Shioya Onsen Honoyu Rakurakuen: Day-Use Hot Spring

This is a day-use hot spring in Rakurakuen, Saeki Ward, Hiroshima City, easy to reach from the city. It offers a variety of baths including a free-flowing source rock bath and a carbonated spring, and there is also a stone-heat bath. It is close to the Rakurakuen stop on the Hiroden Miyajima Line, and its easy drop-in convenience is part of its appeal.

Highlights

Drawn from deep underground, the water has a distinctive deep brown color rich in sodium, calcium, and other minerals. In addition to the free-flowing source rock bath, there are a high-concentration carbonated spring, a sauna, a stone-heat bath, and more. It is a genuine natural hot spring whose richness of minerals you can feel on your skin.

Enjoying the Seasons

Because the indoor facilities are so complete, you can spend a comfortable time here year round. In summer you can relax at ease, and in winter the strong hot spring warms the body deeply. Working up a sweat in the stone-heat bath before bathing is another way to enjoy the cold season.

Access and Basic Information

The facility is in 5-chome Rakurakuen, Saeki Ward, Hiroshima City, within walking distance of the Rakurakuen stop on the Hiroden Miyajima Line. Hours are roughly 9:00 to 23:00 (last entry around 22:00), open year round (with occasional closures for maintenance). Admission for adults (junior-high age and up) is in the 1,000-yen range and a few hundred yen for elementary students, with higher fees on weekends, holidays, and special days. The spring is a radioactive sodium-calcium chloride strong-salt hot spring, notable for its mineral-rich deep brown water. Parking is available. Fees may differ between weekdays and weekends and holidays, so check the official information before visiting.

Practical Travel Notes

Because the water is so mineral-rich, it is best not to soak too long and to take rest breaks to avoid overheating. Bathing alone takes about an hour, while including the stone-heat bath and a meal runs around two to three hours. Adding the stone-heat bath and a meal brings the budget to a few thousand yen. Being within walking distance of a Hiroden Miyajima Line stop, it is easy to reach without a car and can be worked into a trip to and from Miyajima. Evenings tend to be busy, so for a relaxed visit, weekday daytime is a good bet.

A Quick Tip

This is recommended for those who want to enjoy a genuine natural hot spring within Hiroshima City. The water is strong, so take your time and avoid over-soaking. Remember to stay hydrated.

Practical Information for Your Visit

• Address: 5-7-1 Rakurakuen, Saeki Ward, Hiroshima City, Hiroshima Prefecture
• Opening hours: 9:00-23:00 (last reception 22:00)
• Closing days: Irregular (with occasional temporary closures for facility inspections)
• Bathing fee: Adults (junior high school age and above) 1,050 yen on weekdays / 1,150 yen on Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays / 1,250 yen on designated days; elementary school children 500 yen on weekdays / 600 yen on Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays; infants (preschool children aged 4 and above) 150 yen; children aged 3 and under free of charge
• Stone sauna (Jjimjilbang Kanjodo): 800 yen on weekdays / 900 yen on Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays / 1,000 yen on designated days (separate from the bathing fee)
• Spring quality: Weakly radioactive sodium-calcium chloride strong salt spring (hypertonic, neutral, low-temperature spring). It flows at 392 litres per minute from a depth of 1,100 m
• How the water is used: No water is added to the open-air source bath. The rock bath also uses water straight from the source
• Tattoos: Those with tattoos (including stick-on and painted ones) may not use the facility
• Amenities: Shampoo, conditioner and body soap are always provided in the bathing area. Towels may be brought from home or bought or rented on site
• Payment: Cash is accepted, as are various credit cards and cashless payment methods
• Parking: A free car park with 210 spaces (parking for large buses is restricted at weekends, so please enquire)
• Access (by train): A 5-minute walk from the Rakurakuen tram stop on the Hiroden Miyajima Line. It is a 25-minute walk from Itsukaichi Station on the JR Sanyo Main Line
• Access (by car): 10 minutes south along Itsukaichi Coin Dori from the Nishi-Hiroshima Bypass, 24 minutes from the Itsukaichi IC on the Sanyo Expressway, 35 minutes from Hiroshima Station, or 15 minutes via National Route 2 from the Hatsukaichi JCT on the Hiroshima-Iwakuni Road
• Meals: The dining room Momiji is open for lunch 11:00-15:30 and dinner 17:00-21:30. Relaxation services are available 10:00-22:30 (varies by facility)
• Time required: 1 to 1.5 hours for a bath alone, or about 3 hours including the stone sauna and a meal
• Budget guide: From 1,050 yen for bathing only, about 2,000 yen adding the stone sauna, or around 3,000 yen including a meal
• Avoiding the crowds: It is busy from late afternoon into the evening and on Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays. Weekday daytimes are the times to aim for if you want to take it easy
• In wet weather: It is mainly an indoor facility, so it is unaffected by the weather. It makes a good backup plan for a rainy day
• Footing and steps: It stands on the flat land of a former salt field, and there are no slopes on the way from the station
• Points to note: This is a hypertonic hot spring with a very high mineral content. Avoid long soaks and keep taking on fluids

Information Sources

The opening hours, bathing and stone sauna fees, closing days, towels and amenities, payment methods, the policy on tattoos and the 210 free parking spaces were confirmed on the visitor information page of the official website of Shioya Natural Hot Spring Hono-yu Rakurakuen. The name of the spring quality, the source depth of 1,100 m, the flow of 392 litres per minute, the total mineral content of 25 g/kg, the fact that the source bath and rock bath use water straight from the source, and the layout of the baths and the indications come from the hot spring facility page of the same site. The address and access (including the 5-minute walk from the Hiroden Rakurakuen tram stop) are as given on the access page of the same site.

The origin of the place name Rakurakuen, the "Ebi Shiohama" tidal salt field and the reorganisation of the salt industry around 1912, and the closure of the amusement park in 1971, are based on the introduction to the Rakurakuen school district published on a Hiroshima City community information site.

Fees, opening hours and facilities are subject to change, so please check the official information before you set out.