Ishikawa · Wakura Onsen
Wakura Onsen Sōyu
和倉温泉 総湯
Salty water rising from the Noto sea, for ¥500. The community anchor of the onsen town, still operating after the 2024 Noto earthquake. Open 7:00–21:00 (last entry 20:30), and from January 2026 closed on the 25th of each month (the following Monday if it falls on a weekend). Open-air and indoor baths, a rest area, and free parking for 90.
- Price (adult)
- ¥500
- Hours
- 07:00–21:00 (last entry 20:30)
- Closed
- The 25th of each month (the following Monday if it falls on a weekend)
- Access
- 5 min by bus from JR Wakura-Onsen Station
- Water type
- Simple spring
- Tattoos
- Ask ahead
- Admission
- Adults ¥500 (revised 21 May 2025) / ages 6–11 ¥150 / under 6 ¥50. Ticket machine. Towels sold for ¥280 (no rental)
- Water
- Sodium-calcium chloride spring (a strong salt spring rising from the sea); the ~89 °C source is cooled by heat exchanger and used undiluted. Clear and salty, with strong heat retention. Can sting cuts or eczema
- Baths
- Large indoor bath (hot, ~43–44 °C), garden-style rotenburo, dry sauna with TV, cold plunge. Shampoo, body wash and dryers provided. The entrance foot bath remains closed since the earthquake
- After the quake
- Closed by the January 2024 Noto earthquake, it was the first facility in Wakura to reopen, on 26 March 2024. Some tile damage remains but it operates normally; nearby ryokan are reopening in stages
- Phone
- 0767-62-2221
- Official site
- wakura.or.jp ↗
- Open in Google Maps
- Google Maps ↗
Essentials
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Why go
- Seawater-derived hypertonic chloride spring
- The public bath keeping a recovering town going
- From January 2026, closed on the 25th
Wakura’s 1,200-year-old sea spring for ¥500
Wakura Onsen is a rare Japanese “sea spring”: about 1,200 years ago, so the legend goes, an egret was seen healing its wounds where hot water rose from the seabed. The Soyu is the communal bath at the heart of the resort, fed with the 89 °C salty source cooled only by heat exchanger, never diluted. For ¥500 you get a modern super-sento-style building with a large indoor bath, garden rotenburo and TV sauna — the town’s living room, drawing 400–500 people on weekdays and 700–800 at weekends. After the 2024 Noto earthquake devastated the resort it was the first to reopen, a symbol that Wakura’s waters still flow.
Tips & cautions
- From January 2026 the closing day changed back from the 4th Thursday to **the 25th of each month** (the following Monday if it falls on a weekend) — beware old listings.
- Hot (43–44 °C) and salty; long soaks bring on dizziness. Shower off the salt before dressing or clothes stick.
- No towel rental (sold for ¥280, doubles as a souvenir). Shampoo and body wash provided.
- Car parks 1–3 behind the building fill up on mornings and weekends.
- About 1 hour from Kanazawa by the Noto Kagaribi limited express — an easy day trip; 5 min by bus from Wakura-Onsen Station.
- The resort is still recovering and many shops are shut; check the tourist association’s “operating status” page for meals.
Getting there
About 5 min by bus or 20 min on foot from JR Wakura-Onsen Station (Wakura-machi Wa 5-1); ~1 hour from Kanazawa by limited express. ~10 min by car from Wakura IC on the Noto Satoyama Kaido. Free parking for ~60 (lots 1–3).
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
Mood & scenery
Price
Convenience
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.
More in this area
Yamashiro Onsen Ko-Sōyu
A faithful reconstruction of the Meiji-era public bath, with stained glass and Kutani-ware tiles. No washing stations — you simply soak, the old way. The combined ticket with the adjacent Sōyu is the better deal.
Yamanaka Onsen Kiku-no-yu (Sōyu)
The communal 'sōyu' of Yamanaka, praised by the poet Bashō as one of Japan's three finest baths. Men's and women's halls stand in separate buildings across the street; the deep, hot (~43°C) pool is the signature. 6:45 am to 10 pm, ¥500. Bring your own soap.
Katayamazu Onsen Sōyu
An all-glass communal bath on the shore of Lake Shibayama in Katayamazu, part of the Kaga onsen cluster, designed by architect Yoshio Taniguchi. The lake-facing 'Kata-no-yu' and garden-facing 'Mori-no-yu' swap between men and women on odd and even days; for ¥500 you get the Hakusan peaks and the lake to yourself. The salty chloride water keeps you warm long after. Open from 6:00 to 22:00, with a café upstairs (closed Thursdays) selling onsen eggs. About 10 min by bus from Kaga-Onsen Station.
