Yunoura Onsen: Day-Use Hot Spring Baths & Prices (Ehime)

Set at the base of the Takanawa Peninsula in the southeast of Imabari City, Yunoura Onsen is the hot spring that was the first in Shikoku to be designated a National Health Resort Hot Spring. Although it stands right beside the Imabari-Yunoura interchange, it gathers a day-use hot spring, a municipal health resort hall and a campground, making it easy to work into a trip before or after the Shimanami Kaido.

The First National Health Resort Hot Spring in Shikoku

According to the list of National Health Resort Hot Springs compiled by the Ministry of the Environment, Yunoura Onsen was designated on April 28, 1994 (Heisei 6). The other such site in Shikoku, the Shionoe Onsen district in Kagawa Prefecture, was designated on March 29, 2002 (Heisei 14), so Yunoura came about eight years earlier in Shikoku. The National Health Resort Hot Spring system is one in which the Minister of the Environment designates land where the effects of hot spring use can be expected and which can be developed as a place of rest and recuperation.

Yunoura Onsen "Shiki-no-Yu Beer Kobo" introduces this area as a place said to have been a village of rest and treatment using naturally welling hot spring water back when the provincial capital of Iyo stood here. In the hot spring data of the Japan Spa Association it is classified as a radioactive spring, and the Imabari City tourism guide describes it as a hypotonic, weakly alkaline cold mineral spring containing radon.

"Hot Spring Shiitake," Raised on Hot Spring Water

A specialty very much of Yunoura is "hot spring shiitake." Shiki-no-Yu Beer Kobo began growing it jointly with the "Morning Bath Club" formed by its regular customers. Logs inoculated with shiitake spawn are set into an open-air bath filled with hot spring water to encourage the activity of the fungus, and are then moved to a dedicated greenhouse where they are showered with hot spring water as they grow. The logs can be seen from the bathing area, and in season the shop sells fresh and dried shiitake. There is also a shiitake owner system, and at the twice-yearly "Shiitake Festival" you can pick your own and enjoy a barbecue. Inside the building, pizza is baked in a stone oven that is fired every day, and this hot spring shiitake is used as a topping. If you reserve before your bath, you can pick up a freshly baked one after you get out.

Two Day-Use Facilities with Different Characters

There are two options for a day visit. One is the privately run "Shiki-no-Yu Beer Kobo," which has an open-air bath and sauna, a restaurant and an adjoining campground, and where you can bathe from 6 in the morning on weekends and holidays. The other is Imabari City's multipurpose hot spring health resort hall "Kur House Imabari," a health-promotion facility with a pool, training gym and studio. However, the bathing-suit "Bade Zone" is suspended, and the focus now is on the fourth-floor tubs entered unclothed (indoor bath, open-air bath and dry sauna) and the pool zone. If you want a good long soak, choose Shiki-no-Yu; if you want to combine exercise or swimming, choose Kur House. The location pairs easily with cycling the Shimanami Kaido and sightseeing toward the Kurushima Strait.

Highlights

The water is a weakly alkaline cold mineral spring that warms the body gently. Day-use facilities cluster here, centered on Kur House Imabari, a multipurpose spa resort with pools and baths, along with distinctive options such as Shiki-no-Yu Beer Kobo, a day-use bathhouse paired with a craft-beer brewery.

Enjoying the Seasons

Imabari is blessed with the seafood of the Seto Inland Sea, and the fresh catch savored after a bath is superb. In summer it makes a fine base for cycling the Shimanami Kaido.

Access and Basic Information

It is about 1 minute by car from the Imabari-Yunoura interchange to Shiki-no-Yu Beer Kobo, and about 3 minutes from the same interchange toward Saijo for Kur House Imabari. From central Imabari it is about 20 minutes by car. By bus, get off at "Yunoura Onsen Iriguchi" and walk about 10 minutes. Day-use fees and hours differ by facility, so checking each one's information before your visit is wise.

Practical Travel Notes

If you want to spend a day among varied pools and baths, choose Kur House Imabari; if you want a craft beer after your soak, choose Shiki-no-Yu Beer Kobo, picking the facility to suit your aim. Its location pairs easily with cycling the Shimanami Kaido or sightseeing toward the Kurushima Strait. After bathing, savoring Imabari yakitori or Seto Inland Sea seafood is a fine idea, making this a suburban bath where you can enjoy both hot springs and food.

A Quick Tip

Stopping by before or after a Shimanami Kaido journey is ideal. Let the radon-bearing water warm you through to round off the trip. At the bathhouse paired with a brewery, you can even enjoy a post-bath drink.

Practical Information

• Spring quality: Shiki-no-Yu Beer Kobo posts it as a hypotonic, weakly alkaline cold mineral spring. The Imabari City tourism guide describes it as a hypotonic, weakly alkaline cold mineral spring containing radon, and the hot spring data of the Japan Spa Association classifies it as a radioactive spring
• Indications: Nerve pain, muscle pain, joint pain, frozen shoulder, sensitivity to cold, recovery from fatigue, chronic digestive illness, hemorrhoids, bruises, sprains, hypertension, gout and health promotion (as posted at Shiki-no-Yu Beer Kobo)
• Bathing reception at Shiki-no-Yu Beer Kobo: Weekdays 10:00–22:45, weekends and holidays 6:00–22:45 (last admission 22:15 in both cases). Closed every Thursday
• Bathing fees at Shiki-no-Yu Beer Kobo: Adults (junior high school age and above) 600 yen, children (age 3 through elementary school) 300 yen, infants (ages 1 to 2) 150 yen, and 550 yen for those presenting a disability certificate
• Soap, shampoo and towels: Shiki-no-Yu Beer Kobo does not provide them. Please bring your own or buy them on site
• Open-air bath and sauna: Shiki-no-Yu Beer Kobo is fully equipped with an open-air bath and a sauna
• Sets with a meal: The "Manpuku Pack" of a bath and a meal is 1,500 yen, and the weekend-only "Morning Bath Pack" (7 to 10 a.m.) is 1,300 yen. For groups of five or more, a plan with a meal and bathing that includes private use of a room for three hours is 2,000 yen per person
• Restaurant: 11:00–20:30 (last orders 20:00). On weekends and holidays, breakfast is served 7:00–10:00, and from 14:00 to 17:00 light meals only
• Kur House Imabari hours: 10:00–21:30, closed every Tuesday (open when Tuesday is a public holiday). There are also closures for facility inspection in May and November
• Kur House Imabari fees: Revised from October 1, 2025 (Reiwa 7) under an amendment to the Imabari City ordinance — adults (high school age and above) 780 yen, those aged 65 and over 560 yen, children (elementary and junior high school students) 450 yen, and young children (age 3 and over) 280 yen. On Saturdays except in July and August, "Kur House Day" rates apply: 560 yen for high school age and above, 450 yen for those 65 and over, 340 yen for elementary and junior high school students and 230 yen for young children
• Kur House Imabari facilities: The 3rd floor has the pool zone (children's pool, adult pool and an aqua slider), a studio and a training gym. The 4th floor has an indoor bath, open-air bath and dry sauna along with a free space where you may bring your own food and drink, and the 5th floor has a tatami relaxation room. The bathing-suit Bade Zone is suspended
• Campground: At the Yunoura Campground adjoining Shiki-no-Yu Beer Kobo, bringing your own tent is 2,500 yen per tent (including one hot spring bathing ticket) plus a management fee of 500 yen per person. Reservations are required at least three days in advance, and there is free parking. Check-in is at 1 p.m. and check-out at 11 a.m. the next day
• Parking: Shiki-no-Yu Beer Kobo has free parking
• Access (by car): About 1 minute from the Imabari-Yunoura IC to Shiki-no-Yu Beer Kobo, and about 3 minutes from the same interchange toward Saijo for Kur House Imabari. About 20 minutes by car from central Imabari
• Access (by bus): Get off at "Yunoura Onsen Iriguchi" and walk about 10 minutes
• Address: Shiki-no-Yu Beer Kobo = 26 Yunoura, Imabari City, Ehime Prefecture (telephone 0898-48-0300) / Kur House Imabari = 36 Yunoura, Imabari City, Ehime Prefecture (telephone 0898-47-0606)

Sources of Information

The business hours, closing days, bathing fees, spring quality and benefits of Shiki-no-Yu Beer Kobo, the fact that soap and towels are not provided, the method of growing the hot spring shiitake, and the meal plans and campground fees were confirmed in the facility guide, menu and access sections of that facility's official website. The business hours, closing days, revised fees, the composition of each floor and the suspension of the Bade Zone at Kur House Imabari are from the "Hours and Fees" and "Facility Guide" pages of the Kur House Imabari official website and the posted fee revision table. The date of designation as a National Health Resort Hot Spring is from the Ministry of the Environment's list of National Health Resort Hot Springs, the classification of the spring quality is from the hot spring data of the Japan Spa Association, and the description of the radon-bearing water and the walking time from the bus stop were confirmed in the Imabari City tourist spot guide. As these may change, please check official information before setting out.

Practical Information for Your Visit

• Spring quality: Shiki no Yu Beer Kobo describes it as a hypotonic, weakly alkaline cold mineral spring. Imabari City's tourism guide calls it a hypotonic, weakly alkaline cold mineral spring containing radon, while the hot spring resort data of the Japan Spa Association classifies it as a radioactive spring
• Indications: Neuralgia, muscle pain, joint pain, frozen shoulder, sensitivity to cold, recovery from fatigue, chronic digestive complaints, haemorrhoids, bruises, sprains, hypertension, gout and general health promotion (as posted at Shiki no Yu Beer Kobo)
• Bathing reception at Shiki no Yu Beer Kobo: 10:00 to 22:45 on weekdays and 6:00 to 22:45 on weekends and public holidays (last admission 22:15 in both cases). Closed every Thursday
• Bathing fees at Shiki no Yu Beer Kobo: Adults (junior high school age and above) 600 yen, children (age 3 through elementary school) 300 yen, toddlers (age 1 to 2) 150 yen, and 550 yen for visitors presenting a disability certificate
• Soap, shampoo and towels: Shiki no Yu Beer Kobo does not provide them. Bring your own or buy them on site
• Open-air bath and sauna: Shiki no Yu Beer Kobo is fully equipped with an open-air bath and a sauna
• Bath-and-meal sets: The "Manpuku Pack" of bathing plus a meal is 1,500 yen, and the weekend-only "Morning Bath Pack" (7:00 to 10:00) is 1,300 yen. For parties of 5 or more, a plan with a meal and bathing plus private use of a room for 3 hours is 2,000 yen per person
• Restaurant: 11:00 to 20:30 (last orders 20:00). On weekends and public holidays, breakfast is served 7:00 to 10:00, and only light meals are available 14:00 to 17:00
• Kurhaus Imabari opening hours: 10:00 to 21:30, closed every Tuesday (open when Tuesday falls on a public holiday). There are also closures for facility inspections in May and November
• Kurhaus Imabari fees: Revised from 1 October 2025 under an amendment to Imabari City's ordinances: adults (high school age and above) 780 yen, those aged 65 and over 560 yen, children (elementary and junior high school students) 450 yen, and young children (age 3 and over) 280 yen. Saturdays except in July and August are "Kurhaus Day," when it is 560 yen for high school age and above, 450 yen for those aged 65 and over, 340 yen for elementary and junior high school students and 230 yen for young children
• Kurhaus Imabari facilities: The third floor has a pool zone (children's pool, adult pool and an aqua slider), a studio and a training gym. The fourth floor has indoor and open-air baths, a dry sauna and a free space where you may bring your own food and drink, and the fifth floor has a tatami relaxation room. The bathing-suit "Bade" zone is currently suspended
• Campsite: The Yunoura Campsite next to Shiki no Yu Beer Kobo charges 2,500 yen per tent brought in (including one hot spring bathing ticket) plus a management fee of 500 yen per person. Reservations are required at least 3 days in advance, and free parking is available. Check-in is 13:00 and check-out 11:00 the next day
• Parking: Shiki no Yu Beer Kobo has free parking
• Access (car): About 1 minute from the Imabari-Yunoura IC to Shiki no Yu Beer Kobo, and about 3 minutes from the same interchange towards Saijo for Kurhaus Imabari. About 20 minutes by car from central Imabari
• Access (bus): Get off at Yunoura-Onsen-Iriguchi and walk about 10 minutes
• Location: Shiki no Yu Beer Kobo = 26 Yunoura, Imabari City, Ehime Prefecture (tel. 0898-48-0300) / Kurhaus Imabari = 36 Yunoura, Imabari City, Ehime Prefecture (tel. 0898-47-0606)

Information Sources

Shiki no Yu Beer Kobo's opening hours, closing day, bathing fees, spring quality and benefits, the fact that soap and towels are not provided, the cultivation method for the hot-spring shiitake, and the meal plans and campsite fees were confirmed in the facility guide, menu and access sections of the venue's official website. Kurhaus Imabari's opening hours, closing days, revised fees, the layout of each floor and the suspension of the Bade zone come from the "Opening Hours and Fees" and "Facility Guide" pages of the official Kurhaus Imabari website and from the posted fee revision table. The designation date as a National Health Resort Hot Spring comes from the Ministry of the Environment's list of National Health Resort Hot Springs, the classification of the spring quality as a hot spring resort from the Japan Spa Association's resort data, and the description of the radon-bearing water and the walking time from the bus stop from Imabari City's tourist spot guide. Details are subject to change, so please check the official information before you set out.