Futamata Onsen: Day-Use Hot Spring Baths & Prices

In Tenei Village, deep in the Aizu mountains, Futamata Onsen is a quiet secluded spring where a few inns stand along the clear Futamata River. Set at the foot of Mount Futamata, it has long been loved by healing-bath guests as a mountain spring far from the everyday world. Known also as a setting in the work of the artist Yoshiharu Tsuge, it draws fans in search of stillness.

Highlights

The natural rock bath, where water wells up straight from the riverbed, is a wild and distinctive feature found only here. The water is a sulfate spring, and bathing to the murmur of the stream, amid the hush of deep forest, gently unwinds the heart. With only a handful of inns, the stay is all the more unhurried.

Enjoying the Seasons

The gorge is exceptional in fresh green and autumn foliage, when the whole mountain turns to brocade. Known also as a trailhead for Mount Futamata, it lets you take in nature to the full. Winters are deeply snowy, so it is wise to check road conditions before visiting.

Access and Basic Information

About an hour and a half by car from Shin-Shirakawa Station. It lies further along a mountain road beyond central Tenei Village, and because of its deep-mountain setting, driving is more convenient than public transport. Some inns offer a pickup service, so it is reassuring to confirm when booking.

Practical Travel Notes

The best times are early summer in fresh green and autumn foliage in October. As the route runs on mountain roads, watch for snow and ice in winter and plan without strain. Some inns have poor mobile reception, so it helps to sort out maps and contacts in advance. The surroundings are all about nature, making this suited to a stay that savors the quiet itself. Costs center on overnight stays, varying by the class of inn.

A Quick Tip

Some deep-mountain inns have poor mobile reception, making this perfect for a trip to leave the everyday behind and steep in the quiet. In preparation for driving mountain roads, top up on fuel and check your tires early.

Practical Information for Your Visit

• Spring quality: The hot spring resort as a whole has sulphate springs. Daimaru Asunaro-so has a calcium sulphate spring, while Yugoya Ryokan has an alkaline sulphate spring rich in sodium and calcium
• Indications: According to the guide by the Fukushima Prefecture Tourism and Local Products Association, these include rheumatism, gastrointestinal complaints and skin conditions
• Use of the water: Daimaru Asunaro-so uses free-flowing water straight from the source, although some baths are heated in winter
• Source temperature and flow rate: At Daimaru Asunaro-so the source ranges from 42 to 62 degrees, flowing at 240 litres per minute
• Day-use bathing (Daimaru Asunaro-so): Reception 11:00-14:30 / 1,000 yen for adults, 700 yen for children and 500 yen for infants (all including tax)
• Watch out for day-use closures: Daimaru Asunaro-so sets day-use closure days each month, and on top of that there are weekdays when the baths cannot be used because they are being cleaned. Bathing may also be suspended when a typhoon or heavy rain makes the source water cloudy, so the surest approach is to phone (0248-84-2311) before you set out to check whether bathing is possible that day
• Day-use bathing (Yugoya Ryokan): Weekends and public holidays only. 10:00-15:00 in winter and 10:00-16:00 in summer. Reservations are not accepted, and as the bath is reserved privately for 1 hour per group, you may have to wait if someone is already using it
• The baths: Daimaru Asunaro-so has both indoor and open-air baths, and the naturally gushing rock bath operates on a time-slot basis (women only from 6:00 to 8:00 in the morning)
• Lunch and rest facilities: Daimaru Asunaro-so does not offer lunch or the use of a room for a rest to day visitors
• Access (by car): About 60 minutes from Shirakawa IC on the Tohoku Expressway, heading towards Lake Hatori on the Shirakawa-Hatori prefectural road and then via National Route 118. From the Sendai direction it is about 80 minutes from Sukagawa IC via National Route 118
• Access (public transport): The shared "Yuttari Yacon-go" bus links the east exit of Shin-Shirakawa Station on the Tohoku Shinkansen with Daimaru Asunaro-so, departing the east exit of Shin-Shirakawa Station at 13:00 on the outward run and the inn at 11:00 on the return. It takes about 90 minutes, runs only 1 service a day, costs 900 yen one way (including tax) and requires a reservation. If you wish to use it, you must telephone the inn
• Terrain and climate: The resort lies in a mountain gorge at an elevation of 800 metres, and the road to the inns climbs a mountain road along the river. There is snow in winter, so fit winter tyres if you are driving
• Addresses: Daimaru Asunaro-so, 5 Futamata, Yumoto, Tenei Village, Iwase District, Fukushima Prefecture (tel: 0248-84-2311); Yugoya Ryokan, 22-7 Shimofutamata, Yumoto, in the same village (tel: 0248-84-2210)
• Enquiries: Tenei Village Tourism Association, 0248-82-2117
• How long to allow: About an hour and a half if you are only bathing; half a day if you also walk the gorge or drive around the surrounding area

Information Sources

The day-use bathing reception hours, prices and closure arrangements at Daimaru Asunaro-so, its baths, access by car and by shared bus, and its address and telephone number are based on the inn's official website (its hot spring and access pages). The spring quality, source temperature, flow rate and use of the water are based on the inn's listing on the official website of the Association to Protect Japan's Secluded Hot Springs. The fact that all 6 sources flow freely without recirculation, and the day-use bathing, spring quality and connection with the works of Yoshiharu Tsuge at Yugoya Ryokan, are based on the Tenei Village tourism portal site "Tenei Trip." The resort's elevation, history, indications and contact details are based on the introductory page of "Fukushima no Tabi," the tourism website of the Fukushima Prefecture Tourism and Local Products Association. Details are subject to change, so please check the official information before you set out.