Uttou Onsen Matagi no Yu: Day-Use Hot Spring Prices

In a mountain valley of Ani in Kita-Akita, in the Uttou district where the Matagi hunting culture has long been handed down, springs Uttou Onsen Matagi no Yu. A single inn cradled by deep mountains, its charm is the hospitality unique to the Matagi homeland. The inns name too comes from the many Matagi who lived in this hamlet.

Highlights

The silky water is a mountain blessing that has soothed the fatigue of mountain trekking and life in deep snow; the waters are sodium and calcium chloride springs. Overnight guests may use the Matagi museum free of charge, touching this distinctive mountain culture through hunting tools and materials. Savoring the local food culture, such as bear hot pot and mountain-vegetable dishes, is a great pleasure too.

Enjoying the Seasons

Mountain vegetables in spring, mushrooms and foliage in autumn, and silent snowscapes in winter. From the windows of the nearby Akita Inland Line, satoyama scenery unfolds through every season.

Access and Basic Information

About 3 minutes by shuttle from Ani-Matagi Station on the Akita Inland Line. Given the deep-mountain setting, check public-transport timetables in advance. Day bathing is offered, with fees in the low hundreds of yen, though hours should be checked.

Practical Travel Notes

Best are spring for mountain vegetables and autumn for mushrooms and foliage. This is an inn suited to an unhurried visit by the Akita Inland Line, and with a pickup from Ani-Matagi Station you can reach it without a car. Bear hot pot is offered only in limited periods due to sourcing and often requires reservation, so consult ahead. The area is a quiet satoyama along the Uttou River, and a trip pairing station-hopping on the Inland Line with the mining heritage of Ani is also recommended. Budget a few hundred yen for a day bath; one night with two meals varies with the inns menu.

A Quick Tip

Bear hot pot and similar dishes may be seasonal or require reservation. Visiting as part of a rail trip on the Inland Line is recommended. As pickups are often by reservation, arrange yours by giving your train arrival time.

Practical Information for Your Visit

• Spring quality: A sodium-calcium chloride spring. The source temperature is 56.6 degrees
• How the water is used: Free-flowing spring water
• Bathing areas: Separate men's and women's areas each with one small bath, one large bath and one open-air bath. There is an open-air bath
• Day-use bathing: 9:00 to 21:00 (last entry 20:30). 600 yen for adults, 200 yen for children, free for preschool children. Kitaakita City residents pay 450 yen
• Use of the large tatami rest hall: 9:00 to 16:00, 250 yen for adults. It may not be available in busy periods, so inquire in advance
• Family bath (private bath): There is one. It costs 1,500 yen per hour, and is free for one hour for overnight guests. Day visitors who also use the large public bath pay an additional 450 yen bathing fee for the large bath; if you use only the family bath, you pay only the family bath fee
• Day-use plans: These combine a meal, the bathing fee and use of the rest hall. The Shin Yukemuri Plan is 3,850 yen (including a rental towel set), the Yasu-no-Taki Plan is 4,950 yen, and the Jango Plan with bear hotpot is 7,150 yen. All require a booking for two or more people, made at least three days in advance
• Closing days: Irregular (a few times a year for facility inspections and cleaning). In August 2026 the closing days are the 19th and the 26th
• Matagi Museum: 9:00 to 17:00. 200 yen for adults and 100 yen for children; free for overnight guests
• Parking: 50 spaces for ordinary cars. Large buses can also park
• Access (rail): About 3 minutes by shuttle from Ani-Matagi Station on the Akita Nairiku Jukan Railway. Advance notice is required; day-visitor shuttles run from 9:00 to 16:30, with the last one for the train arriving at Ani-Matagi Station at 14:52
• Access (by car): Turn off National Route 105 onto Prefectural Route 308 and continue 8 km, about 12 minutes. It is about 1 hour from the Omagari IC (via Routes 46 and 341), and from the Takanosu IC the route is via National Route 105
• Nearby: The shuttle also runs to and from the Ani Bear Farm "Kumakuma-en" in about 8 minutes. Yasu-no-Taki Falls is about 20 minutes by car, plus a walk of about 40 minutes from the parking area. Part of the road is unpaved, so cars with low ground clearance or a wide body should avoid it
• The restaurant "Shikari": Lunchtime is 11:00 to 13:00. Hours may be shortened or the restaurant closed for banquets or to serve overnight guests, so check in advance
• Location: 67 Senboku Watarido-kami, Uttou, Ani, Kitaakita City, Akita Prefecture

Enjoying the Seasons

Spring brings mountain vegetables, autumn mushrooms and fall colors, and winter a silent snowscape. From the windows of the Akita Nairiku Line, which runs nearby, the rural mountain scenery unfolds through all four seasons.

📚 Sources

The spring quality, source temperature, the fact that the water flows freely from the source, the benefits, the layout of the bathing areas, the family bath fees and the day-use bathing hours and fees were confirmed on the "free-flowing hot spring" page of the official website of Uttou Onsen Matagi no Yu. The number of parking spaces and the facilities inside the building come from the "facility overview" page, the content and conditions of the day-use plans from the "day-use" page, the shuttle times, driving routes and closing days from the "access and nearby sightseeing" page, and the fees and opening hours of the Matagi Museum from the "inside Matagi no Yu" page. The August 2026 closing days are based on an announcement in the news section of the same site. Details are subject to change, so please check the official information before you set out.