Miyagi · Tōgatta Onsen
Tōgatta Onsen Kami-no-yu Communal Bath
遠刈田温泉 共同浴場 神の湯
The signature communal bath of Tōgatta, gateway to the Zao range on the Miyagi side. A wooden bathhouse with nothing but two indoor tubs — a 'hot' one around 44°C and a 'mild' one at 42°C — fed free-flowing by a 400-year-old source. The sodium-calcium sulfate-chloride water is reputed for cuts and skin complaints and keeps you warm long afterwards. ¥400, 9:00–20:30. The source and Tōgatta Shrine sit behind it and a free footbath in front; combine with a stroll through the kokeshi-doll village.
- Price (adult)
- ¥400
- Hours
- 9:00–20:30 (reception until 20:00)
- Closed
- Open daily (maintenance closures each Apr & Sep)
- Access
- About 50 min by Miyakō Bus from JR Shiroishi-Zaō Station to Tōgatta Onsen, then 1 min on foot; 30 min by car from Shiroishi IC
- Water type
- Sulfate spring
- Tattoos
- Ask ahead
- Admission
- Adults ¥400, elementary and under ¥150. Books of tickets available. No soap or shampoo provided (sold); hot and cold taps, no showers. Lockers. Outdoor foot bath (sometimes suspended)
- Baths
- The larger of Togatta's two communal baths (the other is 'Kotobuki-no-yu'), at the end of Matsukawa street. In a bathroom scented with Aomori hiba cypress, each sex has two tubs — hot (44–45°C) and warm (41–42°C). No rotenburo or sauna. Lobby rest space; tourist office next door. Powerful water with heavy mineral deposits
- Water
- Sodium-calcium sulphate-chloride spring (hypotonic, neutral, high-temperature; old name: earthy-chloride glauber spring). At 68–70°C the source is diluted and run free-flowing. Pale yellow-brown to cloudy with a faint iron smell; soft to the touch but so mineral-rich that long soaks are hard work. Indicated for neuralgia, rheumatism, gynaecological complaints, cuts, poor circulation and joint pain
- Parking & access
- Free parking for 38 cars (next door). About 50 min by Miyagi Kotsu bus bound for Togatta Onsen from Shiroishi-Zao Station on the Tohoku Shinkansen to 'Kami-no-yu-mae'. About 15 km (20 min) towards Zao from Shiroishi IC on the Tohoku Expressway; about 20 min from Murata IC. At the entrance to the Zao Echo Line; about 40 min by car to the Okama crater lake
- Phone
- 0224-34-1990
- Official site
- yuru-to.net ↗
- Open in Google Maps
- Google Maps ↗
Essentials
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Why go
- 400-year-old source, free-flowing
- Two tubs: 44°C hot and 42°C mild
- ¥400, free footbath outside
A big communal bath in a 400-year-old town at the foot of Zao
Togatta Onsen Kyodo Yokujo Kami-no-yu is a communal bath in the middle of Togatta, a spa town spread along the eastern foot of the Zao range in Zao, Miyagi. Togatta is said to have opened in 1601 and has long been a base for pilgrim-climbers of Zao as well as a centre of Tohoku's kokeshi dolls; the street has two communal baths (Kami-no-yu and Kotobuki-no-yu) shared by residents and visitors. Kami-no-yu is the larger, rebuilt in 2003 with a bathroom scented with Aomori hiba cypress and filled, free-flowing, with a dense 68–70°C sulphate-chloride water. Separate hot and warm tubs make it approachable for beginners, and at ¥400 from 9 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. every day it is the go-to bath for Zao sightseeing.
A 45°C hot tub and a 41°C warm tub
Each bathroom has two tubs, hot (44–45°C) and warm (41–42°C), with no rotenburo or sauna. The water is pale yellow-brown with a touch of iron smell, and the thick mineral crust on the tub rims shows how dense it is. Soft on the skin, yet its sulphate and chloride heat you fast; once you are in, the hot tub is surprisingly bearable, but keep dips short and alternate with the warm one. There are no showers, only hot and cold taps, and no soap or shampoo, so bring your own. Sunday evenings get quite busy. Afterwards, rest in the lobby or pick up tips on kokeshi workshops and the Zao cheese factory at the tourist office next door.
Practical details and Zao sightseeing
Hours are 9:00–20:30 (reception until 20:00), open daily except for maintenance closures each April and September. Adults ¥400, elementary and under ¥150. Free parking for 38 cars next door. By public transport, take the Togatta Onsen bus about 50 minutes from Shiroishi-Zao Station on the Tohoku Shinkansen and alight right outside at 'Kami-no-yu-mae'. Togatta is the gateway to the Zao Echo Line (late April to early November), so the classic plan is the Okama crater lake, Zao Fox Village and the Miyagi Zao Kokeshi Museum, then a warming soak on the way down; comparing it with the other, more rustic communal bath Kotobuki-no-yu is fun too. In winter it is popular after skiing at Sumikawa Snow Park.
Before you go
- No official tattoo policy is published — ask at reception.
- As a communal bath there is no soap or shampoo — bring your own or buy at the shop.
- Payment is usually by ticket machine in cash — bring coins.
- Last entry is 30–60 minutes before closing.
Features
Price
Who with
Mood & scenery
Convenience
Only here
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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