Yamagata · Yunohama Onsen, Tsuruoka
Yunohama Onsen Shimoku public bath (Cospa)
湯野浜温泉 下区公衆浴場（コスパ）
Yunohama Onsen is a seaside spa on the Sea of Japan in Yamagata's Shōnai region. This municipal communal bath sits on the ground floor of the 'Cospa' community centre on the roundabout at the centre of the resort and is the locals' everyday bath. It uses a blend of Yunohama's springs — sodium-calcium chloride water — free-flowing with only a little dilution, in a single no-frills indoor tub. Adults pay ¥400; open in two sessions, 06:00–07:00 and 10:00–21:30, closed 2nd and 4th Thursdays. Soap and shampoo sold for ¥200, towels ¥100. The beach is two or three minutes' walk away, and the best plan is to watch the famous Yunohama sunset before soaking. About 35 minutes by bus from Tsuruoka Station.
- Price (adult)
- ¥400
- Hours
- 6:00–7:00 and 10:00–21:30 (tickets until 21:00)
- Closed
- 2nd & 4th Thu
- Access
- About 35 min by Shōnai Kōtsū bus from JR Tsuruoka Station to 'Yunohama Onsen'; about 20 min by car from Tsuruoka IC
- Water type
- Simple spring
- Tattoos
- Ask ahead
- Admission
- Age 13+ ¥400, elementary ¥220 (confirmed April 2026; raised from ¥330). Ticket machine by the entrance. No soap or shampoo provided (sold at ¥250 each, towels ¥150). Keyed lockers and a hair dryer (borrow at reception). Small free tatami rest room
- Baths
- Ground floor of the 'COSPA' community centre on the roundabout at the heart of the spa town (separate entrance at the rear of the building housing the tourist office). One tiled indoor pool per sex (about six bathers) and five wash stations with showers (unlike the Kamiku bath). No rotenburo or sauna. Barrier-free foot bath and drinking fountain in front. No sea view, but the beach is 2–3 minutes' walk
- Spring water
- Sodium-calcium chloride spring (a blend of Yunohama sources 1–5), 56.4°C at source, pH 7.9, free-flowing at about 44°C with dilution only — no heating or recirculation. Colourless, faintly salty, mildly alkaline and slightly silky on the skin. It runs hot, and locals add cold water as they bathe. A warming 'heat spring'. Indicated for joint pain, poor circulation, cuts and gynaecological complaints. About 1,000 years old (legend of a turtle bathing here in the Tengi era)
- Access & parking
- Free parking (6 cars at lot 1, 35 at lot 2). About 40 min by Shonai Kotsu bus for Yunohama Onsen from JR Tsuruoka Station; 2 min on foot from the 'Yunohama Onsen' stop. By car about 15 min from Tsuruoka IC on the Yamagata Expressway and 15 min from Shonai Airport. Kamo Aquarium is 10 min by car
- Phone
- 0235-75-2300
- Open in Google Maps
- Google Maps ↗
Essentials
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Why go
- Locals' bath at the heart of a seaside spa
- Free-flowing blend of Yunohama's springs
- Famous sunsets; beach 2–3 min away
In the heart of a seaside spa town, a ¥400 free-flowing public bath
Yunohama Onsen Shimoku Public Bath occupies the ground floor of the 'COSPA' community centre on the central roundabout of Yunohama Onsen in Tsuruoka, Yamagata, a spa town famous for its long Sea of Japan beach. Yunohama is an old spring, said to have been discovered about 1,000 years ago when a turtle was seen bathing; the Shonai region's largest spa town is lined with big ryokan, yet only two public baths — 'Kamiku' (upper) and 'Shimoku' (lower) — serve locals morning and evening. The lower bath runs a blend of sources 1–5, a 56.4°C chloride spring, free-flowing with dilution only, and unlike the upper bath it has showers, making it easy for travellers. Admission is ¥400 for age 13 and over, open in the 6 a.m. hour and 10:00–21:30, and the free foot bath and drinking fountain out front make a rest stop on a beach stroll.
Hot chloride water in a simple indoor bath with showers
The entrance is not the front on the bus roundabout but a dedicated door at the back right of the building; buy a ticket at the machine and hand it in. The changing room is average in size with valuables lockers; borrow a dryer at reception. Inside is a single tiled, stone-rimmed pool for about six, with five showered wash stations — no rotenburo, no sauna. The colourless sodium-calcium chloride water overflows at around 44°C, diluted only, never heated or recirculated; that is 'just right' by local standards and may feel quite hot to visitors, so douse yourself first and keep soaks short. Mildly alkaline, it leaves the skin a little silky, and the salt keeps you warm long after. There is no soap or shampoo — bring your own or buy at the desk — and a tatami rest room (no TV) for a breather. The short 6–7 a.m. opening is mainly for residents but visitors are welcome too.
Practical details and enjoying Yunohama
Hours are 6:00–7:00 and 10:00–21:30 (tickets until 21:00), closed the 2nd and 4th Thursdays. Admission is ¥400 for age 13+ and ¥220 for elementary children, as confirmed in April 2026 — older listings of ¥330 still circulate. There are two free car parks (6 and 35 spaces); the bus from Tsuruoka Station to Yunohama Onsen takes about 40 minutes with a 2-minute walk from the stop, and Shonai Airport is 15 minutes away by car. Yunohama's great charm is the sunset over the Sea of Japan, so the ideal rhythm is a beach stroll at dusk, then a warming soak before heading home. It slots neatly into a Shonai itinerary with the jellyfish-famous Kamo Aquarium (10 min by car), Mt Haguro of the Dewa Sanzan (40 min) and Shonai cuisine in Tsuruoka, and if you stay at a Yunohama ryokan it is fun to compare the inn's big rotenburo with this hot, honest public bath. The mood shifts with the seasons — winter's rough surf and snow, summer's beach season in July and August.
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
Price
Who with
Convenience
Mood & scenery
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.
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