Nara · Totsukawa Onsen
Tōsenji Onsen Taki-no-yu public bath
湯泉地温泉 公衆浴場 滝の湯
Near the village office of Totsukawa, Japan's largest village, this is the public bath of Tōsenji Onsen, the oldest spring in the village. True to Totsukawa — the first place in Japan to declare all its baths 100% free-flowing — the roughly 60°C sulphur water is cooled without dilution and left to overflow. As the name suggests, the big draw is the streamside open-air bath at the bottom of a long staircase, where you soak facing a small waterfall; the water runs hot. There are also an indoor bath and sauna. ¥800 for adults, open 08:30–20:00, closed Thursdays. The lunch-only diner is known for its 'dam curry'. The nearby Izumi-yu is ¥100 cheaper, but come here for the waterfall. A remote spot about 3 h 40 min from Yamato-Yagi Station on Japan's longest local bus route.
- Price (adult)
- ¥800
- Hours
- 08:30–20:00
- Closed
- Thu
- Access
- About 3 h 40 min by Nara Kōtsū bus (Yagi–Shingū line) from Kintetsu Yamato-Yagi Station to 'Totsukawa-mura Yakuba', then 10 min on foot; about 90 min by car from Gojō IC via Route 168
- Water type
- Sulfur spring
- Tattoos
- Ask ahead
- Phone
- 0746-62-0400
- Open in Google Maps
- Google Maps ↗
Essentials
Stay in this onsen town
Compare and book stays in Totsukawa Onsen. Day bathing itself needs no booking.
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Why go
- Streamside bath facing a waterfall
- Free-flowing sulphur water, Totsukawa style
- Reach it on Japan's longest bus route
Before you go
- No official tattoo policy is published — ask at reception.
- The water runs hot (43–45°C). Don't add cold water; take short repeated dips instead.
- Payment is usually by ticket machine in cash — bring coins.
- Last entry is 30–60 minutes before closing.
Features
Sauna & wellness
Mood & scenery
Price
Who with
Amenities
✔ Verified operating: 2026-09 onsen-life／ゆる〜と／じゃらん（大人800円・8:30–20:00・木曜休）
Prices and hours change. Check official sources before visiting.
More in this area
Totsukawa Onsen Iori-no-yu
At the southern tip of Nara, directly opposite the Totsukawa Onsen bus center where Japan's longest local bus route (Yagi–Shingu) stops. A small all-timber bathhouse looking down on the Futatsuno dam lake. The whole village has pledged 'free-flowing spring water only', so nothing is recirculated. Free foot bath, hand bath and drinking fountain. Combine with the Kumano Kodo and Tanize suspension bridge.
Totsukawa Onsen Ikoi-no-yu
A village-run public bath on the shore of Futatsuno Dam lake in Totsukawa, the village that declared all its baths 100% free-flowing. Attached to a seniors' centre, it's plain but pours 70°C bicarbonate-chloride water straight in with no recirculation. Handy on Tuesdays when nearby Iori-no-yu is closed. ¥600, 9:00–21:00, closed only Jan 1–2. Five minutes' walk from Totsukawa-Onsen bus stop.
Tōsenji Onsen Izumi-yu (Totsukawa)
The village-run public bath of Tōsenji Onsen, the oldest spring in Totsukawa. pH 9.1 alkaline sulfur water flows fresh from the source even through the taps, leaving a faint sulfur scent and slippery skin. Just a stone open-air bath facing the gorge and an indoor tub—simple and ¥600. Handy on Route 168 en route to the Tanize suspension bridge or Kumano Hongū Taisha.