Tsuchiyu Onsen: Day-Use Hot Spring Baths & Prices

West of Fukushima City, at the foot of the Azuma mountains, Tsuchiyu Onsen is one of the birthplaces of kokeshi dolls, alongside Naruko and Togatta. Inns line the gorge of the Arakawa River, and it is loved as a warm, unpretentious spring in the hills. With several sources, it offers a varied range of waters, including sulfur, bicarbonate, and simple springs.

Highlights

Kokeshi workshops and shops dot the town, and you can try painting a Tsuchiyu-style doll yourself. Tsuchiyu kokeshi are marked by a snake-eye ring painted on the head and charming, unpretentious faces. Free foot baths and hand baths on street corners let you rest between strolls.

Enjoying the Seasons

Walks through the fresh-green gorge and the autumn foliage are splendid, and the nearby ponds of Menuma, Onuma, and Nitanuma add natural beauty. Around Nitanuma, skunk cabbage and dogtooth violet bloom in spring, making it popular for walks. In winter, bathing amid the snow is especially fine.

Access and Basic Information

About forty-five minutes by Fukushima Kotsu bus from Fukushima Station. By car it is about fifteen minutes from the Fukushima-Nishi interchange along National Route 115. As a gateway to the Azuma mountains, it also makes a handy base for driving. There are facilities that accept day-trip bathers and foot baths for an easy stop.

Practical Travel Notes

The best times are early summer for fresh green and wildflowers, and autumn for foliage. The foot baths and hand baths on street corners are free and easy to enjoy while strolling. Reception hours and reservation needs for kokeshi painting differ by workshop, so checking in advance is recommended. Combined with nature walks at Menuma, Onuma, and Nitanuma, it makes an easy half-day to full-day plan. Budget from a few hundred yen for a day bath, while overnight rates vary by inn.

A Quick Tip

Choose a hand-painted kokeshi as a souvenir. Picking one whose maker you can meet gives it real charm. A towel is handy to carry when touring the foot baths.

Practical Information for Your Visit

• Spring quality: Two sources, a simple hot spring and a bicarbonate spring (at Nakanoyu). The bicarbonate spring is alkaline and is known as "the water of beautiful skin"
• Indications: Autonomic nervous disorders, insomnia, depressive states, sensitivity to cold, dry skin and more (according to Fukushima City's guidance)
• How the water is used: Every bath is free-flowing straight from the source
• Source temperature: About 65 degrees for the simple hot spring and about 51 degrees for the bicarbonate spring. The bathtubs are kept at 42 to 45 degrees
• Day-use bathing (Nakanoyu): 9:00 to 21:00. Last reception is 20:30 for the large communal bath and 19:30 for the private baths
• Closed: Tuesdays (the following day when Tuesday is a public holiday)
• Fees: 500 yen for adults (12 and over), 250 yen for children (age 1 to under 12). A book of 12 tickets costs 5,000 yen for adults and 2,500 yen for children
• Private baths: Four rooms. 1,500 yen per group for 50 minutes (capacity roughly 3 people), charged on top of the bathing ticket
• Open-air bath: Adjoining the large communal bath
• Amenities provided: Hairdryers, wash basins and bath stools are available. Shampoo, conditioner and body soap are not provided
• Other facilities: Free coin lockers, a rest area and vending machines
• Footbath: A free footbath called Kibokko-no-yu stands next to Nakanoyu
• Parking: 20 spaces at Nakanoyu (including 3 for visitors with disabilities). Fukushima City's guidance counts 83 spaces in total including the car parks in the hot spring town
• Access: About 40 minutes from the East Exit of Fukushima Station on a Fukushima Kotsu bus bound for "Tsuchiyu Onsen," then a 2-minute walk from the final stop. By car it is about 20 minutes from the Fukushima-Nishi IC on the Tohoku Expressway
• How long to allow: About 1 hour if you only take a bath. Allow half a day if you add kokeshi doll painting or a tour of the footbaths
• Address: 5 Shimonomachi, Tsuchiyu Onsen-machi, Fukushima City (Nakanoyu)

📚 Sources

The opening hours, last reception times, bathing fees, ticket books, private baths, closing day and parking of Nakanoyu were checked against the facility guide on Fukushima City's official website and the Nakanoyu page of the Tsuchiyu Onsen Tourism Association. The spring quality, source temperature, bath temperature, amenities provided and access by bus were confirmed in the facility information on Fukushima City's tourism site "Fukushima City Kanko Note." The origin of the kokeshi dolls and the location and price of the painting experience come from "The Appeal of Tsuchiyu Kokeshi" by the Tsuchiyu Onsen Tourism Association, and the reservation arrangements for tours of the binary power plant, together with the cooling water and shrimp farming, follow the tour guidance on "Fukushima City Kanko Note." Opening hours, prices and closing days are subject to change, so please check the official information before you set out.