Ishikawa · Yamashiro Onsen, Kaga
Yamanaka Onsen Shirasagiyu Tawaraya (day use)
山中温泉 白鷺湯たわらや（日帰り入浴）
Day bathing at Shirasagiyu Tawaraya, an inn of roughly 800 years overlooking the Kakusenkei gorge. The waters of Yamanaka Onsen, praised in a haiku by Matsuo Bashō, can be taken in open-air baths opening onto the valley. Day bathing is by advance reservation only, 9:00–11:00 and 15:00–18:00, at ¥1,500 (tax included) for adults, ¥1,000 for elementary pupils and free below age 2, with a towel set (bath towel and hand towel) included. The two great baths, Kakusen and Kajika, switch between men and women morning and afternoon. Overnight guests come first, so busy days are not accepted, and the private great baths are not available for day use.
- Price (adult)
- ¥1,500
- Hours
- 09:00–11:00 / 15:00–18:00(reservation required)
- Closed
- Irregular closures (not accepted on busy days)
- Access
- About 25 minutes by taxi from Kaga-Onsen Station on the JR Hokuriku Shinkansen and IR Ishikawa Railway; about 20 minutes from Kaga IC on the Hokuriku Expressway (free parking for 60)
- Water type
- Sulfate spring
- Tattoos
- Ask ahead
- Admission
- Adults ¥1,500 (tax included), elementary pupils ¥1,000, under 2 free. The fee includes a towel set with a bath towel and a hand towel. The private great baths cannot be used for day bathing — only the public great baths are available.
- Spring water
- Yamanaka Onsen is a calcium-sodium sulphate spring, clear and running at 50 °C. Matsuo Bashō wrote of it that even chrysanthemum cannot match the scent of its water, and the smoothness it leaves on the skin has long been known.
- Baths
- There are two great baths with open-air tubs opening toward the gorge, called Kakusen and Kajika. They switch between men and women morning and afternoon, so a morning visit uses one and an afternoon visit the other. Day bathing covers only these two public great baths; the private baths are for overnight guests.
- Reserving
- Day bathing requires an advance reservation without exception. Phone to check availability and fix a time before visiting. Overnight guests come first, so busy days are not accepted. The private baths are not available for day use.
- Access & parking
- About 25 minutes by taxi from Kaga-Onsen Station on the JR Hokuriku Shinkansen and IR Ishikawa Railway; about 20 minutes from Kaga IC on the Hokuriku Expressway. Free parking for 60. The inn sits right beside the Kakusenkei gorge, which makes the valley path (Kurotani and Kōrogi bridges) easy to walk before or after bathing.
- Phone
- 0761-78-1321
- Official site
- tawaraya.co.jp ↗
- Open in Google Maps
- Google Maps ↗
Essentials
Stay in this onsen town
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Why go
- An 800-year-old inn over the Kakusenkei gorge
- Open-air baths in the spring Bashō praised
- ¥1,500 with a towel set, by reservation
The water Basho praised, from a gorge-side open-air bath
Yamanaka Onsen is the place Matsuo Bashō praised on his Narrow Road journey, writing that even chrysanthemum cannot match the scent of its water. The inn that has carried that spring for some 800 years is Shirasagiyu Tawaraya, standing right beside the Kakusenkei gorge. Step into an open-air bath opening toward the valley and the sound of water and the trees come close. Day bathing is available in the inn's two public great baths, and the fee includes a set of bath towel and hand towel. It runs by reservation, so a phone call beforehand is essential.
Reservation-only, and limited to set hours
Day bathing here is not possible without a reservation. The windows are 9:00–11:00 and 15:00–18:00, and since overnight guests come first, busy days are not accepted. The private baths are outside the day-use offering, so this is not the place for a family wanting a bath to themselves. In exchange, with a reservation you get an old inn's great bath in relatively quiet conditions. At ¥1,500 for adults with a towel set included, there is no further expense.
Kakusenkei gorge, and baths that swap by time of day
The Kakusenkei gorge beside the inn is Yamanaka's noted walking place, with a path linking the Kurotani and Kōrogi bridges. Pairing day bathing with that walk makes a half-day outing. The baths are Kakusen and Kajika, switching between men and women morning and afternoon, so a morning visit uses only one. Seeing both requires a stay, so for day use it is worth confirming at reception which bath you will get. The scenery is at its best during the gorge's autumn colour.
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.
- Last entry is 30–60 minutes before closing.
Features
Rules & private
Mood & scenery
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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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.
