Ashinomaki Onsen: Hot Spring Guide, Prices & Access

South of Aizuwakamatsu, overlooking the gorge of the Okawa (Aga) River, Ashinomaki Onsen is a spring set at the gateway to Aizu. Its opening is dated to about 1,200 years ago, with a legend crediting the monk Gyoki with its discovery. Large inns rise along the cliffs, offering baths with fine views over the ravine.

Highlights

The open-air baths that gaze over the gorge are the pride of the town, and bathing to the murmur of the river is exceptional. The water is mainly a chloride spring and simple spring, with a source temperature of about 60 degrees, warm enough that bathers stay warm long after. Ashinomaki Onsen Station on the Aizu Railway once drew many fans for its famous cat stationmaster.

Enjoying the Seasons

The gorge in fresh green and autumn foliage is the highlight, when the surrounding mountains glow with color. You can also enjoy the strange rock formations of nearby Tonohetsuri, as well as Ouchijuku, a post town that keeps the look of the Edo period.

Access and Basic Information

About twenty minutes from Aizuwakamatsu Station to Ashinomaki Onsen Station on the Aizu Railway. Note that the station lies about four kilometers from the spring town; each inn runs a shuttle, so it is best to confirm when booking. Some inns accept day-trip bathers, with fees ranging roughly from a few hundred yen to the low thousands.

Practical Travel Notes

The best times are early summer in fresh green and autumn foliage from late October to early November. Aizu Railway trains are infrequent, so checking the timetable in advance makes travel smoother. Tonohetsuri and Ouchijuku are reachable along the Aizu Railway line, and combining them with sights of southern Aizu makes an easy full-day plan. Choosing a room or open-air bath on the gorge side lets you savor the river and mountain scenery. Budget from a few hundred yen for a day bath, while overnight rates vary by inn.

A Quick Tip

Check the availability and timing of the shuttle with your inn in advance. Choosing a bath on the gorge side lets you savor the river and mountain scenery to the full.

Practical Information for Your Visit

• Spring quality: Okawaso has a calcium and sodium sulfate and chloride spring
• Source temperature: the source at Okawaso is 60-73 degrees
• How the water is used: Okawaso is free-flowing from the source, although water is added in some seasons
• Indications: the indications specific to this spring quality include arteriosclerosis, cuts, burns and chronic skin conditions. General indications include neuralgia, muscle pain, joint pain and sensitivity to cold
• Day-trip bathing (Okawaso): 11:00-15:00 (bathing reception until 14:00). 1,800 yen for adults (including tax and bathing tax) and 900 yen for children (ages 3-12). A face towel is included, and bath towels can be rented for 220 yen
• Note on the price revision: Okawaso's day-trip bathing fee was revised on October 1, 2025, following a 10-year, time-limited increase in Aizu-Wakamatsu City's hot spring bathing tax. Guidebooks and travel websites may still show the old prices
• Okawaso's closures: day-trip bathing is suspended on the inn's closing days and on the following day. Closing days are announced in the news list on the official website
• Private bath: Okawaso's Aerial Open-Air Bath can be reserved for private use at 3,300 yen (including tax) for 45 minutes
• Day-trip plans with a meal (Okawaso): the Nagomi Kaiseki plan, which includes a private dining room, costs 5,500 yen plus 350 yen bathing tax, and the Irodori Kaiseki plan 7,700 yen plus 350 yen bathing tax (both on Sundays only, for two people or more). There are also day plans with two meals and no overnight stay, letting you spend a whole day at a leisurely pace
• Other day-trip baths in the hot spring town: according to the Ashinomaki Onsen Tourism Association, Ashinomaki Grand Hotel is open 12:00-15:00 (980 yen for adults), Marumine 13:00-21:00 (1,500 yen for adults), Ashinomaki Prince Hotel 15:00-20:00 with last admission at 19:30 (700 yen for adults), Fudokan Kotani no Yu 15:00-17:00 on weekdays only (800 yen for adults) and the Ashinomaki Souvenir Center 9:00-18:00 (400 yen for adults). Bathing may be unavailable on cleaning days and the like, so check in advance
• Getting there (by bus): 45-50 minutes by local bus from Aizu-Wakamatsu Station to Ashinomaki Onsen, running all year round. The bus stop is Ashinomaki Onsen
• Getting there (by rail): about 7 minutes by taxi from Ashinomaki Onsen Station on the Aizu Railway. Okawaso is about 5 minutes from Ashinomaki Onsen Station by free shuttle bus, but you need to contact the inn in advance. Note that the free shuttle bus linking Aizu-Wakamatsu Station and Okawaso ended at the end of March 2025
• Seasonal bus: a sightseeing bus route linking Shirakawa Station and Aizu-Wakamatsu Station runs via Shimogo, Yunokami Onsen and Ashinomaki Onsen (weekends and public holidays from April 2 to November 23, no reservation required, about 3 hours 20 minutes for the full route)
• Getting there (by car): about 35 minutes from Aizu-Wakamatsu IC on the Ban-etsu Expressway
• Road conditions in winter: the route from the Tokyo direction via Shirakawa IC and National Route 289 (the Kashi Tunnel) crosses a mountain pass, so Okawaso recommends going via the Koriyama JCT during the snowy season
• Address: Okawaso, 984 Shimodaira, Ashinomaki, Oto-machi, Aizu-Wakamatsu City, Fukushima 969-5147 (telephone 0242-92-2111, reception 8:00-20:00)
• Enquiries: Ashinomaki Onsen Tourism Association, 0242-92-2336
• Time needed: 1-2 hours if you only take a bath. With a day plan including a meal you can use the whole 11:00-15:00 window

📚 Sources

Okawaso's spring quality, source temperature, water management, indications, the layout of its baths and the price of the private bath come from the hot spring page of the hotel's official website; the day-trip bathing hours, prices, suspension days and the content of the plans with meals come from the day plan page of the same site and its Notice of Revised Day-Trip Bathing Fees; and the shuttle bus, driving access and the recommended route during the snowy season come from the site's access page. The origin of the hot spring resort and the journey time from Aizu-Wakamatsu IC come from the hot spring introduction on Aizu-Wakamatsu Tourism Navi; the information on local and seasonal buses and the day-trip bathing hours and prices at other inns in the town come from the official website of the Aizu Ashinomaki Onsen Tourism Association; and the name and working hours of the cat stationmaster, the station counter hours and the notice about photography being prohibited come from the official website of the Society to Protect Ashinomaki Onsen Station. Details are subject to change, so please check the official information before you set out.