Dake Onsen: Day-Use Hot Spring Baths & Prices

Dake Onsen is a highland hot spring village spread out at the eastern foot of Mount Adatara, one of Japan's 100 Famous Mountains, in Nihonmatsu City, Fukushima Prefecture. From a source that rises around 1,500 m up Mount Adatara, the water is carried some eight kilometers along wooden flumes (yudoi) that run down the mountainside — one of the longest piped-water systems in the whole country. This acidic spring, rare nationwide, is delivered to every corner of the town.

Highlights

Running through the center of the hot spring town is "Himalaya Odori." Also the approach to the hot spring shrine, this street is lined with inns and souvenir shops of good old-fashioned appearance. The street rises gently toward the sky, and on clear days the ridgeline of Adatara appears straight ahead. It was the sky over this mountain that the poet Kotaro Takamura called "the real sky" in "Chieko-sho."

In the town there are Kagamigaike Park and Midorigaike Park, and in good weather Mount Adatara can be seen from here too. On the "Milky Day" described below, Midorigaike turns a vivid emerald green, making for a dreamlike scene.

The Eight-Kilometer Flume and the Work of the Yumori

From the source to the hot spring town, the water takes about 40 minutes to flow down. Because it is naturally agitated inside the long pipe, the water arrives soft on the skin despite being an acidic spring, and that is the pride of Dake Onsen.

The people who support this piped supply are called "yumori." They are entrusted with everything relating to the source and the piped water: work at the source around 1,500 m elevation, maintenance of the flume pipes, and even upkeep of the mountain trails. Work in winter, when there is heavy snow, is said to be especially harsh and dangerous.

On days when the yumori carry out "yunohana-nagashi," washing away the mineral deposits that cling to the flume, the normally clear water turns milky white. This is "Milky Day." It happens roughly once a week in summer and once every two weeks in winter, but as it depends on natural conditions the dates are announced on the Dake Onsen Tourism Association's official social media.

Three Disasters, and Rebuilding Each Time

The name of Dake Onsen is old. The hot spring recorded in the "Nihon Sandai Jitsuroku" under the entry for the 20th day of the 10th month of Jogan 5 (863), "conferring the Junior Fifth Rank on Komusubi Onsen," and in the "Nihon Kiryaku" under the entry for the 7th day of the 9th month of Kanpyo 9 (897), "conferring the Senior Fifth Rank Lower on Komusubi Onsen," is held to be Dake Onsen. Its name changed over time from Yuhi to Jumonji, then Fukabori, and finally Dake.

In the Edo period, the Nihonmatsu domain developed a hot spring town at the 1,500 m point of Mount Adatara and placed a checkpoint and a lord's villa there. However, prolonged rain and a typhoon caused part of Tetsuzan to collapse, and a debris flow swallowed the hot spring town in an instant. The domain rebuilt "Jumonji Dake Onsen" on a plain about six kilometers lower down. To keep the water hot, they abandoned clay pipes in favor of flumes made of hollowed-out red pine — a huge undertaking costing about 5,000 ryo, completed in the July after the landslide. In the "Shokoku Onsen Konokagami" of Kaei 5 (1852), it was ranked first in Tohoku as "Dake Onsen of Mutsu."

However, in the Boshin War of Keio 4 (the first year of Meiji), the hot spring town was burned down by retainers of the Nihonmatsu domain who feared it would become a base for the western army. It was rebuilt yet again as Fukabori Onsen in Meiji 3 (1870), only to be wiped out a third time on October 20, Meiji 36 (1903), by a fire that broke out at an inn. Seventeen volunteers invested 7,600 yen to found a company, obtained the transfer of national forest land, ran a road through the center, and arranged inns and shops on both sides along with two public bathhouses, creating the prototype of today's town. After later financial difficulties, the piped supply was overhauled by rejoining more than 4,000 flume sections, and in 1955 it was designated one of seven National Health Resort Hot Springs across the country. The unique venture of declaring the independence of the "Nikoniko Republic" in 1982 also leaves traces around the town.

Enjoying the Seasons

Spring offers cherry blossoms and fresh greenery, while autumn brings the foliage of Mount Adatara. In winter a ski resort is close, and a drink after the bath goes straight to the bones. Mount Adatara is an active volcano, beloved by hikers throughout the year.

Practical Information

• Spring quality and indications: simple acidic hot spring (hypotonic, acidic, high-temperature spring); the posted spring name is acidic spring. The indications specific to this spring quality are atopic dermatitis, psoriasis vulgaris, impaired glucose tolerance (diabetes) and epidermal suppuration. General indications listed include chronic pain and stiffness in muscles and joints, sensitivity to cold and fatigue recovery
• Contraindications: the contraindications specific to this spring quality are people with sensitive skin or mucous membranes, and dry skin in the elderly. Because acidic springs are strongly stimulating, people with delicate skin are advised to rinse off the mineral content with warm water after bathing
• Source temperature and pH: the source is named "Motoyu" (a blend of five sources). The hot spring analysis of 2019 gives a spring temperature of 54.5 degrees and a pH of 2.50. It rises naturally
• Handling of the water: many day-use facilities in the hot spring town advertise free-flowing source water, and the water arrives having been agitated during its eight-kilometer journey
• Day-use bathing (Dake no Yu): 10:00 to 19:30 (last admission 19:00), closed Tuesdays. Adults 400 yen, children 150 yen. Look for the large "yu" noren curtain; it also offers no-meal lodging
• Other day-use facilities: Yuhi no Sato Azumakan is open 12:00 to 20:00 (last reception 19:30; from 15:00 on Wednesdays; 12:00 to 16:00 on Saturdays and the day before a holiday), adults 1,000 yen. Nagame no Yakata Koun-kaku is open 11:00 to 15:00, adults 900 yen. Sora no Niwa Resort is open 10:30 to 15:00 (last reception 14:00), adults 800 yen. mt.inn is open 7:00 to 21:00 (from 15:00 on Thursdays), adults 700 yen. Skypia Adatara is open 10:00 to 20:00 (last reception 19:30), closed the first Wednesday, adults 800 yen
• Open-air baths: Koun-kaku, Ogiya, Azumakan, Hanakanzashi, Sora no Niwa Resort and Adatarayama Okudake no Yu have open-air baths. Saunas are found at Koun-kaku, Azumakan and Skypia Adatara
• Access: from "Nihonmatsu Eki Iriguchi" at JR Nihonmatsu Station, the Fukushima Kotsu Dake Line bus takes 25 to 28 minutes to "Dake Onsen," fare 500 yen. By car, from Nihonmatsu IC on the Tohoku Expressway. The tourism association also recommends the route of exiting at Motomiya IC and heading over while looking at the Adatara ridgeline
• Time to allow and crowds: about an hour for a bath only. The hot spring town is flat and easy to walk, so allowing half a day if you combine it with a stroll gives peace of mind
• Payment: the public bathhouses charge only a few hundred yen, so having cash ready is the sure approach
• Combined with the mountain: the ropeway at Adatara Kogen Resort runs from 8:30 to 16:30 and takes about 10 minutes to Yakushidake at 1,350 m elevation. The attached "Adatarayama Okudake no Yu" is open 10:00 to 19:00 (until 18:00 from November 6), adults 800 yen and children 500 yen
• Address: Dake Onsen, Nihonmatsu City, Fukushima Prefecture 964-0074 (the Dake Onsen Tourism Association is at Dake Onsen 1-16, telephone 0243-24-2310)

A Quick Tip

The acidic water leaves a crisp, refreshed feeling. The best times are early summer in the hiking season and autumn foliage from late September to mid-October. Riding the ropeway partway up Mount Adatara makes for a route walkable even by beginners, and a popular combination is washing off the sweat in the acidic spring after a hike. The town is flat and easy to walk, so you can enjoy sampling food as you stroll. Mountain weather changes fast, so do not forget a jacket.

📚 Sources

The spring quality name, source temperature, pH, indications and contraindications were confirmed from the hot spring analysis (No. 909, September 24, 2019, Fukushima Prefecture Pharmaceutical Association) published on the Dake Onsen Tourism Association's official site. The eight-kilometer piped supply and the yumori, the explanation of Milky Day, and the history from Jogan 5 to the 1955 designation as a National Health Resort Hot Spring come from the same association's "Spring Quality and Effects of Dake Onsen" and "About Dake Onsen" pages. The hours, fees and closing days of Dake no Yu and the other day-use facilities come from the same association's "Day-use Hot Springs" page, information on nearby facilities from the "Nearby Spots" page, and the bus journey time and fare were confirmed with Fukushima Kotsu's official search. Fees, business hours and closing days are subject to change, so please check official sources before visiting.