Tsuruga Tunnel Onsen: Day-Use Hot Spring Baths & Prices

True to its name, Tsuruga Tunnel Onsen has the unusual origin of having sprung forth during tunnel excavation work. The source welled up around 1960 during construction of the Hokuriku Tunnel, and it is cherished as a soft simple sulfur spring, its appeal being open bathing that looks down over the town from a hilltop facility.

Highlights

Making the most of its hilltop setting, the large bath offers a sweeping view of the Tsuruga townscape and its port-town scenery. At night the city lights spread out, adding atmosphere to the bathing. The soft touch on the skin unique to a sulfur spring and the alkaline water envelop the body.

Enjoying the Seasons

As a port town, Tsuruga is rich in seafood throughout the year, and in winter the flavors of the Sea of Japan become a pleasure after the bath. In summer it is also nice to visit together with the liveliness of the harbor. The view of the town, changing its expression with each season, is another highlight.

Access and Basic Information

It is only a few minutes by car from JR Tsuruga Station, giving good access from the station. It is also close to the Tsuruga Interchange on the Hokuriku Expressway, making it easy to stop by during a journey. The water is a simple sulfur spring of alkaline quality. If day-use bathing is your aim, since operating status can vary by facility, advance confirmation is reassuring.

Practical Travel Notes

The recommendation is a visit around sunset, when you can enjoy the view over the town shifting from day into night. Tsuruga is rich in seafood, and winter, when Echizen crab opens for the season, is especially full of flavor. Nearby are sights such as Kehi Jingu shrine, Tsuruga Port, and museums conveying the history of railways and the harbor, so in half a day to a full day you can combine a port-town stroll with the hot spring. Budget for day-use bathing is roughly a few hundred to over a thousand yen. To avoid crowds, weekdays are more relaxed.

A Quick Tip

Since the view over the city is its pride, visiting around dusk to enjoy the shift from day to night scenery is recommended. Soaking slowly in the soft simple sulfur spring, you can pleasantly round off a day in the port town of Tsuruga.

Practical Information for Your Visit

• Where you can use the hot spring: Tsuruga Tunnel Onsen Hokkoku Grand Hotel (the spring's single inn)
• Spring quality: Simple spring. The baths are named Tsurutsuru no Yu for men and Subesube no Yu for women
• Reputed benefits: Neuralgia, chronic skin conditions, chronic gynaecological complaints, diabetes, neuritis and rheumatism
• Temperature at the wellhead: 25.2 degrees C. The hotel states officially that, because this is low, the water is heated before use
• Baths: Indoor baths, 1 for men and 1 for women (large baths with a view). There are no open-air baths, saunas or mixed-gender baths
• Day-use bathing hours: 7:00-10:00 and 13:00-21:00 (these may shift slightly to allow for cleaning)
• Day-use bathing fee: 1,000 yen (tax included), 500 yen for elementary school age and below (tax included)
• When day-use bathing is unavailable: Day-use bathing is suspended on days when the hotel itself is closed, and also on days when it is hosting school trips. It is safest to phone and check before visiting
• Bathing hours for staying guests: 6:00-23:00 (these may shift slightly to allow for cleaning)
• Bathing tax: For overnight stays, an additional 150 yen per adult is payable
• Amenities: Guest rooms are equipped with a hand towel, bath towel, shampoo, conditioner, body soap, soap, toothbrush, yukata, razor, shower cap and comb
• Payment: JCB, VISA, Mastercard, AMEX, UC, NICOS, Saison, UFJ and debit cards can be used on site
• Parking: Free of charge. Staying guests may leave a car from the day before check-in and for up to one day after check-out
• Access (car): About 5 minutes from the Tsuruga IC on the Hokuriku Expressway. Turn left as you leave the interchange, turn left at the first set of traffic lights and follow the road
• Access (rail): About 10 minutes by car from JR Tsuruga Station. A shuttle service is available for staying guests (pick-up 14:30-17:00, drop-off twice, at 9:00 and 10:00, both requiring reservation). The shuttle bus does not carry child seats
• Road conditions in winter: The hotel notes that chain restrictions are frequent in winter and urges visitors to use studless tires or carry chains
• Address and telephone: 80-go 1-3 Naka, Tsuruga City, Fukui Prefecture / 0770-22-4551
• How long to allow: About 1 hour for a bath alone, or half a day if you combine it with sightseeing in central Tsuruga

Information Sources

The spring quality, reputed benefits, wellhead temperature and the fact that the water is heated, the make-up of the baths, the day-use bathing hours and fees, the amenities, whether credit cards can be used, the bathing tax, parking, access and the winter tire restrictions were taken from the hot spring page, facilities page, transport access page and frequently asked questions on the official website of Tsuruga Tunnel Onsen Hokkoku Grand Hotel. The conditions under which day-use bathing is suspended (hotel closing days and days with school trips) also come from the frequently asked questions on that site. The date, place, flow rate and temperature of the spring's discovery, and the story of how the hot spring district was developed and then declined, come from a series of articles in the Nikkan Kenmin Fukui (Chunichi Shimbun) marking the 60th anniversary of the opening of the Hokuriku Tunnel. Fees, opening hours and conditions of use are subject to change, so please check the official information before you set out.