Nakanosawa Onsen: Day-Use Hot Spring Baths & Prices

In Inawashiro Town, at the western foot of Mount Adatara, Nakanosawa Onsen is a spring set on a highland of about 700 meters. Water is drawn from the Numajiri source some seven kilometers away, boasting an abundant yield of about 13,400 liters per minute, said to be the largest in Japan from a single vent.

Highlights

The acidic cloudy water warms the body well, and the mood of an old healing bath remains. It is an acidic sulfur spring with a source temperature of about 68 degrees and a strongly acidic pH of around two. There are about ten inns and no public bathhouse, so bathing is done via the inns and hotels. Nearby Numajiri Onsen shares the same source water.

Enjoying the Seasons

The cool highland climate is pleasant in summer, and autumn brings splendid foliage on Adatara and Bandai. In winter it is a handy base for nearby ski resorts, with snow-view bathing to enjoy as well.

Access and Basic Information

About thirty minutes by Aizu Bus from Inawashiro Station. Its location makes it easy to combine with sights of Mount Bandai and Lake Inawashiro. Day-trip bathing is handled through the inns, with fees ranging roughly from a few hundred yen to the low thousands. Reception hours differ by inn, so checking in advance is recommended.

Practical Travel Notes

The best times are the cool summer and autumn foliage from late September to mid-October. The greatest draw is the abundant yield that allows a fresh, free-flowing bath. As there is no public bathhouse, day visitors should confirm the inns reception hours in advance. Combined with sights of Mount Bandai and Lake Inawashiro, it makes an easy full-day plan. Budget from a few hundred yen for a day bath, while overnight rates vary by inn.

A Quick Tip

Because the water is so abundant, take your time to savor the luxury of a free-flowing bath. As the water is strongly acidic, those with sensitive skin may wish to pat themselves dry after the bath.

Practical Information for Your Visit

• Spring quality: a sulfur-containing acidic calcium and aluminum sulfate and chloride spring (according to the notice posted at Hanamiya Ryokan)
• pH: a strongly acidic spring with a pH of 2.1 (according to the information from Hirasawaya Ryokan)
• Benefits: gastrointestinal complaints, diabetes and skin conditions (Hanamiya Ryokan). The Inawashiro Tourism Association lists gastrointestinal complaints, neuralgia and rheumatism for Hanamiya Ryokan
• How the water is used: at Hanamiya Ryokan both the open-air and indoor baths are free-flowing from the source 24 hours a day. The private baths are free-flowing too
• The source: the water is piped from Numajiri Motoyu in the Adatara mountains. It yields 13,400 liters per minute, one of the largest natural flows from a single source in Japan
• Day-trip bathing (Hanamiya Ryokan): 10:00-18:00, 800 yen for adults. It may finish earlier in busy periods or depending on how crowded the inn is that day
• Open-air baths: Hanamiya Ryokan has separate large open-air baths for men and women in a Japanese garden of 120 tsubo
• Private baths: the private family bath at Hanamiya Ryokan opened in October 2004. It is for guests staying overnight, and you sign up at the front desk after you arrive
• Inns that accept day visitors for bathing: the Inawashiro Tourism Association lists Hirasawaya Ryokan, Asahiya Ryokan, Shirakiya, Bandai Nishimuraya, Irori Yu no Yado Osakaya and Bandai Meito Resort Bonari no Mori as well as Hanamiya Ryokan. There is no communal bathhouse in the hot spring town, so you bathe as a day visitor at one of the inns
• Getting there (by train and bus): about 30 minutes by bus from Inawashiro Station on the JR Ban-etsu West Line
• Getting there (by car): about 20 minutes along National Route 115 from Inawashiro-Bandai-Kogen IC on the Ban-etsu Expressway, or about 40 minutes along National Route 115 from Fukushima-Nishi IC on the Tohoku Expressway
• If you come by motorcycle: Hanamiya Ryokan has covered parking exclusively for motorcycles
• Address and contact: Hanamiya Ryokan, 2855 Numajiriyama-ko, Kogai, Inawashiro Town, Yama District, Fukushima 969-2752 (telephone 0242-64-3621, reception 9:00-19:00); Hirasawaya Ryokan, 2855-133 Numajiriyama-ko, Kogai, in the same town (telephone 0242-64-3821)
• What to leave behind: because the water is strongly acidic, it is safest to take off accessories such as silver jewelry
• Time needed: about an hour if you only take a bath. Half a day if you combine it with sightseeing at Mount Bandai or Lake Inawashiro
• Avoiding the crowds: day-trip reception runs until 18:00 but can close early when the inn is busy, so visiting between the morning and the early afternoon is the sure approach

📚 Sources

The flow rate at Numajiri Motoyu, the fact that Numajiri Onsen and Nakanosawa Onsen draw their water from the same source, and the list of inns that accept day visitors for bathing come from the official website of the Inawashiro Tourism Association (the About the Hot Springs of Inawashiro page and its facility pages). The spring quality name, the benefits, the fact that the water is free-flowing from the source 24 hours a day, the day-trip bathing hours and prices, the large open-air baths and private family bath, the access by car and train and the motorcycle parking come from the official Hanamiya Ryokan website, while the acidity of pH 2.1 and the story of how the town grew from the eruption of Mount Adatara in 1900 to the piping of the hot spring water come from the official Hirasawaya Ryokan website. Details are subject to change, so please check the official information before you set out.