Tokushima · Tsukigatani Onsen, Kamikatsu
Tsukigatani Onsen Tsuki-no-Yado
月ヶ谷温泉 月の宿
A town-run hot spring inn on the clear Katsuura River in Kamikatsu, Tokushima – the village famous for its 'leaf business' and zero-waste pledge – that welcomes day bathers. The simple sulfur cold spring is heated for the baths and has a faint sulfur scent and a slippery, smoothing feel. The open-air bath faces the stream and looks over fresh greenery, autumn colour and terraced rice fields, with an indoor bath and sauna alongside. Adults (junior-high and up) pay ¥650 and children from 3 to elementary age ¥350; open 10:00–20:00, closed the second Wednesday. The dining room serves Kamikatsu mountain vegetables, Awa-odori chicken and dishes garnished with the village's celebrated 'irodori' leaves, and stays combining the adjacent campground and Kamikatsu tea farms are popular. Free parking for 150 cars, coaches welcome. About 50 minutes (39 km) by car from central Tokushima or 80 minutes from Tokushima IC; by Tokushima Bus on the Kamikatsu line to the Tsukigatani Onsen stop near the terminus. Pair it with the Kashihara rice terraces and the RISE & WIN brewery.
- Price (adult)
- ¥650
- Hours
- 10:00-20:00
- Closed
- 2nd Wednesday
- Access
- About 50 min by car from central Tokushima via Pref. Route 16; about 80 min by car from Tokushima IC; Tokushima Bus Kamikatsu line from JR Tokushima Station about 90 min to 'Tsukigatani Onsen'
- Water type
- Sulfur spring
- Tattoos
- Ask ahead
- Admission
- Day-use bathing adults (junior high and up) ¥650 (including the ¥100 bathing tax), elementary ¥350, infants free. Restaurant 11:30–14:30 and 16:30–20:30 (last orders an hour before closing). Towels ¥100, shampoo and body soap provided, cards accepted. Overnight stays are possible (from ¥10,450), and day bathing may be declined depending on bookings, so confirming by phone is wise
- Baths
- A municipally run onsen inn standing on the bank of the upper Katsuura River in Kamikatsu, Tokushima, a village known for its leaf business and zero-waste declaration. The building is made of Kamikatsu cedar and diatomaceous earth, and through its large windows you see the clear stream and the mountains. The tubs centre on a rock bath with a sauna, jets, a bubble bath and a pounding-water bath, and the cypress bath on the first floor and the stone bath on the second swap between men and women by morning and evening and by odd and even days. The source is drawn from a 15°C cold mineral spring welling naturally from a crack in the rock at sacred Mt. Tsukigatani 1.5 km away, with a faint sulphur scent and a slick feel
- Spring water
- A simple sulphur cold mineral spring (hypotonic, alkaline) at 15°C. The cold water wells naturally from a crack in the rock at sacred Mt. Tsukigatani some 1.5 km from the facility and is piped in and heated. Legend says that while Kōbō Daishi (Kūkai) was practising here, Yakushi Nyorai appeared in the rock and told him this sacred water was a medicinal spring that heals all ills; the water has a faint sulphur scent and a slick feel. Indicated for joint pain, frozen shoulder, poor circulation, diabetes and cuts
- Access & parking
- Tokushima Bus Katsuura line for Yokose-nishi from JR Tokushima Station, about an hour, then the Kamikatsu town bus for Yaegami about 35 minutes to 'Onsen-iriguchi', then 5–7 minutes on foot (services are infrequent, so checking times is essential). By car about 80 minutes from Tokushima IC, about 50 minutes (39 km) from Tokushima city, about an hour and 20 minutes from Naruto IC. Free parking for 150 (large buses can use it)
- Phone
- 0885-46-0203
- Official site
- tsukigatani.jp ↗
- Open in Google Maps
- Google Maps ↗
Essentials
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Why go
- Town inn by the river in zero-waste Kamikatsu
- Sulfur-scented water; open-air bath over rice terraces
- ¥650 day bathing, 10:00–20:00; closed 2nd Wed
A sulphur cold mineral spring in a zero-waste village
Tsukigatani Onsen Tsuki-no-Yado is a municipally run onsen inn in Kamikatsu, Katsuura district, Tokushima, standing on the bank of the upper Katsuura River. In 2003 Kamikatsu was the first village in Japan to declare itself zero-waste, and it is known nationwide for the 'leaf business', in which older residents gather leaves from the hills to sell as garnish. The water here is something apart. The source is a 15°C cold mineral spring that wells naturally from a crack in the rock at sacred Mt. Tsukigatani some 1.5 km away, piped in and heated for use. A simple sulphur cold mineral spring (hypotonic, alkaline), it carries a faint sulphur scent and a slick feel, and is said to be good for joint pain, frozen shoulder, poor circulation, diabetes and cuts. There is a founding legend too: while Kōbō Daishi (Kūkai) was practising on this mountain, Yakushi Nyorai appeared in the rock and told him that this sacred water was a medicinal spring that heals all ills. The building is of Kamikatsu cedar and diatomaceous earth and smells of wood, and from the large windows of the great bath you see the clear flow of the Katsuura River and the hills of Kamikatsu. The tubs centre on a rock bath with a sauna, jets, a bubble bath and a pounding-water bath, and the cypress bath downstairs and the stone bath upstairs swap between men and women by morning and evening and by odd and even days, so bathing twice in a day lets you try both. Rates are ¥650 for adults (junior high and up, including the bathing tax), ¥350 for elementary pupils and free for infants; hours are 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., closed the second Wednesday (the first if a holiday). The restaurant opens 11:30–14:30 and 16:30–20:30 (last orders an hour before closing) and serves dishes of local ingredients such as Kamikatsu mountain vegetables, Awa chicken and ayu from the Katsuura River, and a plate garnished with leaves from the famous 'irodori' business is an experience only this village can offer. Overnight stays are possible (from ¥10,450), and day bathing may be declined on days when groups are staying, so confirming by phone is wise. Free parking for 150, large buses included, and nearby are the terraced fields of Kashihara, the craft brewery RISE & WIN and Kakurinji, the twentieth temple of the Shikoku pilgrimage — so onsen and village walking fit easily into one day.
Circuiting two bathhouses, with the restaurant and the village
Park (150 free spaces) and pay at the entrance (¥650). Towels can be bought for ¥100, shampoo and body soap are provided, and cards are accepted. First ask at the desk whether the men's side today is the cypress bath downstairs or the stone bath upstairs — since the sides change by morning and evening and by odd and even days, coming in the morning and bathing again in the evening is enough to try the other bathhouse. A recommended circuit: wash and soak 10 minutes in the rock bath; loosen up in the bubble bath and jets; let the pounding water work on shoulders and neck; 8–10 minutes in the sauna and a minute in the plunge; 15 minutes in the tub with the large windows looking at the Katsuura River; and finish enjoying the sulphur scent. The water is a simple sulphur cold mineral spring heated from a 15°C source, slick, with a faint sulphur scent that makes it clearly a mountain onsen. Afterwards eat in the restaurant (11:30–14:30 and 16:30–20:30), which uses Kamikatsu mountain vegetables, Awa chicken and ayu from the river and garnishes plates with leaves from the famous 'irodori' trade; and being a zero-waste village, you can even learn how they sort their rubbish. With time, walk the terraced fields of Kashihara (among Japan's hundred finest), drop in at the craft brewery RISE & WIN, or, for pilgrims, add Kakurinji, the twentieth temple. Notes: closed the second Wednesday (the first if a holiday); open until 8 p.m. (the restaurant until 8:30 p.m.); day bathing may be refused when groups are staying (confirm by phone); buses are infrequent so without a car you must plan around times; in winter (December to February) watch for snow and ice. Tsukigatani Onsen is a hidden Tokushima onsen where a mountain sulphur spring and the story of a village can be tasted together.
Practical details and a Kamikatsu and Tokushima route
Hours are 10:00–20:00, closed the second Wednesday (the first if a holiday); adults ¥650 (bathing tax included), elementary ¥350, infants free; restaurant 11:30–14:30 and 16:30–20:30; overnight from ¥10,450; free parking for 150 (large buses welcome). Access is about an hour and 40 minutes from Tokushima Station including a bus change, or 80 minutes from Tokushima IC. Suggested routes: (1) a day in Kamikatsu — the terraced fields of Kashihara, RISE & WIN (craft beer), a bath at Tsukigatani Onsen, dinner in the restaurant; (2) a zero-waste visit — a look at the village's waste station with its 45 categories, the onsen, then overnight; (3) a pilgrimage — Kakurinji, the twentieth temple, and Tairyūji, the twenty-first, with recovery at the onsen, then Tokushima; (4) a stream journey — a walk along the upper Katsuura River, the onsen, then ayu dishes of the Katsuura district; (5) winter — snow-covered mountain scenery and the onsen (watch for ice in December to February). Notes: buses are very infrequent (last services are early); closed the second Wednesday; day bathing may be refused when groups are staying; winter roads freeze; cash and cards accepted. An hour from Tokushima city, Tsukigatani Onsen offers a mountain onsen and a sustainable village together.
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
Sauna & wellness
Mood & scenery
Price
Who with
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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