Iizaka Onsen: Day-Use Hot Spring Baths & Prices

North of Fukushima City, Iizaka Onsen is one of the venerable hot springs counted among the Three Famous Springs of Oshu, alongside Naruko and Akiu. Inns line the valley of the Surikami River, and steam drifts up from the narrow lanes throughout the town. The stars of this hot spring are the eight public bathhouses dotted around the streets. Every one of them is free-flowing from the source, and every one is filled with distinctly hot water. Being able to hop from bath to bath as you walk the town, without staying at an inn, is the way to enjoy Iizaka.

Highlights

Eight public bathhouses, led by the Sabakoyu, are scattered across the town, and hopping from one to the next is the classic way to enjoy the area. The wooden Sabakoyu is a beautiful building, and its hot waters ease the fatigue of travel. Entry to the public baths is affordable, 400 yen for adults (500 yen at the Hakoyu), making it easy to tour them.

Hopping Between the Eight Public Bathhouses

Iizaka Onsen's public bathhouses number eight: Sabakoyu, Hakoyu, Dosen-no-yu, Senki-no-yu, Hachiman-no-yu, Daimon-no-yu, Totsunayu, and Tennoji Anabarayu. The standard bathing fee is 400 yen for adults and 200 yen for children, with only Hakoyu charging 500 yen for adults and 250 yen for children. There are also coupon books of ten tickets, which come cheaper at 2,500 yen for adults and 1,200 yen for children.

What deserves attention is the opening hours. Sabakoyu, Dosen-no-yu, and Hakoyu are open straight through from 6:00 to 21:00, but Daimon-no-yu, Hachiman-no-yu, Senki-no-yu, and Tennoji Anabarayu alternate between "morning, 6:00–13:00" and "afternoon, 13:00–21:00" depending on the day of the week. Closing days also differ from bath to bath: Sabakoyu closes on Mondays, Hakoyu and Hachiman-no-yu on Tuesdays, Tennoji Anabarayu on Wednesdays, Senki-no-yu and Daimon-no-yu on Thursdays, and Dosen-no-yu and Totsunayu on Fridays. If you intend to visit several, you will come up empty-handed unless you work out the day and time in advance.

Because all of them are free-flowing from the source, the water is hot, and the rule is that when it is too hot you add water from the hose provided to adjust the temperature. Three of them — Hakoyu, Dosen-no-yu, and Senki-no-yu — have both a hot tub and a lukewarm one.

The Building Called Sabakoyu

The oldest of the eight is Sabakoyu. The name "Sabako" is said to derive from a poem by the priest Saigyo, and the bath has long been regarded as the symbol of Iizaka Onsen's public bathhouses. Matsuo Basho, who visited Iizaka in 1689 (Genroku 2), is also said to have bathed here.

It was long cherished as Japan's oldest wooden public bathhouse, but because of deterioration it was rebuilt in 1993 (Heisei 5) in a form that recreates its former appearance. The karahafu-gabled wooden building you see today dates from then.

"Kiriyu," Which Closed Sixty Years of History

Iizaka once had nine public bathhouses, but the municipal "Kiriyu" in Yuno ended operations on November 14, 2024 (Reiwa 6). It was an underground bath, popular for its 53°C water and its retro atmosphere, but its closure was decided because of the aging of the facility and equipment and the difficulty of maintaining the building after the inn above it had already gone out of business. Kiriyu is said to have been discovered in 1624 (Kan'ei 1), and the building that closed had been installed in 1965. Older guides and guidebooks sometimes still list Kiriyu, so take care when planning a bath tour.

Enjoying the Seasons

In summer the town heats up with the celebrated Iizaka fighting festival, counted among the three great fighting festivals of Japan. Autumn colors the surrounding flowering-peach hills, and in spring you can pick cherries at nearby orchards.

Access and Basic Information

From Fukushima Station, change to the Fukushima Kotsu Iizaka Line and ride to the terminus at Iizaka Onsen Station, about 25 minutes. By car, take National Route 13 toward Yonezawa from the Fukushima-Iizaka interchange on the Tohoku Expressway, turn right at the intersection with the railway crossing, and follow Prefectural Route 3 for about 2 km to arrive in front of Iizaka Onsen Station. The hot spring town spreads out right from the station, making it easy to explore on foot, and the public baths are simple to drop into for a day visit.

Practical Information

• Spring quality: Alkaline simple spring
• Source temperature: The source at Sabakoyu is 51.0°C
• How the water is used: Free-flowing from the source. As a result the water is quite hot, and when it is, you adjust it by adding water from the hose
• Public bathhouse fees: Adults (age 12 and over) 400 yen, children (under 12) 200 yen. Only Hakoyu charges 500 yen for adults and 250 yen for children. Coupon books of ten tickets cost 2,500 yen for adults and 1,200 yen for children. A discount is available on presentation of a disability certificate
• Payment: Buy a bathing ticket from the vending machine and hand it to the attendant
• Hours: Sabakoyu, Dosen-no-yu, and Hakoyu are open 6:00–21:00 (last entry 20:40). Daimon-no-yu and Senki-no-yu open 6:00–13:00 on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday and 13:00–21:00 on Tuesday, Saturday, and Sunday; Hachiman-no-yu opens 6:00–13:00 on Thursday, Saturday, and Sunday and 13:00–21:00 on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday; Tennoji Anabarayu opens 6:00–13:00 on Monday and Friday and 13:00–21:00 on Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday, and Sunday
• Closing days: Sabakoyu — Monday; Hakoyu and Hachiman-no-yu — Tuesday; Tennoji Anabarayu — Wednesday; Senki-no-yu and Daimon-no-yu — Thursday; Dosen-no-yu and Totsunayu — Friday. Some baths stay open when the closing day falls on a public holiday
• Soap and shampoo: None are provided. They are sold at each bathhouse: soap 70 yen (small) or 110 yen (large), shampoo, conditioner, and body soap 110–120 yen, and razors 70 yen
• Towels: A full-color towel is sold for 500 yen, and a towel set including soap and other items for 600 yen
• Lukewarm baths: Hakoyu, Dosen-no-yu, and Senki-no-yu each have both a hot tub and a lukewarm one. If you dislike hot water, start with these three
• Prohibitions: Smoking, hair dyeing, and photography inside the buildings are prohibited
• Parking at Sabakoyu: You cannot park in front of the facility. Use the parking at the former Horikiri Residence or the paid parking to the north
• Address (Sabakoyu): 32-I Yuzawa, Iizaka-machi, Fukushima City
• Access (rail): Change at JR Fukushima Station to the Fukushima Kotsu Iizaka Line and ride about 25 minutes to the terminus, Iizaka Onsen Station. The hot spring town begins as soon as you step off the train, and the public bathhouses can all be toured on foot
• Access (by car): From the Fukushima-Iizaka interchange on the Tohoku Expressway, take National Route 13 toward Yonezawa, turn right at the intersection with the railway crossing, and follow Prefectural Route 3 for about 2 km to reach the front of Iizaka Onsen Station
• Time to allow: 30 minutes to an hour per public bathhouse. Half a day if you hop between two or three and add a walk around town
• To avoid the crowds: Because some baths open from 6:00 in the morning, the morning bath is comparatively quiet. Local users increase in the evening
• Underfoot: The hot spring town is a tangle of slopes and alleys, and there are steps at the entrances and in the changing rooms of the public bathhouses. Wear comfortable walking shoes

Practical Travel Notes

The best times are early summer for cherries and autumn for foliage. Opening days and hours differ by bathhouse, so it is wise to check before setting off on a bath tour. The municipal Kiriyu has closed, so look up the latest status before touring. With easy access from Fukushima Station, it pairs well with city sights and orchard visits. Budget from 200 yen per public bath for children and 400 yen for adults, with overnight rates varying by inn.

A Quick Tip

The public baths run hot, so pour water over yourself first to let your body adjust before slipping in. Soap and towels are not provided, so bringing your own is reassuring — though they are sold at each bathhouse.

📚 Sources

The opening hours, closing days, and bathing fees for each of the eight public bathhouses were confirmed in the list of public bathhouses on the Iizaka Onsen official site. The bathing fees and coupon book prices, the sale prices of soap, shampoo, and towels, the payment by ticket machine, the fact that the water is hot because it is free-flowing from the source, the temperature adjustment by hose, and the prohibitions inside the buildings come from "How to Use the Public Bathhouses" on the official site of the Iizaka Onsen public bathhouses, operated by Fukushima City Tourism Development Co., Ltd. Sabakoyu's hours, fees, closing day, spring quality (alkaline simple spring), source temperature of 51.0°C, address, parking, its 1993 (Heisei 5) rebuilding, and the derivation of its name from a poem by the priest Saigyo were confirmed on the Sabakoyu page of the same site. The tradition that Matsuo Basho bathed there in 1689 (Genroku 2) also comes from the same site. The closure of the public bathhouse "Kiriyu" on November 14, 2024 (Reiwa 6) comes from a notice on the Iizaka Onsen official site, and the reasons for the closure and Kiriyu's origins (discovered in 1624, with the present building installed in 1965) come from news reports. The travel time from Fukushima Station and access by car are based on the access guidance on the Iizaka Onsen official site. Fees, hours, and closing days are subject to change, so please check official sources before visiting.

Practical Information for Your Visit

• Spring quality: an alkaline simple spring
• Source temperature: the source of Sabakoyu is 51.0 degrees Celsius
• How the water is used: free-flowing from the source. As a result the water is quite hot, and when it is too hot the temperature is adjusted by running cold water in from a hose
• Bathing fees at the communal baths: 400 yen for adults (aged 12 and over) and 200 yen for children (under 12). Only Hakoyu charges 500 yen for adults and 250 yen for children. Books of 10 tickets cost 2,500 yen for adults and 1,200 yen for children. A discount is available on presentation of a disability certificate
• Payment: you buy a bathing ticket from a vending machine and hand it to the attendant
• Opening hours: Sabakoyu, Dosen no Yu and Hakoyu are open 6:00-21:00 (last entry 20:40). Daimon no Yu and Senki no Yu are open 6:00-13:00 on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays and 13:00-21:00 on Tuesdays, Saturdays and Sundays; Hachiman no Yu is open 6:00-13:00 on Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays and 13:00-21:00 on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays; and Tennoji Anabarayu is open 6:00-13:00 on Mondays and Fridays and 13:00-21:00 on Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays
• Closing days: Sabakoyu on Mondays; Hakoyu and Hachiman no Yu on Tuesdays; Tennoji Anabarayu on Wednesdays; Senki no Yu and Daimon no Yu on Thursdays; Dosen no Yu and Totsunayu on Fridays. Some baths stay open when their closing day falls on a public holiday
• Soap and shampoo: none are provided. Each bathhouse sells them, with soap at 70 yen (small) or 110 yen (large), shampoo, conditioner and body soap at 110-120 yen, and a razor at 70 yen
• Towels: a full-color towel is sold for 500 yen and a towel set including soap and other items for 600 yen
• Cooler baths: Hakoyu, Dosen no Yu and Senki no Yu each have both a hot tub and a cooler tub. If you are not good with very hot water, start with these three
• Prohibitions: smoking, dyeing your hair and taking photographs are prohibited inside the buildings
• Parking for Sabakoyu: you cannot park in front of the building. Use the car park at the former Horikiri Residence or the paid car park to the north
• Address (Sabakoyu): 32-i Yuzawa, Iizaka-machi, Fukushima City
• Getting there (by train): change at JR Fukushima Station to the Fukushima Kotsu Iizaka Line and ride about 25 minutes to the terminus, Iizaka Onsen Station. The hot spring town begins right outside the station, and the communal baths can all be reached on foot
• Getting there (by car): from the Fukushima-Iizaka Interchange on the Tohoku Expressway, take National Route 13 toward Yonezawa, turn right at the intersection with the railway crossing and continue about 2 km along Prefectural Route 3 to arrive in front of Iizaka Onsen Station
• Time needed: 30 minutes to an hour for each communal bath. Half a day if you visit two or three of them and add a walk around town
• Avoiding the crowds: since some baths open from 6 a.m., an early morning soak is relatively quiet. Local bathers arrive in greater numbers in the evening
• Footing: the hot spring town is a maze of slopes and alleys, and there are steps at the entrances and in the changing rooms of the communal baths. Please wear comfortable walking shoes

📚 Sources

The opening hours, closing days and bathing fees for each of the eight communal baths were confirmed in the list of communal baths on the official Iizaka Onsen website. The bathing fees and ticket book prices, the sale prices of soap, shampoo and towels, payment via the ticket machine, the fact that the water is hot because it flows freely from the source, the temperature adjustment with a hose and the prohibitions inside the buildings come from How to Use the Communal Baths on the official website of the Iizaka Onsen communal baths, operated by Fukushima City Kanko Kaihatsu Co., Ltd. The opening hours, prices, closing day, spring quality (alkaline simple spring), source temperature of 51.0 degrees Celsius, address and parking for Sabakoyu, its rebuilding in the fifth year of Heisei (1993) and the derivation of its name from a poem by the monk Saigyo were confirmed on the Sabakoyu page of the same site. The tradition that Matsuo Basho bathed here in the second year of Genroku (1689) also comes from that site. The closure of the communal bath Kiriyu on November 14 in the sixth year of Reiwa (2024) comes from a notice on the official Iizaka Onsen website, and the reason for the closure and the origins of Kiriyu (discovered in 1624, with the present building erected in 1965) come from news reports. The journey time from Fukushima Station and the driving directions are based on the access guidance on the official Iizaka Onsen website. Prices, opening hours and closing days are subject to change, so please check the official information before you set out.