Ibaraki · Tsukubasan Onsen
Tsukuba Onsen Hotel
筑波温泉ホテル
A single inn halfway up Mount Tsukuba holding the mountain's only private source. Tsukuba Onsen was struck in 1974 at a depth of 1,353m, the first vein found on the mountain, and the inn has an open-air bath, a jar bath and a cypress main bath. Day bathing runs 13:00-18:00 (entry until 17:00) at 1,100 yen for adults, 1,300 yen at weekends and on holidays.
- Price (adult)
- ¥1,100
- Hours
- 13:00-18:00 (entry until 17:00)
- Closed
- Irregular closure (see the official calendar)
- Access
- Halfway up Mount Tsukuba in Tsukuba, Ibaraki; about 36 minutes by the Mount Tsukuba shuttle bus from Tsukuba Station on the Tsukuba Express, getting off at Tsukuba-san-jinja-guchi, then roughly 5 minutes by the inn's shuttle, or about 30 minutes by car from the Tsuchiura-kita interchange on the Joban Expressway.
- Water type
- Simple spring
- Tattoos
- Not allowed
- Admission
- Day bathing is 1,100 yen for adults and 1,300 yen on Saturdays, Sundays and holidays. Primary-school children pay 700 yen and young children 500 yen.
- Hours and closure
- Day bathing runs 13:00-18:00 with entry accepted until 17:00; when busy, entry may close at 16:00. Closure days are shown on a monthly calendar on the official site, and plans for both day bathing and overnight stays can change.
- The spring
- This is the founding bath of Tsukuba Onsen, the mountain's only private source, struck in 1974 at a depth of 1,353m - the first vein found on Mount Tsukuba. Its analysis sheet lists a simple spring (mild, hypotonic) at pH 7.50, 37-42°C, 20 litres a minute and 148.0mg/kg of dissolved solids, all but colourless and without taste or smell.
- The baths
- There is an open-air bath overhung by the trees of Mount Tsukuba, a jar bath for one within it, and a main bath fragrant with cypress. From the open-air bath the changing seasons can be watched, while the main bath is filled with the scent of cypress.
- Good to know
- Visitors who are heavily intoxicated, anyone with tattoos or body art (including paint and stickers) and members of organised crime groups are refused entry. Check the official site before visiting.
- Getting there
- Take the Mount Tsukuba shuttle bus about 36 minutes from Tsukuba Station on the Tsukuba Express, get off at Tsukuba-san-jinja-guchi and the inn's shuttle covers the last five minutes. By car it is around 30 minutes from the Tsuchiura-kita interchange on the Joban Expressway.
- Phone
- 029-866-0521
- Official site
- tsukuba-onsen.co.jp ↗
- Open in Google Maps
- Google Maps ↗
Essentials
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Why go
- The mountain's only private source, struck at 1,353m in 1974
- An open-air bath wrapped in the trees of Mount Tsukuba, plus a solo jar bath
- South-facing rooms with views over the Kanto plain, Fuji and Skytree
The only inn on Mount Tsukuba with its own source
Tsukuba Onsen Hotel stands alone halfway up Mount Tsukuba in Tsukuba, Ibaraki. The spring was struck in 1974 at a depth of 1,353m, the first vein found on the mountain, and has been known as Tsukuba Onsen ever since. It is the only inn on the mountain with its own source, and every room faces south, looking down over the Kanto plain; on clear days Fuji and Tokyo Skytree are visible, and from early autumn to winter a sea of cloud can form at dawn.
An open-air bath, a jar bath and a cypress hall
The baths are an open-air bath overhung by the trees of Mount Tsukuba, a jar bath for one set within it, and a main bath filled with the scent of cypress. The jar bath, where you soak to the sound of the source running, is favoured by those who want quiet hours alone. The water is a simple spring (mild and hypotonic), all but colourless and without taste or smell, and the changing seasons can be watched from the water.
Visiting for the day
Day bathing is 13:00-18:00 with entry until 17:00, at 1,100 yen for adults, 1,300 yen at weekends and on holidays, 700 yen for primary-school children and 500 yen for young children. Entry may close at 16:00 when busy, and closure days are published on the monthly calendar on the official site. Visitors with tattoos or body art (including paint and stickers) cannot enter, which is worth knowing beforehand.
Before you go
- Tattoos are explicitly not allowed, even if covered.
- 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
Mood & scenery
Price
Convenience
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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