14:00, 19:00 to 19:30 and 24:00 to 25:00, so they cannot be used then, and closure or inspection days can change things, so a phone call beforehand is the safe course.
- Access & parking
- About 7 minutes by taxi from Yudanaka Station on the Nagano Electric Railway, and about 15 minutes from Shinshu-Nakano IC via the Shiga-Nakano toll road and Route 292. Large vehicles cannot enter the spa street, and day bathers use the paid Shibu Onsen car park rather than the lot beside the inn.
- Phone
- 0269-33-2531
- Official site
- e-sakaeya.jp ↗
- 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.
Opens partner booking site (affiliate)
Why go
- Two springs blended, flowing straight through
- Bath towel and face towel included
- A private loyly sauna on site
Two springs blended into a flow-through bath
The water here is not drawn from a single spring but blended from two of different character, and that blend is run flow-through as 100 per cent natural onsen. The great bath has a tub deep enough to stand in, with stones laid on the floor to press the soles, which is quite sharp if you stay upright for long. There is also an open-air bath, and in season the colour of the hills around the spa street can be seen from it. Day bathers may use both the great bath and the open-air bath.
Day-bath hours and the times closed for cleaning
Day bathing is accepted from 9:00 to 12:00 and 14:00 to 19:00. The 12:00 to 14:00 stretch is given to cleaning the great baths, and in the evening they close briefly from 19:00 to 19:30. A morning visit therefore leaves three hours and an afternoon visit five. Both a bath towel and a face towel are supplied, which lightens the load. Some days bring closure or inspection, so if you want certainty, check first on 0269-33-2531.
How to spend time in the spa street
The nine-bath tour of Shibu is for overnight guests only, so day bathers cannot use it. What you get instead is the great bath and open-air bath of this inn at the centre of the spa street. Afterwards there are rest areas on the first and fourth floors, and adding the private loyly sauna that opened in 2021 covers the cold plunge and a place to lie down in one go. If you come by car, the settled practice is to park at the paid Shibu Onsen car park rather than inside the street and walk in.
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
Sauna & wellness
Rules & private
Convenience
Price
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.
More in this area
Jigokudani Onsen Korakukan
A Meiji-era inn at the entrance to the Jigokudani Monkey Park, famous worldwide for wild macaques that climb into its rotenburo in winter. Day bathing is only 12:00–15:00, so most visitors combine it with the monkey park. It's a 30-minute mountain trail from Shibu Onsen — wear grippy shoes in winter.
O-yu (Nozawa outer bath)
The centerpiece of Nozawa's 13 public baths, a traditional bathhouse in the middle of the village. Local 'yunakama' associations have cleaned it daily since the Edo period; payment is a donation in the box at the door. Two pools, hot and 'mild' — though even the mild one exceeds 42°C. Adding cold water is bad manners: rinse first, then keep soaks short. No soap or shampoo.
Shirahone Onsen Awanoyu
The signature inn of Shirahone, famous for milky-white water. Its highlight is a large mixed-gender open-air bath — the water is so opaque that women find it comfortable. Day use at midday only.
