Higashiyama Onsen: Hot Spring Guide, Prices & Access

East of Aizuwakamatsu, spread through the gorge of the Yu River, Higashiyama Onsen is the mountain retreat of Aizu, close to Tsuruga Castle. It is said to have been opened in the late eighth century by the monk Gyoki, and is linked to the Byakkotai and the Shinsengumi.

Highlights

Inns large and small stand on stone terraces along the stream, and lamplight reflected on the water deepens the mood after dark. More than twenty inns line the town, and the characterful bathing halls of the long-established houses still convey the culture of Aizu. The water is a sulfate spring (calcium-sodium sulfate-chloride), with an abundant yield of about 1,500 liters per minute. Because the source runs hot, the baths have long been prized for warming the body to the core.

Enjoying the Seasons

The gorge is exceptional in fresh green and autumn foliage, when the surrounding mountains turn red and gold. In winter, an open-air bath amid falling snow offers the quiet so typical of Aizu. Each year from around August 13, a week-long Higashiyama Bon dance fills the town on summer evenings.

Access and Basic Information

About fifteen minutes by loop bus from Aizuwakamatsu Station. It lies about three kilometers southeast of Tsuruga Castle, making it easy to combine with city sights such as the castle and Mount Iimori. Many inns accept day-trip bathers, with fees ranging roughly from a few hundred yen to the low thousands depending on the facility. A one-day loop-bus pass is handy for touring the castle, Mount Iimori, and the samurai residences together.

Practical Travel Notes

The best times are fresh green in May and June and autumn foliage from late October to early November. For day-trip bathing, mornings and early evenings tend to be less crowded. Pairing the visit with a stroll through the city, taking in Tsuruga Castle or the Nanukamachi shopping street, makes an easy half-day to full-day plan. When staying overnight, a room facing the gorge lets you savor the river and mountain views. Budget from a few hundred yen for a day bath, while overnight rates vary widely by the class of inn.

A Quick Tip

While strolling, look into a shop selling Aizu painted candles for a lovely keepsake of your trip. The town has many slopes and stone steps, so comfortable walking shoes are recommended.

Practical Information for Your Visit

• Spring quality: a sulfate spring (calcium and sodium sulfate and chloride spring). The water feels light and smooth on the skin
• Source temperature: 50-60 degrees
• Flow rate: about 1,500 liters per minute
• Benefits: rheumatic conditions, disorders of the motor organs, chronic skin conditions, wounds, chronic gynecological conditions, menopausal disorders, arteriosclerosis, high blood pressure, gout and hyperuricemia, and more
• Before you go for a day-trip bath: the tourism association advises calling each inn in advance, because day-trip bathing hours differ from day to day and can be suspended without notice
• Onyado Toho: 13:30-16:00 (last admission 15:00), 1,400 yen for adults and 700 yen for children (1,800 yen for adults and 1,000 yen for children on weekends and public holidays). The inn stands on high ground at an elevation of about 300 meters and has two large open-air baths, Sora no Yu and Tanagumo no Yu, looking out over the mountains that run from the Aizu Basin toward Echigo
• Ooedo Onsen Monogatari Higashiyama Grand Hotel: 7:00-10:00 and 15:00-24:00 (last admission 22:00), 1,000 yen for adults and 500 yen for children (1,250 yen for adults and 600 yen for children on weekends and public holidays). The wide window from morning to night makes it easy to fit into your schedule
• Harataki: 13:00-20:00, 1,080 yen for adults and 540 yen for children (please enquire for days before holidays and on holidays)
• Shosuke no Yado Takinoyu: Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays only, 13:00-15:00, 1,200 yen for adults and 600 yen for children
• Irori no Yado Ashina: 18:00-20:30, 1,000 yen for adults. Private baths start at 2,200 yen per person and require a reservation
• Hotel Fushimiso: 16:00-20:00, 700 yen for adults and 400 yen for children
• Nikou Ryokan: 700 yen for adults, free for children. Please enquire about hours
• Differences in how the water is used: the method differs from inn to inn. At Mukaitaki every tub is completely free-flowing, with no added water, no reheating and no recirculation. Onyado Toho, on the other hand, states that it combines free-flowing and recirculating systems, that in the recirculating system it reheats and adds water to adjust the temperature and the like, and that it carries out regular hygiene testing
• Tattoos: Onyado Toho does not allow people with tattoos or traditional Japanese irezumi to use or enter the facility. Policies differ from inn to inn, so checking in advance is the sure approach
• Facilities (Onyado Toho): Sora no Yu has a mist sauna and Tanagumo no Yu a dry sauna. The women's powder room is stocked with hairdryers and basic skincare products, and you can relax afterwards in the post-bath lounge Sesenagi
• Getting there (by bus): about 35-40 minutes from Aizu-Wakamatsu Station to the Higashiyama Onsen Eki bus stop on the Haikara-san city loop bus. It runs from 8:00 to 17:30 at 30-minute intervals, and a single ride costs 210 yen for adults and 110 yen for children. A one-day free pass costs 600 yen for adults and 300 yen for children, which is good value if you are visiting Tsurugajo Castle and Mount Iimoriyama on the same trip. The Akabe bus, which runs the loop in the opposite direction, operates from 9:15 to 16:15 and is fitted with an auxiliary step
• Getting there (by car or taxi): about 10 minutes by car from central Aizu-Wakamatsu City, or 10-15 minutes by taxi from Aizu-Wakamatsu Station
• Footing: in this hot spring town the inns are built in terraces along the gorge of the Yukawa River, and there are many slopes and stone steps. Comfortable walking shoes are reassuring
• A summer highlight: in 2026 the Aizu Higashiyama Bon Odori runs from Friday, July 31 to Sunday, August 2, from 19:00 to 21:15. A tower is built over the Yukawa River and, with about 1,000 lanterns lit, people dance to the song Aizu Bandaisan and its accompanying music. The landladies of the inns and the local geisha lead the way, so it is easy to join the circle even as a first-timer. It is said to have begun for the sake of children evacuated to the inns of Higashiyama during the war
• Time needed: about an hour if you only take a bath. Half a day to a full day if combined with sightseeing in Aizu-Wakamatsu
• Location: Yumoto, Higashiyama-machi, Aizu-Wakamatsu City, Fukushima, and the surrounding area (Aizu Higashiyama Onsen Tourism Association: 110 Takinoyu, Yumoto, Higashiyama-machi, Aizu-Wakamatsu City)

📚 Sources

The spring quality, source temperature, flow rate and benefits, the legend of the spring's discovery and its history as a therapeutic bathing place of the Aizu domain, and the legends of Amabuchi and Fushimigataki come from the History of Higashiyama Onsen page on the official website of the Aizu Higashiyama Onsen Tourism Association. The day-trip bathing hours and prices at each inn and the note advising a phone call in advance come from the Inns Offering Day-Trip Bathing page on the same site, and the times and fares of the loop bus from its Transport and Access page. The spring quality, water management, tattoo policy and bathing facilities at Onyado Toho come from the hot spring page of that hotel's official website, while Mukaitaki's founding year, the date of its registration as a Nationally Registered Tangible Cultural Property and its completely free-flowing water were confirmed on Mukaitaki's official website. The dates, times and content of the 2026 Aizu Higashiyama Bon Odori come from the event information on Aizu-Wakamatsu Tourism Navi. Details are subject to change, so please check the official information before you set out.