Shiga · Takashima & Ōmi-Shirahama (West Biwa)
Takarabune Onsen Yumoto Kotobuki
宝船温泉 湯元ことぶき
A lone inn with its own spring near Ōmi-Shirahama, the pine-fringed white-sand beach on Lake Biwa's west shore. The simple carbonated iron spring (a cold mineral spring, heated) turns tea-brown on contact with air and is locally prized as a skin-beautifying bath that warms to the core. Drop-in bathing 9:00–20:00 (last entry 19:30), a modest ¥700; closed Mondays. The open-air bath is private-hire only (from ¥3,000 per 50 min), good for families and couples. The restaurant (11:00–20:00) serves Ōmi beef and lake fish. Five minutes by car from JR Ōmi-Takashima Station — on the way back from Shirahige Shrine's lake torii or the metasequoia avenue. Day use may be unavailable when groups are staying, so phone ahead.
- Price (adult)
- ¥700
- Hours
- 09:00–20:00 (last entry 19:30)
- Closed
- Open daily (occasional closures)
- Access
- 5 min by taxi from JR Ōmi-Takashima Station (Kosei Line); 60 min by car from Kyōto-Higashi IC via the Kosei road
- Water type
- Iron spring
- Tattoos
- Ask ahead
- Admission
- Day bathing (gender-separated indoor baths only) adults ¥700, children 1 to elementary ¥350, under-1 ¥200, no reservations. The outdoor bath is private-hire only, 50 min from ¥3,000 (¥1,500 per adult, ¥500 per child, ¥3,000 minimum, 10:00–20:00, reservations take priority, shampoo and hand towel included). Private-room meal plans from ¥11,880 (reservation required). A four-room inn, so the bath fits about four — expect a wait when busy
- Baths
- A four-room 'hideaway for grown-ups' right in front of the white-sand Shirahama lake beach in Takashima on the west shore of Lake Biwa. Its own source yields brown, cloudy water nicknamed the 'beauty bath' — a rare iron- and carbonate-bearing spring for the Biwa area. Small gender-separated indoor baths and a private-hire rotenburo on the lake side. Signature dishes are Omi-beef 'gyutoro' sushi and house-smoked foods. A base for lake swimming and camping in summer, Kaizu-Osaki cherry blossoms in spring and the Metasequoia avenue's autumn colours
- Spring water
- Takarabune Onsen: a private source of about 17°C cold mineral water, heated; a simple carbonated-iron spring (iron and carbonate; check on-site notices for the full analysis). It clouds brown on contact with air, tastes metallic and retains heat well. Indicated for neuralgia, anaemia, rheumatism, atopic dermatitis and poor circulation. The private rotenburo's fresh, near free-flowing heated water is well regarded
- Access & parking
- 8 min by taxi (about 4 km, 50 min on foot) from Omi-Takashima Station on the JR Kosei Line; pick-up only for overnight guests with meals (confirm). About 45 min from Kyoto Station by special rapid. By car about 1 h from Kyoto-Higashi IC via the Kosei road, 50 min from Kinomoto IC on the Hokuriku Expressway. Free parking for 10. Shirahama beach 1 min on foot, Shirahige Shrine (torii in the lake) 10 min by car
- Phone
- 0740-32-1293
- Official site
- takarabune-onsen.com ↗
- Open in Google Maps
- Google Maps ↗
Essentials
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Why go
- Iron-rich spring by Lake Biwa's white beach
- ¥700 drop-in; closed Mon
- Private open-air bath; Ōmi beef restaurant
A four-room hideaway by Lake Biwa's white sands, with its own brown 'beauty water'
Takarabune Onsen Yumoto Kotobuki is a tiny four-room hot-spring inn right in front of the Shirahama lake beach near the mouth of the Ado River on the west shore of Lake Biwa in Takashima, Shiga. Hot springs are scarce around the lake and most are colourless simple springs, but this one draws iron- and carbonate-rich water from its own source that clouds brown on contact with air — a rare 'nigori-yu' locals call the 'beauty bath'. Day bathing (¥700) uses the small gender-separated indoor baths, while the lakeside rotenburo is private-hire only from ¥3,000 for 50 minutes, letting families and couples have the lake breeze to themselves. At 45 minutes from Kyoto Station by special rapid plus an 8-minute taxi, it fits a half day on a Kyoto trip, and the location pairs with lake swimming on the white sand in summer, Kaizu-Osaki cherry blossoms in spring and Makino's Metasequoia avenue in autumn. Omi-beef 'gyutoro' sushi and house-smoked dishes are the specialities of the overnight and meal plans, and even day visitors can discover the inn's true worth with a private-room meal plan (reservation required). Being small, the bath may involve a wait when busy; the non-reservable day bath can be dropped into any time within hours (9:00–20:00).
Small indoor baths, a private rotenburo and brown water in the lake breeze
Take off your shoes at the entrance, ask for day bathing at the front desk and you will be shown to the indoor bath. The gender-separated rooms fill with about four people and have shampoo provided; the tub holds brown water heated from the roughly 17°C source. It has the metallic smell and taste of iron, keeps you warm long after, and the carbonate leaves skin smooth — the 'beauty bath' name makes sense. White towels can stain with iron, so use the inn's or a coloured one. For a more relaxed soak, booking the lakeside private rotenburo is the right call: fifty minutes in a rock-rimmed pool with Lake Biwa's breeze and the sound of the pines, for your family alone, hand towel included. Slots fill early on weekends and holidays, so phone ahead; on weekdays you may be fitted into a free slot on the day. Afterwards stroll the white sand of Shirahama beach just outside, or in summer swim first and bathe after. The dining room runs mainly on plans, so meals can be hard to get with day bathing alone — if you want the gyutoro sushi, reserve a private-room meal plan. A small family-run inn without big-facility conveniences, but the place to quietly enjoy the most 'onsen-like' water around Lake Biwa.
Practical details and a west-shore Lake Biwa route
Day bathing is 9:00–20:00 (last entry 19:30), no reservations, open daily in principle but with occasional closures for the inn's own reasons, so a phone call is advised. Adults ¥700, children ¥350, under-1 ¥200; the private rotenburo runs in 50-minute slots from ¥3,000 between 10:00 and 20:00 (reservations take priority). Access is 8 minutes by taxi from Omi-Takashima Station on the JR Kosei Line, 45 minutes from Kyoto Station by special rapid, or an hour by car from Kyoto-Higashi IC via the Kosei road, with free parking for ten. Suggested routes: (1) a half day from Kyoto — Shirahige Shrine in the morning (the great torii in the lake, 5 minutes by taxi from the station), a lunch of Omi's famous mackerel sushi in Takashima town, a bath or private rotenburo at Kotobuki, sunset over the lake, back to Kyoto; (2) an overnight drive — the Biwako Ohashi bridge, Shirahige Shrine, a night at Kotobuki with gyutoro sushi for dinner, then Makino's Metasequoia avenue (colour from late November to early December, fresh green in spring), Kaizu-Osaki (800 cherry trees in early April) and Nagahama's Kurokabe Square; (3) summer — swim or camp at Shirahama beach, then bathe. The west shore gets heavy snow, so chains or winter tyres are needed from December to February, and parking near the beach is crowded on summer weekends. Groups are hard to accommodate at so small an inn, and for the private rotenburo a call a day or two ahead is the safe bet.
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.
- Payment is usually by ticket machine in cash — bring coins.
- Last entry is 30–60 minutes before closing.
Features
Rules & private
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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