Founded in 1879, with its 1938 wooden building and curved gable, Takegawara is the symbol of Beppu Onsen. A regular bath costs ¥300 — a deep, hot pool down a flight of steps. The famous sand bath has you buried in warm sand by staff while wearing a yukata. Bring your own soap and shampoo.
The most popular of Kinosaki's seven public baths. In a building modeled on the Kyoto Imperial Palace, a waterfall rotenburo faces the hillside and a glass-roofed 'sky bath' sits indoors, all renovated in 2020. Overnight guests get free entry with the 'Yumepa' pass, so evenings are busy with yukata-clad bathers — go at 7 am when it opens.
The public bathhouse of Arima, one of Japan's three oldest hot springs. For ¥800 you can soak in the 'kinsen' — iron- and salt-rich water that turns rusty brown on contact with air, in pools at 42°C and 44°C. Under an hour by train from Kobe or Osaka, so an easy day trip. Free foot bath and drinking fountain outside. No tattoos.
Built in 1894 and the first public bathhouse designated an Important Cultural Property, the Honkan is Dogo's symbol. Full operation resumed in 2024 after a five-and-a-half-year restoration. The ground-floor 'Kami no Yu' is ¥700 for bathing only; upper floors add a rest room with tea. Soft alkaline water. Quietest right after the 6 am opening or after 9 pm.
The centerpiece of Nozawa's 13 public baths, a traditional bathhouse in the middle of the village. Local 'yunakama' associations have cleaned it daily since the Edo period; payment is a donation in the box at the door. Two pools, hot and 'mild' — though even the mild one exceeds 42°C. Adding cold water is bad manners: rinse first, then keep soaks short. No soap or shampoo.
A thatched communal bath on the shore of Lake Kinrin. Unstaffed — drop ¥300 in the box at the door. Changing area and bath share one room; an indoor pool and a half-open pool facing the lake, and it is mixed bathing with clear water and little screening, so it's a challenge for women. Right in busy central Yufuin, but quiet at the 10 am opening.
Founded in 1923, a registered cultural-property bathhouse with a curved-gable entrance, carved transoms in the changing room and majolica tiles. Despite the 'onsen' in its name the water is heated, with electric bath, herbal bath, open-air pool and sauna. One of Kyoto's few tattoo-friendly baths, so popular with visitors. ¥550; opens 8 am on Sundays.
The only bathhouse-style onsen in the middle of Noboribetsu's resort strip. Two spring sources piped from Jigokudani — sulfur and the alum 'eye bath' found nowhere else — for ¥500.
A communal bath with over a thousand years of history as the shrine's sacred spring. Milky acidic sulfur water pours like a waterfall from log flumes into cypress tubs. ¥300; bring your own soap.
Salty water rising from the Noto sea, for ¥500. The community anchor of the onsen town, still operating after the 2024 Noto earthquake. Open-air and indoor baths plus a rest area.
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.
Kinosaki's flagship outer bath, praised as 'the best under heaven' by an Edo-period physician. Its cave bath carved into rock is the draw; the kabuki-theatre-style building is the town's landmark.
Sister facility to Kin-no-Yu. Clear carbonated and radon water that leaves skin silky, plus a steam sauna. Usually less crowded than Kin-no-Yu. ¥700 on weekends/holidays, ¥550 on regular weekdays.
The original bath of Misasa, one of the world's most radon-rich springs. Locals take short dips in the hot water. Free foot bath and drinking fountain next door; the free riverside mixed bath is nearby.
The locals' bath for anyone who wants to skip the Honkan queue. Same source water for ¥500 with almost no wait. Bring or buy soap.
An annex opened in 2017 in Asuka-period style with Ehime craftwork throughout, plus an open-air bath the Honkan lacks. Upstairs rest rooms and a private special bath limited to five groups a day.
Beyond the vermilion gate (a National Important Cultural Property) stands one of Japan's oldest surviving wooden bathhouses, built in 1876. Open from 6:30 am until late, ¥500.
A stone steam-bath chamber in use since the Kamakura period. Lie in a yukata on a bed of medicinal sweet-flag herb and sweat heavily in 8–10 minutes. Yukata rental ¥220 (or bring a T-shirt and shorts). Free foot steaming outside.
Closest of Kinosaki's seven public baths to the station. A striking hexagonal lantern-motif window; indoor bath only, simple and quick.
The smallest and hottest of the seven baths — a little wooden bathhouse on the willow-lined canal, where you soak shoulder to shoulder with locals. Opens at 3 pm.
The bath tied to Kinosaki's founding legend. Popular for its cypress open-air tub and barrel baths facing the wooded hillside; at the quiet end of town. Opens at 3 pm.
A free communal bath right beside the Yubatake that welcomes visitors. Shirahata source water flows into two wooden tubs (hot and hotter). No soap, no showers — this is the locals' bath, so keep it quiet and quick.
A public bath that is entirely open-air, on the Hida River. No indoor pool — six outdoor tubs including a waterfall shower, box steam and pot baths. Gero's silky pH 8.9 water with a river breeze.
A bathhouse-style onsen behind Gero Station with seven baths — waterfall, open-air, jets, sauna — for less than half a ryokan's day-use fee. Bring soap or buy it from the vending machine.
A communal bath 5 minutes from Yufuin Station. Drop ¥200 in the offering box by the Yakushi statue and walk in — open 6 am to 10 pm. A slice of everyday Yufuin away from the tourist street.
A tiny bath hut on the Tanohara River, rebuilt by donations in 2022 after the 2020 floods (now separate men's and women's rooms). Slide the shutters open and it becomes almost open-air. ¥200 in the box.
The oldest communal bath in town, next to the Jizō hall that gives Kurokawa its identity. Not covered by the bath-hopping pass, but only ¥200. No soap; the water runs hot.
A tiny communal bath from 1947, three minutes from Atami Station. Same salty source as the station foot bath, free-flowing and hot. The Atami ritual: one last soak before your Shinkansen home.
A family-run bathhouse from 1955 tucked into a residential block: a three-person tub, a Mt. Fuji tile mural and free-flowing water for ¥300. Bring soap and towel — this is a neighbourhood bath, not a tourist spot.
A Kengo Kuma-designed communal bath at the entrance to Ginzan's Taishō-era street. Hot water with drifting mineral flakes for ¥500. The one place day visitors can bathe in Ginzan's water — reception closes at 3:30 pm.
The 1,300-year-old birthplace of Nasu Onsen. Inside the wooden bathhouse, tubs are graded from 41 to 48°C, all fed with milky, strongly acidic sulfur water. No showers, no soap — start with the traditional head-dousing ritual.
A day-use facility on the same source as Shika-no-yu, open every day until 9 pm with an open-air bath and private rooms. Ideal for families or anyone daunted by Shika-no-yu's rituals — the milky water is identical.
A Gothic-style public bath recreating the Taishō-era 'Koyu Onsen'. Ureshino's silky bicarbonate water — one of Japan's 'three great skin-beautifying springs' — for ¥450, 6 am to 10 pm. Tatami rest room upstairs and private baths (¥2,500/50 min).
A historic cure-bath in the hills a short way from Unzen's main street, said to have hosted Siebold and Yoshida Shōin. An octagonal wooden bathhouse with milky sulfur water cooled from a 90°C source. No open-air bath, but Unzen's finest water.
Shuzenji's only day-use public bath, recreating the historic outer bath tied to shogun Minamoto no Yoriie. A cypress tub of soft, clear water; a watchtower next door overlooks the town. Perfect after the bamboo path.
A public open-air bath built right at Ikaho's spring source, above the stone-step street and Kajika Bridge. Nothing but bamboo-fenced outdoor pools where the rusty-brown 'golden water' flows straight from the source. Pair it with the bridge in autumn.
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.
A public bath from the early Shōwa era beside the ruins of the Shimazu lords' private bathhouse. The Shimazu crest decorates the tub; the salty water runs hot and free-flowing. Free drinking spring too — a local follow-up to the sand bath.
Shirahama's other classic public bath, on the Yuzaki seafront near Saki-no-yu. Its draw: two distinct springs — Mabuyu and Miyukiyu — under one roof. 7 am to 10 pm, ¥420.
One minute from the Yudanaka station gate: a free-flowing day bath with two bathrooms (each with an open-air tub) that swap monthly. The lounge overlooks the platform — perfect while waiting for the train back from the snow-monkey park.
Of Shibu's nine communal baths along the cobbled street, No. 9 'Ō-yu' is the only one open to non-guests. Hot rusty-brown water plus a steam room fed by the source; a footbath on the roof. Buy a ¥800 ticket at the tourist office or nearby inns and have the door unlocked for you.
A communal bath using a spring that Waseda University students struck during fieldwork in 1948. Architect Osamu Ishiyama's yellow avant-garde building is unmistakable; descend the stepped 'sajiki' gallery to the bathroom. The modern counterpart to Taki-no-yu.
A log-cabin-style communal bath at the top of Takayu-dōri. Zao's three public baths (Kamiyu, Shimoyu, Kawarayu) all cost ¥200, paid into an honesty box. No washing stations — just rinse and sink into the strongly acidic milky sulfur water.
Five minutes from Beppu Station, stop No. 4 on the 'Beppu Hattō Onsen-dō' trail. The building is new, but in true Beppu style there are no washing stations — you scoop water from the tub. Hot and mild pools, ¥250, from 6:30 am.
In Nozawa, where 13 outer baths are free (donation), this is the only paid day facility with showers, shampoo and an open-air bath. A handsome building with a curved gable, hot and mild indoor pools and a stone outdoor bath — the fallback when the outer baths are too hot or you want a proper wash.
Right at the Shirahone bus stop, gender-separated public open-air pools built against the gorge cliff. Milky bicarbonate water for ¥700; no washing area, pure rustic soaking. Closed late Nov–late Apr and Tuesdays. Handy before or after Awa-no-yu's short day-use window.
A municipal public bath two minutes from Bandai-Atami Station. Two pools of free-flowing spring water — a lukewarm one at about 36°C and a hot one — with silky alkaline water made for long soaks. Unusually, admission is highest in the morning and drops to ¥400 from 14:00 and ¥300 from 16:00. No towels or soap; bring your own.
A town-run day bath in the middle of the Minakami hot-spring street. Just one small indoor pool per gender, but 100% spring-fed sulfate water — an easy stop while strolling the town. Rest room, small shop and coin laundry give it the feel of a tourist office with a bath. 15 minutes on foot from Minakami Station. No soap provided.
A locals' public bath three minutes from the east exit of Echigo-Yuzawa Station, tucked into the shopping street. Indoor pool only, but the slightly hot, soft water that clings to the skin gets praise. Shampoo is provided and a towel set costs ¥400, so you can drop in empty-handed while waiting for the shinkansen. ¥600 since December 2025.
The town bathhouse in front of Unazuki Onsen Station, gateway to the Kurobe Gorge Railway. A bright white bathroom with tubs of Kurobe granite holds crystal-clear, mildly alkaline water said to be Japan's most transparent. Just ¥510, with a free foot bath, drinking fountain and rooftop terrace. Easy to fit in before or after the gorge train.
A natural open-air bath on the Asahi River gravel bed right below Yubara Dam, where water bubbles up through the riverbed itself — ranked the 'western grand champion' of Japan's rotenburo. Three pools at different temperatures; mixed, free and open 24 hours. Only a simple changing hut, so women are advised to wear a bathing garment (sold and rented in town). Closed Wednesday mornings for cleaning. Photography strictly forbidden.
Thirty minutes by train from Fukuoka, next to Dazaifu, this communal bath belongs to Futsukaichi Onsen, a spring with 1,300 years of history. A single tub in a wooden building, but 100% free-flowing alkaline water leaves skin slick and smooth, and locals keep coming. ¥350 weekdays, ¥450 weekends. Upstairs rest room, plus onsen coffee and hot-spring eggs. Increasingly paired with a visit to Dazaifu Tenmangu.
At the southern tip of Nara, directly opposite the Totsukawa Onsen bus center where Japan's longest local bus route (Yagi–Shingu) stops. A small all-timber bathhouse looking down on the Futatsuno dam lake. The whole village has pledged 'free-flowing spring water only', so nothing is recirculated. Free foot bath, hand bath and drinking fountain. Combine with the Kumano Kodo and Tanize suspension bridge.
The source bath of Yamaguchi's oldest hot spring, opened some 600 years ago. Local volunteers rebuilt the aging public bath in 2020; the bathroom sits directly on the spring, so you stand chest-deep in a 1-m pool watching water seep from the bedrock. Around 39°C — made for long soaks. The riverside lounge doubles as a café open to non-bathers. Pair with a stroll through the town redeveloped around Hoshino Resorts' KAI Nagato.
The only communal bath in the Minami-Chita hot-spring area, near Toyohama fishing port at the tip of the Chita Peninsula. Salty chloride water from the most abundant springs in Aichi for just ¥700. While the ryokan charge ¥1,000–1,650 for limited midday hours, this one is open straight through 10:00–21:00. Handy after the Toyohama fish market or a day's fishing. 25 minutes by bus from Meitetsu Kowa Station.
Forty minutes by car from Niigata city, the communal bath of Tsukioka Onsen, which bills itself as the spring that 'makes you beautiful'. The emerald-green water has one of the highest sulfur contents in Japan — you smell it the moment you step in. Indoor pool only, ¥600. On the edge of the ryokan street and popular with locals. 25 minutes by bus from Shibata Station. Closed Tuesdays and the third Wednesday.
A hot-spring bathhouse in Yuda Onsen near central Yamaguchi city. In the middle of a town whose legend tells of a white fox healing its wounds here, close to the Nakahara Chuya museum, it offers alkaline simple-spring water for a remarkable ¥390. Open until 23:00, so many finish their tour of the town's free foot baths here. No soap provided. 20 minutes by JR from Shin-Yamaguchi, then 10 minutes on foot from Yuda-Onsen Station.
Kamata, 15 minutes by train from Haneda Airport, has Tokyo's densest cluster of 'kuroyu' black-water springs. Kaiseiyu, founded in 1929, is the classic: a coffee-dark natural bicarbonate bath, a high-concentration carbonated pool and a cold plunge, with a goldfish aquarium set into the bath wall. ¥600; a toiletries-and-towel set is sold at the desk. Ideal before a flight or after a late arrival. Tattoos are fine, as in most sento.
Twenty minutes by train from Aomori, a panoramic bath on the 5th floor of the roadside station at Asamushi Onsen on Mutsu Bay. Big windows frame Yunoshima island and the bay — sunset is the prime slot. Salt- and sulfate-rich water keeps you warm afterwards. Just ¥360, open 7:00–21:00 every day. The ground-floor market sells Aomori souvenirs. Two minutes' walk from Asamushi-Onsen Station.
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.
Twenty-five minutes by local train from Fukushima, the emblematic communal bath of Iizaka Onsen, where the poet Basho is said to have bathed. Rebuilt in 1993 as a faithful copy of one of Japan's oldest wooden bathhouses, its granite tub runs with free-flowing spring water above 45°C. Locals don't cool it with tap water; visitors get guidance. ¥400, from 6 am. No soap or shampoo. Start here for a crawl of the town's nine public baths.
A village-run public bath on the shore of Futatsuno Dam lake in Totsukawa, the village that declared all its baths 100% free-flowing. Attached to a seniors' centre, it's plain but pours 70°C bicarbonate-chloride water straight in with no recirculation. Handy on Tuesdays when nearby Iori-no-yu is closed. ¥600, 9:00–21:00, closed only Jan 1–2. Five minutes' walk from Totsukawa-Onsen bus stop.
The source bath of Yunogo Onsen, where legend says the monk Ennin found an egret healing its wounds some 1,200 years ago. One of the three famed Mimasaka hot springs, an hour by car from Okayama. The town-run bathhouse charges ¥800 for indoor and open-air baths across two bathing wings linked by a moving walkway, alternating daily. Open 8:00–21:00; the 'all-day rest' plan lets you come and go until closing. Bring your own food.
The only communal bath in Akiu Onsen, Sendai's classic hot-spring retreat. Among upscale ryokan charging ¥1,000-plus for day use, this humble bathhouse offers free-flowing chloride spring water for ¥300. Near the Yakushi-do temple at the source, it has a single tub and a mostly local crowd; soap is sold, not provided, and a sign asks for 40-minute stays. About 55 minutes by bus from Sendai Station, right by the Yumoto stop.
A communal bath in Obama Onsen on Tachibana Bay, whose ~100°C springs release more heat than any in Japan. The single-storey wooden building from 1937 feels like a museum of Showa-era life and is a designated prefectural townscape asset. Pay at the old-style counter, then choose between the hot and very hot tubs of free-flowing chloride water. Open from 6 am; part of the Kyushu 88 Onsen trail. About an hour from Nagasaki city, on the way back from Unzen.
The source bath of Ryujin Onsen, counted with Yunokawa and Kawanaka among Japan's 'three beauty baths'. It stands on the Hidaka River deep in the Kii mountains, with a cypress indoor bath and a rock rotenburo overlooking the stream. The silky bicarbonate water is famous for leaving skin smooth. ¥800, 7:00–21:00, open daily. An hour by car from Koyasan via the Koya-Ryujin Skyline, or about 80 minutes by bus from Kii-Tanabe.
Thirty minutes by car from Fukushima city, the communal bath of Takayu Onsen at 750 m on Mt. Azuma. Every bath is open-air, filled with milky-white sulfur water that is neither diluted nor heated. There's a timber men's bath, a rock women's bath and a reservable private rotenburo. A ¥500 gateway to a spa town that has kept its water free-flowing for 400 years. Closed Thursdays; one-hour limit. At the foot of the Bandai-Azuma Skyline — ideal with an autumn drive.
Twenty minutes by car from the Tottori Sand Dunes, the communal bath of Iwai Onsen, one of San'in's oldest springs at 1,300 years. It preserves 'yukamuri', a quirky custom of singing while ladling water over a towel on your head. The 47.6°C source in a corner of the car park flows in 100% untreated. ¥380, open 6:00–22:00. A humble soak to pair with the Uradome coast or the dunes.
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.
The village-run public bath of Tōsenji Onsen, the oldest spring in Totsukawa. pH 9.1 alkaline sulfur water flows fresh from the source even through the taps, leaving a faint sulfur scent and slippery skin. Just a stone open-air bath facing the gorge and an indoor tub—simple and ¥600. Handy on Route 168 en route to the Tanize suspension bridge or Kumano Hongū Taisha.
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.
The signature communal bath of Tōgatta, gateway to the Zao range on the Miyagi side. A wooden bathhouse with nothing but two indoor tubs — a 'hot' one around 44°C and a 'mild' one at 42°C — fed free-flowing by a 400-year-old source. The sodium-calcium sulfate-chloride water is reputed for cuts and skin complaints and keeps you warm long afterwards. ¥400, 9:00–20:30. The source and Tōgatta Shrine sit behind it and a free footbath in front; combine with a stroll through the kokeshi-doll village.
The landmark of Arifuku, a stair-stepped hamlet of wooden inns tucked into the San'in hills. A 1928 reinforced-concrete bathhouse with Western arched windows, it pours colourless alkaline simple-spring water undiluted into the tub — slippery 'beauty water'. ¥400 with soap and shampoo, open 7:00–22:00 for early soaks. A family bath rents for ¥1,200 an hour, and the tatami rest room upstairs displays pre-war photographs. Cars can't enter the sloping village, which also has the Satsuki-yu and Yayoi-yu public baths for a three-bath circuit.
The municipal bathhouse that serves as the source bath of Kawatana Onsen, Shimonoseki's hinterland spa with some 800 years of history — the Mōri lords bathed here. Sodium-potassium chloride water (source about 41 °C) fills the indoor bath, with an open-air tub and sauna; adult admission is a modest ¥480. Family baths (from ¥1,100 for 80 min weekdays / 60 min weekends) and a rest-room package (¥800) allow a leisurely cure-style visit. Open 10:00–21:00 (last entry 20:30); closed the first Thursday of even-numbered months. Kawatana is the birthplace of kawara-soba, noodles grilled on a roof tile — try it after your bath. An easy stop on the way back from Tsunoshima Bridge.
A municipal day-use onsen entered straight from the Shimabara Ichibangai shopping arcade in this spring-water castle town. Magnesium-sodium bicarbonate water (source 61.8 °C) is used free-flowing — clear, colourless and soft on the skin. The building has a retro Shōwa-era bathhouse feel, with a sauna and tatami rest hall; admission ¥530, or ¥320 for over-70s. Open 10:00–21:00 (last entry 20:30), closed Wednesdays. Within walking distance of Shimabara Castle, the samurai quarter and the carp-stream streets, and a handy stop between Shimabara port and Unzen. Parking free for two hours.
A roadside-station onsen on the hill of Shōdoshima Olive Park, right beside the Greek windmill made famous by film shoots. Big windows frame olive groves and the Seto Inland Sea; there are a herb bath, waterfall shower and sauna. The water is a radioactive (radon) spring. Owing to staff shortages, hours are shortened to 15:00–20:00 (last entry 19:30) from 17 July 2026 until further notice; ¥1,000, towel set rental ¥200. Closed all day Wednesday, and the onsen only on Thursday (holidays vary). Five minutes by car from Kusakabe port, ten from Ikeda port. Pair with a stroll around the park and the adjacent Olive Beach at island dusk.
The town-run bathhouse at the heart of Toyotomi Onsen, Japan's northernmost hot-spring village, an hour by car from Wakkanai airport. The spring was struck during oil exploration in 1926 and still carries traces of petroleum — a rarity worldwide, with an oily smell and slippery feel. It is famed as a 'miracle bath' that draws people from across Japan seeking relief from atopic dermatitis and psoriasis. Besides the general bath there is a cooler cure bath for long soaks. Admission is a cheap ¥510; open 10:00–21:00 (last entry 20:30), closed every other Thursday. The canteen serves jingisukan lamb and set meals. Fit it into a far-north drive with the Sarobetsu wetlands and views of Mt Rishiri. About 10 minutes by bus from JR Toyotomi Station.
A three-storey wooden former inn built in 1928 on the Matsukawa River, now run by Itō city as a cultural facility and a masterpiece of early-Shōwa architecture. The carved transoms, rooftop lookout and guest rooms where rival carpenters showed off are worth the ¥200 admission alone — but on Saturdays, Sundays and holidays, 11:00–19:00, you can also bathe in the tiled 'large' and 'small' bath halls (¥500 adults including admission; halls swap by gender). The water is Itō's simple spring. Note the baths are closed on weekdays. Seven minutes on foot from Itō Station; combine with the riverside promenade and the old spa quarter opposite — a treat for lovers of retro buildings.
One of the three public 'outer baths' of Bessho Onsen near Ueda, the spa village nicknamed 'Kamakura of Shinshū'. Ishiyu is famed as the hidden bath of warrior Sanada Yukimura in Ikenami Shōtarō's novel Sanada Taiheiki; its tub is built around natural bedrock, filled free-flowing with faintly sulphurous, mildly alkaline water. Open 6:30–21:30 (last entry 21:00), closed Tuesdays, a modest ¥300 with free lockable lockers. Pair it with the other two — Ōyu (closed 1st & 3rd Wed) and Daishiyu (closed 1st & 3rd Thu) — plus Kitamuki Kannon temple and the National Treasure octagonal pagoda of Anrakuji, all on foot. Ten minutes' walk from Bessho-Onsen Station on the Ueda Dentetsu line.
The town-run communal bath at the heart of Yumura Onsen in northern Hyōgo, where the 98 °C 'Arayu' source boils eggs and vegetables for visitors on the banks of the Haruki River. Bicarbonate water flows freely through separate men's and women's main baths, with an open-air tub, sauna, an assisted bath and an upstairs rest room. ¥500 for non-residents; open 9:00–21:00, closed on the 15th of each month. No towels or soap are provided — bring your own or buy at reception. Parking is free for two hours for bathers. About an hour by car from Kinosaki; pairs well with the San'in Kaigan Geopark or Hamasaka's snow crab season (Nov–Mar).
One of Kyūshū's largest wooden bathhouses, in the centre of the old castle town of Yamaga in northern Kumamoto. Built in the Edo period as a rest house for the Hosokawa lords, its Meiji-era rebuild is attributed to Sakamoto Matahachirō, the master carpenter of Dōgo Onsen Honkan. Faithfully reconstructed in 2012, the curved-gable entrance, dragon transoms and high-ceilinged bath hall feel far grander than the ¥350 admission. The water is a clear, silky alkaline simple spring, with a drinking fountain. Open long hours, 6:00–24:00 (last entry 23:30), closed the 3rd Wednesday. Soap and towels from the vending machine. Combine with the Yachiyoza theatre (Important Cultural Property), the Buzen Kaidō streetscape and the August lantern festival.
The communal bath at the centre of Hirayama Onsen, a scatter of quiet inns in the hills ten minutes by car from Yamaga. The 1961 Hirayama Onsen Center was rebuilt in 2016 with an open-air bath added to the indoor one. The water is Hirayama's signature slippery alkaline sulphur spring — called one of Kyūshū's finest skin-beautifying baths — used 100% free-flowing. You can drink it or take some home, and the lobby sells local vegetables and eggs. ¥400; open 6:00–21:30, every day. About 11 minutes by bus from Yamaga bus centre to Hirayama-Onsen-mae, then a minute on foot. Combine with Sakura-yu for a Yamaga bath-hop.
One of the Beppu Hattō 'eight springs', Horita sits on the old road towards Yufuin and its municipal bathhouse is among the busiest in Beppu's city-run network. Rebuilt in 2003, it has a bright, airy indoor hall and a seasonal open-air bath set among plantings and rock work; the two differently styled bath wings swap between men and women each week. The water is a gentle simple spring. ¥300; open 6:30–22:30, closed the first Wednesday (next day if a holiday). Afterwards, rest in the lounge overlooking Beppu Bay. Amenities are sold, so bring a towel. About 13 minutes by Kamenoi bus from Beppu Station's west exit to Horita-Onsen-mae, or 3 minutes by car from Beppu IC.
A neighbourhood-run communal bath at the foot of the stone stairway to Izusan Shrine, north of Atami Station and linked to Minamoto no Yoritomo and Hōjō Masako. The water comes from Hashiriyu, one of Japan's three ancient springs — a cave source where hot water once 'ran' down to the sea — a 71 °C calcium-sodium chloride spring, free-flowing with only water added to cool it. Inside it is pure Shōwa: an attendant's counter and two tubs, one hot, one lukewarm. ¥350; open afternoons only, roughly 14:00–20:00, closed Thursdays. Bring towel and soap. Pair with the free Hashiriyu cave just below and the 837-step climb to Izusan Shrine for a slice of Atami history. About 7 minutes by bus from Atami Station to Aizomebashi.
An open-air-only public bath on the gravel banks of the Gamata River at Tochio Onsen in the Okuhida valley. The rock-ringed men's and women's pools have no screen on the river side, so the rushing Gamata and the Northern Alps fill the view — starry skies at night, snow scenes in winter, wild Okuhida all year. Free-flowing simple spring water; there are changing huts but no reception — drop a donation (about ¥300) in the wooden box at the entrance. Open 8:00–22:00 (from 12:00 Mon, Wed and Fri for cleaning); no closing days, but suspended when the river is high. Bring a towel. An easy stop between the Shinhotaka Ropeway and Hirayu, or a night soak for anyone staying in Tochio's inns.
A day-use hot spring in Fukui city's Koshino district on the Echizen coast, famous for its wild daffodil fields. The mildly alkaline water is soft on the skin, and there is an indoor bath facing the Sea of Japan, a sauna and a small open-air tub. Adults pay just ¥640 and shampoo/body soap are provided. Open 10:30–20:30 on weekdays and 09:30–21:30 on weekends; closed 1st/3rd/5th Tuesdays (next day if a holiday). Winter (Dec–Feb) brings the daffodils and Echizen crab season, and many visitors stop here to finish a coastal drive. About 40 minutes by car from central Fukui; buses are infrequent, so a car is realistic.
The flagship bathhouse of Nagayu Onsen in Ōita, which bills itself as Japan's best carbonated spring. Its European look comes from a sister-city tie with Bad Krozingen in Germany, and inside the water flows straight from the source with no heating or dilution. The rust-brown sodium-bicarbonate water is rich in iron and CO₂, and fine bubbles cling to your skin in the tub. Gender-separated indoor and open-air baths on the 1st and 3rd floors swap daily. Open 06:00–21:00 (last entry 20:00) — great for an early soak; closed the 3rd Wednesday of each month. Adults from outside the city pay ¥700; a private family bath is ¥2,400 for 50 minutes. Cards and QR payment accepted. 25 minutes by car from JR Bungo-Taketa Station.
Three minutes on foot from Gozen-yu, this is the gender-separated communal bath locals use every day. You pay ¥300 at a ticket machine and walk in — no attendant, and the bathroom holds just one indoor tub. Nagayu's bicarbonate water flows freely and has stained the spout area brown with mineral deposits. Open 06:00–22:00 (last entry 21:30), closed the 4th Wednesday. No soap or shampoo, so bring your own. If you are walking around Nagayu, add this ¥300 locals' bath to Gozen-yu and the free riverside Gani-yu.
A public bathhouse (doubling as a self-catering lodge) in the centre of Dake Onsen, about 600 m up the slopes of Mt Adatara. The acidic spring is rare nationally; piped roughly 8 km from the source, the water cools on the way and arrives milky white with a slight tingle. The basement bath is indoor only but 100% free-flowing. Day use 10:00–19:00 (last entry), ¥400 for adults, closed Tuesdays. The sloping resort street keeps traces of the town's playful 'Nikoniko Republic' era and has a free foot bath. About 25 minutes by bus from Nihonmatsu Station; popular with hikers coming down Mt Adatara and skiers.
The oldest communal bath in Echigo-Yuzawa, near the inn where Kawabata Yasunari wrote Snow Country — he is said to have bathed here himself. The tub fits only five or six people, but the sulphur-scented free-flowing spring is a rarity in Yuzawa and the star of the town's five-bath 'sotoyu' circuit. Adults pay ¥850 including bathing tax (revised 2026); open 10:00–21:00 (last entry 20:30), closed Tuesdays. Soap and shampoo provided, towels sold for ¥200. It sits up a slope 25 minutes' walk from Echigo-Yuzawa Station, or 10 minutes from Gala-Yuzawa Station; only 10 parking spaces.
The municipal day-use bathhouse of Nibukawa Onsen — one of the 'three baths of Iyo' alongside Dōgo and Hontani, with a history back to the Edo period. Built beside the clear stream of Nibukawa Gorge, it has indoor and open-air baths and a sauna overlooking the valley. The mildly alkaline, radon-bearing simple spring is a silky 'beauty bath'. Adults pay just ¥420, and there is a rest hall, a snack corner and a shop with local produce. Open 10:30–21:00 (last entry 20:30); closed 2nd and 4th Mondays (next day if a holiday) and over New Year. About 30 minutes by bus from Imabari Station to 'Seseragi Kōryūkan-mae'. Popular with cyclists finishing the Shimanami Kaidō.
Five minutes on foot from Musashi-Koyama Station on the Tōkyū Meguro line, this rare central-Tokyo bathhouse offers two different natural hot springs. The indoor bath is coffee-coloured 'kuroyu' (sodium-bicarbonate water); the open-air bath uses salty rust-brown 'golden water' pumped from 1,500 m below and left free-flowing — both certified as therapeutic springs. Admission is Tokyo's standard sentō rate of ¥550, with sauna and bedrock bath extra. Open 12:00–24:00, from 08:00 on Sundays; closed Mondays (open if a holiday). Close to Meguro and Gotanda, it pairs perfectly with snacking along the Palm shopping arcade. Soap and shampoo provided.
Near the village office of Totsukawa, Japan's largest village, this is the public bath of Tōsenji Onsen, the oldest spring in the village. True to Totsukawa — the first place in Japan to declare all its baths 100% free-flowing — the roughly 60°C sulphur water is cooled without dilution and left to overflow. As the name suggests, the big draw is the streamside open-air bath at the bottom of a long staircase, where you soak facing a small waterfall; the water runs hot. There are also an indoor bath and sauna. ¥800 for adults, open 08:30–20:00, closed Thursdays. The lunch-only diner is known for its 'dam curry'. The nearby Izumi-yu is ¥100 cheaper, but come here for the waterfall. A remote spot about 3 h 40 min from Yamato-Yagi Station on Japan's longest local bus route.
Tawarayama Onsen, in the hills of Nagato, Yamaguchi, has 1,100 years of history and still lives by 'sotoyu' culture: the inns have no baths of their own, so even overnight guests walk in yukata to the two communal bathhouses, Machi-no-yu and Hakuen-no-yu. Hakuen-no-yu is the newer of the pair, with three tubs — a lukewarm No.1 bath straight from the source, a heated hotter No.2 bath and an open-air bath — showcasing silky pH 9.9 alkaline water. ¥850 for adults, open 12:00–21:00, closed Tuesday to Thursday (Machi-no-yu runs daily 06:00–22:00 for ¥650). A free foot bath sits halfway up the entrance stairs. About 20 minutes by bus from Nagato-Yumoto Station.
The communal bath of Maga Onsen, a tiny hamlet of stone stairways on a slope above a tributary of the Asahi River in the Yubara Onsen area. Legend says a defeated warrior healed his wounds here some 700 years ago. The star is the 'Makuyu', a mixed rock bath of about 1.6 × 2 m and 1.2 m deep, so you soak standing up — often called Japan's smallest mixed bath — with lukewarm 39°C water bubbling up through cracks in the rock floor. The men's and women's baths connect to it and cost ¥250; the Makuyu is ¥400 (max 8 people, one hour) and a private bath ¥1,300 for up to three. Open 08:00–21:00 (last entry 20:10), closed Tuesdays (open on holidays). No towels allowed in the mixed bath, so be prepared. About 20 minutes by car from Chūgoku-Katsuyama Station.
Halfway along Ideyu-zaka, the steam-wreathed main street of Beppu's Kannawa district, this communal bath is run by the local residents' association. In typical Beppu style the changing area and bath share one room, and hot sodium-chloride water rich in metasilicic acid flows freely. Visitors pay only ¥100 — technically a coin-locker fee rather than admission. Open 06:30–21:00 daily. No soap or shampoo and minimal washing space, so follow local manners: quiet and quick. There is a toilet on the little square out front, and the Jigoku-mushi steam-cooking workshop and Umi-jigoku are two minutes away, making it an easy stop on a Kannawa stroll. Counts toward the Beppu Hattō Onsen-dō stamp rally.
A hot-spring complex in the farmland of Kimita, Miyoshi, in northern Hiroshima, next to the 'Forest Kimita' roadside station. A 2025–26 renewal rebuilt the lodging wing, a hearth-side restaurant, the open-air bath and a barrel sauna. The bicarbonate water feels slippery and is known as a 'beauty bath'. Day use is ¥800 including bathing tax, open 10:00–20:30 (last entry 20:00), closed Tuesdays; face towels sold for ¥150. Nearby are Kimita's sunflower fields (August) and the Takatani-yama lookout famous for its 'sea of clouds' — a popular drive about 90 minutes from Hiroshima city.
A hidden spring on the site of an old copper mine in the hills of Kumano, Mie. The abundant water is entirely free-flowing with no dilution or heating; the clear sodium-chloride spring warms you to the core. The cedar-scented bathhouse, rebuilt in 2015, has an indoor bath, an open-air area with standing, half-body and lying baths, and a private bath for ¥1,080 per hour. Admission ¥600 for adults, open 09:00–21:00 (last entry 20:15), irregular closures. A trolley train through the old mine tunnel (about 10 minutes) links it with Iruka Onsen Seiryūsō and is a famous ride in itself — but as of 2026 it is suspended for safety inspections, so check ahead. Half-price admission on the 26th of each month. About 40 minutes by car from Kumano-Ōdomari IC.
A city-run day spa in the Kiyotaki valley, between Nikkō's World Heritage shrines and the Irohazaka switchbacks. The all-granite main bath has a sauna and jacuzzi, and the garden-style rock rotenburo looks out to the Nikkō mountains. The alkaline simple spring is clear and silky — a 'beauty bath'. Open 10:00–21:00 (last entry 20:30), closed Thursdays (next day if a holiday) and over New Year. Adults from outside the city pay ¥1,000 (¥500 for residents). The canteen serves soba, udon and other light meals. About 20 minutes by bus from JR/Tōbu Nikkō Station to the 'Yashio-no-yu' stop — a popular finish after Tōshōgū or a trip to Lake Chūzenji and Kegon Falls.
The communal bath of Kawaji Onsen, upstream of Kinugawa on the clear Ojika River. An old cure spa — 'burns to Kinugawa, wounds to Kawaji' went the saying — it uses its own mildly alkaline spring 100% free-flowing with no chlorination. Besides separate indoor and open-air baths there is a mixed rock bath open to the river, where you soak in lukewarm water facing the stream and hills (bathing garments allowed). A low-temperature sauna, private bath (¥4,000 / 50 min) and rest room complete it. Adults pay ¥1,000 (¥500 for Nikkō residents); open 10:00–20:00 (last entry 19:30), closed Wednesdays (next day if a holiday; open through Golden Week). Fifteen minutes on foot from Kawaji-Yumoto Station on the Yagan Railway, or about 15 minutes by car from Kinugawa-Onsen Station — easy to combine with Kinugawa.
A town-run bathhouse right in front of Shirara-hama, the famous white-sand beach. Built like an old-fashioned sentō with an attendant's counter, its second-floor bathroom opens through big windows onto the beach, blue sea and sky — a ¥420 view bath you would never expect in a resort. The 66.8°C sodium-chloride 'Suzushi-yu' source flows freely, and the strongly salty water keeps you warm long after. Open 09:00–11:00 and 14:00–21:30 (last entry 21:00; 07:00–09:00 is residents only), closed Thursdays. Soap and shampoo sold for ¥40; no hair dryers. One of Shirahama's 'sotoyu' circuit with Saki-no-yu and Muro-no-yu — locals rinse off the sand after a swim and come straight in. About 15 minutes by bus from Shirahama Station to 'Shirarahama'.
In the town centre of Ibusuki, famous for its sand baths, this is one of the oldest communal baths, dating from 1882. Locals call it 'Muran-yu'. Its pride is the wooden bathhouse and the spring that wells up straight through the floor of the tub; there are no taps — you scoop the emerging water with a bucket to rinse, the old way — and there are two tubs, hot and lukewarm. The sodium-chloride water is strongly salty in true Ibusuki fashion and keeps you warm for ages. Adults drop ¥350 into the unattended fee box; open 08:00–22:00. No soap provided, so bring your own. About 13 minutes on foot from Ibusuki Station. For onsen fans who want a 'real locals' bath' after the Saraku sand-bath hall; entry may not be possible during cleaning or crowding, so check closure days in advance.
Hijiori Onsen, 1,200 years old, is a cure-spa where inns huddle at the bottom of a caldera in Ōkura village, Yamagata. Right in the middle of the street stands Kami-no-yu, the only communal bath open to visitors. A small bathhouse with an attendant's counter, it has slightly hot free-flowing sodium-chloride/bicarbonate water and a tiny Yakushi shrine in the corner of the tub. Adults pay ¥400 (free for guests of the village inns); open 08:00–18:00 (until 17:00 in winter), no bathing on Thursday mornings for cleaning. The Hijiori way is to pair it with the morning market that sets up from about 5–6 am (Apr–Nov). In winter this is one of Japan's snowiest places, and just walking the street between snow walls is an experience. About 55 minutes by bus from Shinjō Station.
The communal bath at the heart of Nuruyu Onsen in Kuroishi, Aomori, a spa with more than 400 years of history. It is ringed by 'kyakusha' — simple self-catering cure lodgings with no baths of their own, whose guests all walk over here — a form of spa life now rare even in Tōhoku. The bathroom is as roomy as a sentō, with 100% source water (sodium chloride-sulphate) cooled by a special method without dilution and split into hot and lukewarm tubs. Adults pay ¥350; open long hours from 05:00 to 22:00 (last entry 21:30), daily (occasional closures in April and November). No soap provided. Kokeshi-doll workshops and the Tsugaru Kokeshi Museum are nearby. About 25 minutes by bus from Kuroishi Station.
A free, gender-separated open-air bath at the top of Tsubame Onsen, a trailhead village at about 1,100 m on Mt Myōkō. Five minutes up a mountain path from the village you find only a simple plank changing hut and a rock tub, where flakes of 'yunohana' drift in milky sulphur water. Known as a 'triple beauty bath' for combining sulphur, bicarbonate and sulphate, it faces the flanks of Myōkō. Free of charge from sunrise to sunset, open April to November (closed in winter; boots needed while snow lingers); no bathing on Monday and Friday mornings for cleaning. Fifteen minutes further along the gorge is the mixed 'Kawara-no-yu' (Jul–Nov). No soap allowed and minimal changing space, so follow local etiquette. Walk from the terminus of the bus (about 21 min) from Sekiyama Station.
Tsuetate Onsen, where inns line both banks of the Tsuetate River on the Kumamoto–Ōita border, claims 1,800 years of history as the bath water of the infant Emperor Ōjin. Moto-yu is the communal bath said to be its origin: a single half-open tub carved into the rock face beside the riverside promenade — mixed, free and open 24 hours, nothing more. The sodium-chloride water, cooled from a 98°C source, leaves the skin soft. Changing space is basic and screening minimal, so many people wear bathing garments or a wrapped towel; early morning or night is the best time. Combine it with a wander through the 'sedoya' back alleys and, in May–June, the 3,500 carp streamers strung across the river. About 50 minutes by bus from Hita Station.
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.
A Western-style bathhouse on the shore of Lake Suwa, built in 1928 by the Katakura silk dynasty for the welfare of local residents and now an Important Cultural Property. Its famous Sennin-buro is a marble pool 1.1 m deep — you bathe standing, pebbles underfoot, surrounded by stained glass and sculpture — named for the hundred people it can hold at once. It uses Kamisuwa's spring water and also has a sauna and jet bath. Adults ¥750, open 10:00–20:00 (last entry 19:30), closed 2nd and 4th Tuesdays. The 2nd-floor rest room (until 19:00) and canteen (11:00–15:00) are open to bathers, and tours of the hall building are offered. Eight minutes on foot from Kami-Suwa Station, handy for Suwa Taisha shrine and Takashima Castle.
Hakodate's signature day-use hot spring at the foot of Mt Hakodate, five minutes on foot from the Yachigashira tram terminus. Opened by the city in 1953 and privatised in 2013, when a sauna was added. The high-ceilinged bathroom feels airy; the rust-brown sodium-chloride water is strong and on the hot side, and the open-air bath is star-shaped after Goryōkaku fort. Adults pay just ¥490; open 06:00–22:00 (last entry 21:00), closed 2nd Tuesdays. A 'hands-free set' with towels is sold and there is a canteen. Close to the Mt Hakodate ropeway, Cape Tachimachi and the morning market — bathe with the locals at dawn or to round off a day of sightseeing. Soap and shampoo provided.
Amagase Onsen, where steam rises along the Kusu River in Hita, Ōita, is counted with Beppu and Yufuin among the 'three great springs of Bungo'. Its trademark is the communal open-air baths dotted along the riverbed, and Yakushi-yu is one of the most approachable: a single rock tub, mixed bathing, ¥100 dropped into an unattended box. The 75°C simple sulphur spring is diluted to a comfortable temperature, with a faint whiff of sulphur and a view of the spa street across the river. Open 10:00–22:00 daily; wrapping a bath towel is allowed, which makes it easy for first-timers, and it is lit and atmospheric at night. Stroll the town, rebuilt after the 2020 floods, and try the other riverside baths such as Kanda-yu and Ekimae Onsen. About 10 minutes on foot from JR Amagase Station.
The public bathhouse at the heart of Yamashiro Onsen's 'Yu-no-gawa' square in the Kaga hot-spring region, a spa 1,300 years old. In Kaga communal baths are called 'sōyu', and even ryokan guests walk over in yukata. The entrance reuses the gate of the old Yoshinoya inn; inside is spacious and clean, with one big tub of fresh undiluted water (sodium-calcium sulphate-chloride) flowing freely. Adults ¥500, open 06:00–22:00, closed only on the morning of the 4th Wednesday. A ¥900 combined ticket includes the 'Ko-sōyu' opposite (¥700), a recreation of the Meiji-era bathhouse with Kutani-ware tiles and stained glass — comparing the two is the classic plan. Soap and shampoo are sold, not provided. About 10 minutes by bus from Kaga-Onsen Station.
The oldest of Itō Onsen's 'Seven Lucky Gods' communal baths, a true locals' bathhouse. The spring is said to have been presented to the third shōgun Tokugawa Iemitsu in the Edo period, and today it runs as the ward-operated Wada-yu Kaikan. The layout is simple — a single indoor bath each for men and women — but the clear, simple-type spring flows in freely and the atmosphere is that of an old-fashioned neighbourhood bath full of regulars. Adults ¥400, children ¥200; open 14:00–22:00, closed Wednesdays (with extra days off in even months — check ahead). Soap and towels are sold, so bring your own. About 15 minutes on foot from JR Itō Station; pair it with the Tōkaikan building and Kinema-dōri street as one stop on the Seven Lucky Gods bath circuit. Parking for 11 cars.
A day-use bathhouse on the main street of Hirayama Onsen, where inns are scattered among the rice fields of Yamaga, Kumamoto. The slippery alkaline simple-sulphur water — famed locally as 'beautifying water' — fills a main indoor pool, electric bath, waterfall massage bath, cold plunge and sauna plus two open-air baths of different sizes. Adults ¥600, children ¥300 (a bath-only course is cheaper still); open 09:30–21:30 (last entry 20:30), closed Thursdays (open if a holiday). Paid private rest rooms (10:00–16:00), a farm-produce and souvenir shop and a café round it out, and the crowd is half locals, half visitors. Kyūshū Sankō bus from Yamaga Bus Center to 'Hiraogi', then 7 minutes on foot; about 20 minutes by car from Kikusui or Nankan IC. Pair with Yamaga's lantern festival heritage and the Yachiyoza theatre.
One of the two public bathhouses of Tawarayama Onsen in Nagato, Yamaguchi, a cure-spa founded over 1,100 years ago. Most inns here have no bath of their own, so guests still pad through the streets in yukata to the outside baths, and Machi-no-yu is the hub of that life. The silky alkaline simple spring flows in untreated, and there is a drinking fountain. Just a plain indoor bath, but it is open right through from 06:00 to 22:00 and costs only ¥650. A bookable private family bath (¥3,500 for three, 08:00–21:00) is attached. There is no regular closing day — only cleaning breaks in July and December. The other bathhouse, Hakuen-no-yu (¥850, with an open-air bath), closes Tuesday to Thursday, so on weekdays Machi-no-yu is the one to count on. About 25 minutes by bus from JR Nagato-shi Station to 'Tawarayama Onsen', then 3 minutes on foot.
A day-use bathhouse right beside the Shinhotaka Ropeway base at the trailhead into the Northern Alps. Descended from a mountain hut, it is unusual in having two different springs — a simple spring and a bicarbonate spring — each served free-flowing. The open-air bath, with the murmur of the Gamata River and the rock peaks of Kasa-ga-take and Shakujō-dake in view, fills with hikers coming off the mountain and sightseers back from the ropeway. Adults ¥1,000, children ¥500; open 09:00–18:00 (last entry one hour before closing), irregular closing days. There is a rest room and a restaurant serving Okuhida fare such as Hida beef and soba. About 90 minutes by bus from Takayama Nōhi Bus Center to 'Shinhotaka Onsen', then 2 minutes on foot; parking for 11 cars (pay car parks nearby).
A big bathhouse in Kanie, just west of Nagoya, open since the 1960s and known among Tōkai-region onsen fans as 'the real thing'. Two of its own springs, one cool and one hot, are blended to bathing temperature and run untouched — no dilution, no recirculation — into both indoor and outdoor baths. The showpiece is a garden-style indoor hall of a scale you would not expect, with pools of various sizes among rocks and greenery. The clear simple spring is soft and leaves you refreshed. Adults ¥700 on weekdays, ¥800 on weekends and holidays; open 13:00–23:00 (last entry 22:30), no closing day apart from occasional maintenance. Soap and shampoo provided; a tatami hall and restaurant on site. About 7 minutes by taxi from Kintetsu Kanie Station or 17 minutes on foot from JR Eiwa Station; 250 free parking spaces. A rare chance at free-flowing source water within 30 minutes of Nagoya Station.
Tottori Onsen is a national rarity — a hot spring rising right in front of a prefectural-capital station — and this Shōwa-retro bathhouse at its heart is about five minutes' walk from JR Tottori Station. Old-style layout with a bandai counter and just one pool split into deep and shallow halves, but the 46°C-plus sodium-sulphate-chloride water is properly hot and leaves skin silky. Adults ¥550, children ¥200; open in two sessions, 06:00–10:00 and 14:00–24:00, closed the 2nd Monday and New Year's Day. No soap provided — bring or buy. Good after walking the Tottori sand dunes or castle ruins, or as a morning bath before an early train. Parking for 11 cars plus coin car parks nearby.
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.
A day-use bathhouse among the vineyards and peach orchards of Makioka in Yamanashi city, cherished by onsen fans as one of the prefecture's finest 'fresh from the source' springs. About 500 litres a minute of 42°C alkaline simple water wells up naturally and goes straight into the tubs — no heating, no dilution, no recirculation — so fresh water overflows constantly at the spout. The feel is silky; from the cypress indoor bath and the rock open-air bath you can sometimes see Mt Fuji across the Kōfu basin. Adults ¥700 for up to two hours, children ¥500 (four hours with tatami-hall rest ¥1,300; all day ¥1,800); open 10:00–21:00 (last entry 20:15), closed Tuesdays and the New Year period. A restaurant serves hōtō noodles and tempura, and Erin-ji temple and the local wineries are close. About 25 minutes by car from Katsunuma IC or 15 minutes by taxi from JR Yamanashi-shi Station.
A municipal day-use bathhouse in the Furuyu–Kumanokawa spa area along the Kase River, about 30 minutes by car from central Saga. Kumanokawa's water is a radon-bearing radioactive (radium) spring, traditionally enjoyed as a long, slow soak at lukewarm temperature. The main hall has large and small pools at different temperatures, an open-air bath facing the hills, and a small sauna and cold plunge, all lively with local chatter. A barrier-free family bath (¥1,500 for 55 minutes plus admission) is available, and the tatami rest room offers meals and massage. Adults ¥600, children ¥350; open 10:00–21:00, closed the 3rd Thursday (next day if a holiday). Local vegetables are sold at the front desk, and the grounds have a hot-water stand and a 'Yu YOU Park' for car camping. Pair with Furuyu Onsen for a bath-hopping day.
Because drilling is banned inside the national park, every bath in Unzen runs on naturally rising water. This little communal bath on the edge of the spa town, known locally as 'Dankyū-buro', has just one deep oval pool into which the acidic hydrogen-sulphide spring flows fresh; depending on the season and the day it may be milky white or nearly clear. It is hot, 43–44°C, with a faint sulphur scent. Adults ¥200, children ¥100; open 09:00–22:00, closed Tuesdays. No dryers or amenities — soap is sold — but there are lockers, and parking for four cars. After touring the Unzen Hells, a rare chance to taste the local bath for ¥200, a world apart from the big tourist bathhouses.
A village-run day spa inside the Soni Kōgen Farm Garden at the foot of the Soni plateau, on Nara's eastern edge, where the pampas-grass meadows turn gold in autumn. The sodium-bicarbonate water is remarkably slippery and lives up to its 'beauty bath' reputation, leaving skin silky. The indoor hall has a free-flowing source tub, and the open-air bath looks out to the rock peaks of Kabuto-dake and Yoroi-dake and across the highland (a wood bathroom and a stone bathroom alternate weekly between men and women). Adults ¥900, children ¥500; open 11:00–21:00 (until 20:30 December–March; last entry one hour before), closed Wednesdays (open if a holiday, then closed the next day) and over New Year. A craft brewery, farm shop and restaurant share the site; it gets very busy in pampas season (October–November). About 45 minutes by bus from Nabari Station; about 1 h 50 min by car from Osaka.
A town-run day spa inside the hilly 'Toyama Forest of Health – Green Park Yoshimine', about 15 minutes by car from Tateyama Station, the Toyama gateway to the Tateyama-Kurobe Alpine Route. The clear, mildly alkaline simple spring is piped straight from the source and called 'beauty water'; besides the main bath there is a rustic rock open-air bath, an herbal bath and a sauna. From April 2026 adults pay ¥750 and children ¥380; open 10:00–21:00 (last entry 20:30), closed Tuesdays (plus maintenance days). The park has a campsite, barbecue area, park golf and the Yoshimine Heights lodge, making it a handy stop before or after the Alpine Route or a Tateyama climb. About 5 minutes by car from Iwakuraji Station (Toyama Chihō Railway), 20 minutes from Tateyama IC; 300 parking spaces.
A town-run day spa on a rise above the Kuji River in Daigo, Ibaraki, the town of Fukuroda Falls, one of Japan's three great waterfalls. The alkaline simple water is soft; there is a large indoor bath with a waterfall-massage and bubble bath, and the pride of the place is an open, airy outdoor bath with a sweeping view of the Yamizo hills and the river — especially fine in autumn colour. Sauna, rest room, Japanese restaurant and shop, used equally by locals and visitors. Adults ¥710 on weekdays, ¥1,010 on weekends and holidays (¥500 after 17:00), children ¥350/¥500; open 10:00–20:00 (last entry 19:30), closed the 1st and 3rd Wednesdays and December 31. Soap and shampoo provided, towels sold. About 15 minutes by bus from JR Hitachi-Daigo Station to 'Mori-no-Ideyu'; about an hour by car from Naka IC. Combine with Fukuroda Falls and the local shamo chicken cuisine.
A day-use hot spring at the heart of the Hiruzen highlands in northern Okayama, 500–600 m up. Its great appeal is the open-air bath, where you feel the highland breeze and look out over Jersey-cattle pastures and the three Hiruzen peaks through the seasons — cool in summer, autumn colour, snow-viewing in winter. The alkaline simple water is gentle on the skin, and the facility covers the basics: main bath, jet bath, sauna and open-air bath. Adults ¥740, children ¥420; open 10:00–22:00 (until 21:00 December–March; last entry 30 minutes before), closed Wednesdays (next day if a holiday; open during Obon and Golden Week). About 20 minutes by car from Hiruzen IC or 60 minutes by bus from JR Chūgoku-Katsuyama Station. Combine with Hiruzen yakisoba, Jersey soft-serve and a drive toward Mt Daisen. 100 parking spaces.
A city-run hot-spring and sports complex at Yuya Onsen, the noted spa of Oku-Mikawa strung along the Ure (Itashiki) River gorge in Shinshiro, Aichi. Rare in being reachable by rail — about 10 minutes on foot from Yuya-Onsen Station on the Iida Line — it has a large bathing hall with a main tub, bubble bath, jet bath and lie-down bath, plus an open-air bath within earshot of the river and its greenery. The sodium-calcium-chloride water warms you thoroughly. Bathing only: adults ¥620, children ¥310; the heated pool (with water slide) and gym are extra, or an all-facility ticket is ¥1,150. Open 10:00–21:00 (last entry 20:15), closed Tuesdays (the day before if a holiday), December 29–January 1, and for maintenance in March and October. The restaurant serves gohei-mochi and set meals. Combine with a hike up Mt Hōraiji, Hōrai Gorge or the Atera Seven Falls. About 20 minutes by car from Shinshiro IC on the Shin-Tōmei.
The communal bathhouse of Shikano, a castle town in western Tottori City laid out by the warlord Kamei Korenori. Light pours through glass-block walls into a bright bathroom with a main tub, jacuzzi, sauna, cold plunge and an open-air bath facing Mt Jūbō, all generously filled with clear, gentle simple spring water. Inexpensive at ¥550 for adults and ¥280 for children; open 10:00–22:00 and closed only on the first Thursday of the month (the following week if a holiday). There is no restaurant, but a rest area and souvenir counter, plus a roofed foot bath and the 'Omoshiro Market' soba house next door. Pair it with a stroll around the castle town's canals and paving, Shikano Castle ruins park and the Bird Theatre. About 4 minutes by car from Hamamura-Shikano-Onsen IC on the San'in Expressway, or 10 minutes by bus from JR Hamamura Station to 'Imamachi'. Handy on the way back from the Tottori dunes or Uradome coast.
A town-run day spa on a 370 m hill in Ichikawamisato, south of the Kōfu basin. From the unobstructed open-air bath you take in the whole basin with Yatsugatake, Mt Kayagatake and the Southern Alps beyond, and after dark the carpet of city lights is certified as a 'Japan Night View Heritage' site. The water is a translucent tea-brown alkaline simple spring containing organic matter from ancient plants, smooth on the skin. Indoor bath, open-air bath, lie-down bath and sauna; adults ¥850, children ¥500; open late, 10:00–23:00 (last entry 22:30), so you can watch dusk turn to night from the tub. Closed only for maintenance days. The restaurant's hōtō noodles, chicken giblet stew and Kōshū wine-beef set, and the farm produce shop, are popular. About 10 minutes by car from Kōfu-minami IC or 7 minutes from JR Kai-Ueno Station. In summer you may even catch the Ichikawamisato fireworks from the open-air bath.
The communal bath at the centre of Yuwaku Onsen, Kanazawa's 'back parlour', about 50 minutes by bus from Kanazawa Station. The spa dates back 1,300 years, prospered as the cure resort of the Kaga lords, and is remembered as where the Taishō-era artist Takehisa Yumeji stayed with his lover; the name comes from a legend of an egret healing its wounds here. Inside, the wood-rich building is calm, with clear, smooth sodium-calcium-chloride water served fairly hot in a simple bathroom (no open-air bath or sauna). Cheap at ¥490 for adults and ¥130 for children, and open 07:00–22:00, it suits a bath-hopping circuit from the ryokan or a finish to a Kanazawa day. Closed the third Thursday (plus occasional days). Combine with the Gyokusen Lake path, the Yumeji museum and the inns' restaurants. Known as the setting of the anime 'Hanasaku Iroha', the village holds the Bonbori lantern festival in October. About 30 minutes by car from Kanazawa-Morimoto IC; parking is limited.
A day spa on Route 202 in Karatsu, right beside Niji-no-Matsubara, one of Japan's three great pine groves, and an easy 10-minute walk from JR Niji-no-Matsubara Station. The mildly alkaline simple spring is used free-flowing and lives up to its 'beauty bath' name with a silky feel. There are tepid and hot tubs, an open-air bath, sauna and cold plunge, plus three private family baths (rock, barrel and so on; extra charge, booking until 20:00). Adults ¥800, children ¥450; open 10:00–22:00 (last entry 21:30), closed the third Thursday (open daily in January, February and August; special closure on December 31). The restaurant serves set meals with Karatsu fish, and as a pilgrimage spot for the anime 'Yuri!!! on Ice' the building has a fan display corner. Fits between Karatsu Castle, the Yobuko morning market and a drive along the pines, or as the finish to a day trip from Fukuoka — about an hour by car from the city. 50 parking spaces.
The oldest naturally rising spring of Hinatayama Onsen, the spa district along the Amori River in Hayato, Kirishima, about 15 minutes by car from Kagoshima Airport. Saigō Takamori is said to have favoured it between hunts, and locals call it 'Segodon's bath'. It is unstaffed — you drop your fee in the box at the entrance — and the price is frozen in the Shōwa era: ¥250 for adults, ¥100 for children. Inside is a simple indoor bathroom with two tubs, hot and moderate, filled free-flowing with clear, slippery bicarbonate water; there is a drinking fountain of the spring too. No open-air bath or restaurant, but it opens 06:00–21:00 (last entry 20:30) and a room-only lodge next door costs ¥1,800 including the bath — a boon for travellers. Closed the fourth Monday. About 5 minutes on foot from JR Hinatayama Station; 10 parking spaces. For anyone wanting an unadorned everyday Kagoshima bath before or after Kirishima Shrine or the airport.
The public bath at the centre of Tsuchiyu Onsen, a spa village in the fold of the Azuma range about 40 minutes by bus from Fukushima Station. Rebuilt in 2018 in fragrant timber, it faces the Arakawa mountain stream. The alkaline bicarbonate water is used free-flowing without heating or recirculation — clear and soft but decidedly hot, so adding cold water to taste is the local custom. Besides separate indoor baths there is a private bath (¥1,500), handy for families and couples. Adults ¥500, children ¥250; open 09:00–21:00 (last entry 20:30), closed Tuesdays (open over New Year). The village has foot baths, workshops making Tsuchiyu kokeshi dolls, the steaming Arakawa source and another communal bath, Kajika-no-yu, so a stroll with a kokeshi-painting session fills a pleasant half day. 82 free parking spaces. About 20 minutes by car from Fukushima-nishi IC, and a convenient gateway to the Bandai-Azuma Skyline.
A municipal day bath in the middle of the Yubara Onsen village in northern Okayama, a few minutes' walk from the famous riverside open-air 'Sunayu'. Yubara has a thousand-year history and copious water; this is its source bath, and the pH 9.3 alkaline simple spring is a slippery 'beauty water'. The three-storey building has souvenirs on the ground floor and baths on the first: for each sex an indoor bath, jacuzzi and sauna, plus a barrier-free bathroom usable by elderly and wheelchair guests, which can also be hired as a family bath (¥3,000 per hour for up to three). There is no view, but travellers value it as the place to wash and warm up properly after the mixed Sunayu. Adults ¥800, children ¥400; open 10:00–21:00 (last entry 20:30), closed Wednesdays. A tatami rest room and relaxation corner are provided. About 5 minutes by car from Yubara IC on the Yonago Expressway, or 40 minutes by bus for Hiruzen Kōgen from JR Chūgoku-Katsuyama Station to 'Sayama' then 5 minutes on foot.
A small wooden day bath in Dai Onsen, an old spa hamlet where inns huddle along a narrow valley beyond Hanamaki Onsen. Dai Onsen, over 600 years old, is known for its many hot sources, and here too the free-flowing water is served hot in a little bathroom — a tub that holds ten at a squeeze and five washing stations. There is no lounge or shop, but it opens every day from 06:00 to 22:00 (last entry 21:30) and charges only ¥480 for adults and ¥250 for children — a place that made news by cutting its price when everyone else was raising theirs. Shampoo and body soap are provided, and a handmade soba house next door serves lunch (booking needed). Under 10 minutes by car from Hanamaki Onsen, about 20 minutes by taxi from JR Hanamaki Station; 30 parking spaces. An easy way to feel the cure-resort air of Dai Onsen, a world apart from the big hotels of Hanamaki.
A municipal day spa in the Suifu district of Hitachiōta, Ibaraki, near the Ryūjin Great Suspension Bridge, famous for Honshū's highest bungee jump at 100 m. It fills with visitors combining it with the gorge's autumn colours or carp-streamer festival, plus locals. There are two bathrooms — one with an open-air bath, one with a sauna — swapped daily between men and women, so check ahead if you want the open-air side. The clear, soft simple spring is known for warming you well. Adults ¥800 on weekdays, ¥1,000 on weekends and holidays; children ¥400/¥500; cheaper after 16:00. Open 10:00–20:00 (last entry 19:00), closed Tuesdays and Wednesdays (the next business day if a holiday) and December 29–January 3. Restaurant (the mapo tofu is popular), rest room and 70 parking spaces. About 50 minutes by car from Naka IC, or by city bus from JR Hitachi-Ōta Station to 'Keganorokku' then 4 minutes on foot. A handy waypoint on a northern-Ibaraki drive with Fukuroda Falls and Oku-Kuji.
The oldest of the communal baths surviving in the spa town of Kaminoyama, a former castle and post town about 10 minutes on foot from Kaminoyama-Onsen Station on the Yamagata Shinkansen. Moved to its present site in 1624, it is said to have been used by the Zen master Takuan. The big tub is split into hot and tepid halves, filled free-flowing with clear sodium-calcium-chloride-sulphate water. With its flagstone washing area and old-style attendant's counter, it charges an astonishing ¥150 for adults and ¥100 for children (hair washing ¥100 extra), and the tatami hall upstairs can be used for a day's rest for ¥300. Open 06:00–22:00 (from 06:30 December–February; last entry 21:30), every day. Take a morning or evening dip with locals while touring Kaminoyama Castle, the samurai-house street and the town's five foot baths. About 25 minutes by car from Yamagata city, 40 minutes from Zaō Onsen. No soap is provided, so bring your own; park in the shopping-street car park opposite.
The public bath at the heart of Yunomine Onsen, one of Japan's oldest springs, where pilgrims purified themselves before Kumano Hongū Taisha. The building, renovated in 2022, also serves as reception for the World Heritage 'Tsuboyu'. There are three bathrooms: the 'Ippan-yu' with hot and tepid tubs (adults ¥400, shampoo provided), the concentrated 'Kusuri-yu' filled with undiluted source water (¥600, no soap allowed) and a 30-minute private family bath (¥700), all sulphur-scented sodium-bicarbonate-chloride water ranging from milky to clear. Tsuboyu (¥800, 30-minute slots) can mean a wait of hours when busy, so the clever order is to take a number and warm up in the public bath first. Open 06:00–21:00 (last entry 20:30), irregular cleaning closures. The village also has the 'Yuzutsu', a 90 °C source where you boil eggs and vegetables, and is the trailhead of the Dainichi-goe section of the Kumano Kodō. About 2 hours by bus from JR Kii-Tanabe or Shingū stations to 'Yunomine Onsen', right by the stop; 46 parking spaces.
A town-run community centre at the gateway to Ōwani Onsen, a spa with 800 years of history south of Hirosaki. Just 2 minutes on foot from Ōwani-Onsen Station on the JR and Kōnan lines, its day bath Wani no Yu has an indoor pool, open-air bath, bubble bath and sauna. The clear sodium-calcium chloride and sulfate spring warms you to the core, and in winter the outdoor bath becomes a snow-viewing tub. Admission is a modest ¥550 for adults and ¥270 for children (town residents ¥400/¥200), and long hours of 9:00–22:00 are a strong point; two reservable family baths, Hagikatsura and Kawasemi, rent by the hour. Closed the third Thursday. Inside are a farm-produce corner, free rest areas with tables and tatami, and a lunch-only restaurant serving dishes and souvenirs made with the famous Ōwani onsen bean sprouts. Free parking for 80 cars. Open late enough to drop by after dinner in Hirosaki – a handy base for Hirosaki Castle or the Ōwani ski slopes.
A lone day-bath building among the fields on the outskirts of Nirasaki, north-west of the Kōfu basin, and a nationally known pilgrimage spot for onsen lovers. Nothing is added or altered – no dilution, heating, recirculation or chlorine – and as you settle into the tepid 38°C sodium chloride-bicarbonate spring, your whole body is coated in fine bubbles, said to be among the most abundant in Japan. The faintly greenish-yellow water carries a whisper of sulfur and iron, and the source running from a tap in the bathroom can be drunk (fizzy, iron-tinged). There is no open-air bath or sauna – just one big indoor pool and washing stations, like a sentō – but the windows frame the Yatsugatake and Kayagatake peaks, and the mild water makes an hour disappear. Adults pay ¥600, children ¥300, soap and shampoo provided. Open 10:00–20:00, closed Tuesdays (next day if a holiday) and Fridays, with free parking for 25 cars. About 10 minutes by taxi from Nirasaki Station on the JR Chūō Line or 15 minutes from Nirasaki IC on the Chūō Expressway.
The communal bathhouse at the heart of Awazu Onsen in Komatsu, Hokuriku's oldest spa, said to have been founded in 718 by the priest Taichō. It stands opposite Hōshi, known as the world's oldest inn, and makes a fitting finale to a tour of the four sōyu public baths of the Kaga spa region (Yamanaka, Yamashiro, Katayamazu and Awazu). The clear, silky sodium sulfate-chloride water (mildly alkaline, high-temperature) runs hot, and soaking shoulder to shoulder with locals warms you to the core. There is no open-air bath or sauna – just an indoor pool – but that simplicity lets the water speak for itself. Adults pay ¥500, elementary pupils ¥150 and infants ¥70; open 8:00–22:00 (last entry 21:30), closed Tuesdays, parking for 10 cars. From JR Awazu Station take the Komatsu Bus for Awazu Onsen to Awazu-Onsen Kitaguchi and walk 2 minutes, or drive about 15 minutes from Kaga IC on the Hokuriku Expressway. Combine with Natadera temple, Yunokuni-no-Mori craft village and Komatsu's aviation museum.
Takeo Onsen is famous for its vermilion gate, a National Important Cultural Property designed by Tatsuno Kingo, architect of Tokyo Station. Beyond the gate lie three public baths – Motoyu, Hōraiyu and Sagi-no-Yu – plus the private Tonosama-yu and Karō-yu, and Sagi-no-Yu is the only one with an open-air bath and sauna. Named for the legend of a white heron (sagi) healing its wounds here, its clear, refreshing mildly alkaline simple spring leaves skin smooth. Alongside the stone indoor bath are a rock-lined outdoor tub, a hot sauna, cold plunge and rest room, and generous hours from 6:30 in the morning to midnight (last entry 23:00) suit travellers. Adults pay ¥740 and children from 3 to elementary age ¥370; open daily except a maintenance break in mid-December. Soap and shampoo are provided, towels sold. About 12 minutes on foot from Takeo-Onsen Station on the Nishi-Kyūshū Shinkansen – a base for Takeo City Library, Mifuneyama Rakuen garden and nearby Ureshino Onsen.
Obama Onsen in Unzen, Nagasaki, is famed for sunsets over Tachibana Bay and for spring water near 100°C – the highest heat output of any onsen town in Japan. Hama-no-Yu is the city-run, old-fashioned public bath of this seaside spa: a classic sentō layout with an attendant's booth and two deep tubs, hot and tepid, brimming with alkaline simple spring water. No soap or shampoo is provided (sachets are sold) – there is nothing here but the water, and bath lovers cherish that purity. Admission is an astonishing ¥150 for ages 6 and up (Unzen residents ¥100), free under 6; open 6:00–22:00 (last entry 21:30), irregular closures. Park free at the nearby Yūhi-no-Hiroba lot (10 spaces). Along the shore are Japan's longest footbath, the 105 m 'Hot Foot 105', and steam cookers, and it is fun to bath-hop to the Wakihama public bath (¥200). About an hour from Isahaya Station by Shimabara Railway and Shimatetsu bus, or an hour by car from Nagasaki city. Taste Unzen's mountain baths and Obama's sea baths in a single day.
A city-run day spa (Niigata City Iwamuro Health Promotion Centre) at Iwamuro Onsen, a spa at the eastern foot of Mt. Yahiko in Niigata's Nishikan ward, often called 'Niigata's back parlour'. Set on a rise at the edge of the spa town, its main bath and open-air bath look out over the Echigo plain toward Mt. Kakuda and Mt. Yahiko. The indoor pool is heated tap water, but the small rock-lined outdoor tub is fed with rich, free-flowing sulfur-bearing sodium-calcium chloride spring (hypertonic, mildly alkaline) whose faint sulfur scent and floating mineral flakes feel unmistakably like real onsen. Admission is ¥650 for adults and ¥390 for children, and a face and bath towel set is included, so arrive empty-handed. Open 10:00–20:00 (last entry 19:30), closed the second and fourth Wednesdays (next day if a holiday) and 29 December to 3 January. An upstairs lounge allows re-entry, and there are rental rooms and a snack corner; free parking for 80 cars. About 10 minutes by car from Iwamuro Station on the JR Echigo Line or 20 minutes from Maki-Katahigashi IC. Pair it with Yahiko Shrine and Niigata's sake breweries.