Shimane · Yunotsu Onsen
Yunotsu Onsen Motoyu Sen'yakutō
温泉津温泉 元湯 泉薬湯
The founding bath of Yunotsu, the port town that once shipped silver from the World Heritage Iwami Ginzan mine, with a history said to go back 1,300 years. It stands in the preserved townscape district and has a legend of a tanuki healing its wounds here. Two pools: the 'hot' one fed directly by the source and a 'cooler' one that is still around 43°C. The strong sodium-calcium-chloride water, thick with rust-brown mineral flakes, is renowned as a therapeutic spring and can be drunk. Adults ¥450, children ¥200; open 06:00–20:00, irregular closures (closed from 15:00 on the 3rd Monday). No soap and no showers — bathe the old way. Comparing it with the other outside bath, Yakushi-yu (¥500), is the classic routine. About 20 minutes on foot or 5 by bus from JR Yunotsu Station.
- Price (adult)
- ¥450
- Hours
- 06:00–20:00
- Closed
- Irregular
- Access
- About 20 min on foot from JR Yunotsu Station, or 5 min by Iwami Kōtsū bus to 'Motoyu Onsen'; about 5 min by car from Yunotsu IC
- Water type
- Simple spring
- Tattoos
- Ask ahead
- Phone
- 0855-65-2052
- Open in Google Maps
- Google Maps ↗
Essentials
Stay in this onsen town
Compare and book stays in Yunotsu Onsen. Day bathing itself needs no booking.
Opens partner booking site (affiliate)
Why go
- 1,300-year-old founding bath of a silver port
- Hot pool and a 'cool' one at 43°C; drinkable
- From 6 am for ¥450; pair with Yakushi-yu
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
Who with
Only here
✔ Verified operating: 2026-09 ゆる〜と／4travel 2022（大人450円・6–20時・不定休 第3月曜15時〜休）
Prices and hours change. Check official sources before visiting.
More in this area
Tamatsukuri Onsen Yū-yu
Tamatsukuri's day-use bath, famous for 'beautiful skin' water. A magatama-jewel-shaped building with a cascade bath, open-air tub and 1 m-deep standing bath. Often combined with Izumo Taisha.
Yunotsu Onsen Yakushi-yu
The communal bath of Yunotsu, once the shipping port for the World Heritage Iwami Ginzan silver mine. Rated a perfect 'all fives' by the Japan Spa Association, it is 100% free-flowing, and iron-rich mineral deposits coat the tub in thick brown crusts. Next door is 'Shin-yu', a Western-style wooden building from 1919 whose retro café and rooftop terrace are open to bathers. ¥600. The whole street is a preserved historic district.
Matsue Shinjiko Onsen Chidori-yu Public Bath
Shimane's only onsen bathhouse, offering the lakeside Matsue Shinjiko spring for ¥430. Five minutes on foot from Matsue-Shinjiko-Onsen Station on the Ichibata line, easy to drop into after Matsue Castle or the moat cruise. The sodium-calcium sulfate-chloride water holds heat well. No soap or shampoo provided, but a take-along set is sold. Ninety percent of bathers are locals—everyday Matsue at its most authentic.