Kawayu Onsen: Day-Use Hot Spring Baths & Prices

Within Akan-Mashu National Park, between Lake Kussharo and Mount Io, lies Kawayu Onsen. Its water is said to be groundwater from Lake Mashu heated beneath Mount Io, and it is known as a strongly acidic sulfur spring. A steaming hot river runs through the town, and the scent of sulfur and rising vapor lend it deep atmosphere.

Highlights

• Rich, strongly acidic water that every inn declares is free-flowing from the source
• The rugged scenery of Mount Io, also called Atosanupuri, venting steam
• The warm hot river that flows through the town

Enjoying the Seasons

Summer lets you pair bathing with strolls to Lake Kussharo, Lake Mashu, and Mount Io. Winter brings swans arriving at Lake Kussharo and splendid vapor rising over the snowfield. In the freezing eastern Hokkaido winter, the acidic water warms the body thoroughly.

Access and Basic Information

• About 10 minutes by bus from JR Kawayu Onsen Station
• Roughly one hour and 40 minutes by car from Tancho Kushiro Airport
• Close to Lake Kussharo and Mount Io
• Spring type is acidic sulfur spring
• A free foot bath sits in the center of town, and the station building has one as well

Practical Travel Notes

• The Tsutsujigahara Nature Trail linking the town and Mount Io runs about 2.5 kilometers one way, an hour or so on foot. In early summer a colony of Ezo Labrador tea flowers is the highlight
• The Mount Io parking area shares a fee with the Lake Mashu First Observation Deck and serves as a base for exploring by car. It is a powerful spot where you can walk close to the steam vents
• Along Lake Kussharo, open-air baths that are free or low-cost are dotted about, widening your bath-hopping options. A day-long eastern Hokkaido drive taking in the Lake Mashu overlook is a classic
• The best times are early summer, when greenery and flowers shine, and winter, with its lovely swans and vapor. Allow about half a day including a Mount Io walk, or a full day if you extend to the lakes

A Quick Tip

Strongly acidic water is harsh, so those with sensitive skin should keep soaks short. Rinsing lightly with fresh water afterward eases the strain on the skin. When strolling Mount Io, take care not to get too close to the steam vents. The sulfur scent clings to clothing, so keep that in mind as well.

Practical Information for Your Visit

• Spring quality: A strongly acidic sulfur spring. KKR Kawayu lists it as an acidic, iron(II)- and carbon dioxide-bearing sodium chloride-sulfate spring
• pH: Around 1.8
• Water handling: KKR Kawayu is 100 percent free-flowing spring water with no added water or heating. The public bathhouse \"Yukichi\" is also free-flowing spring water
• Day-use bathing (Kawayu Public Bathhouse Yukichi): 11:00-19:00, closed on Wednesdays. 500 yen for adults, 300 yen for children (300 yen for adults and 200 yen for children who are residents of Teshikaga Town). This public bathhouse reopened after renovation in September 2024. It is located at 3-1 Kawayu Onsen, Teshikaga Town
• Day-use bathing (KKR Kawayu): 13:00-20:00. 700 yen for adults, 400 yen for elementary school students, 200 yen for preschool children. The open-air bath is made of wood on the men's side and of natural rock on the women's side. A rental set of bath towel and face towel costs 200 yen
• Day-use bathing (Hotel Parkway): 11:00-20:00. 500 yen for adults, 300 yen for children
• Day-use bathing (Kawayu Kanko Hotel): 13:00-21:00 (last admission 20:00). 1,000 yen for adults, 700 yen for children from age 3 to elementary school. Payment is by cash only
• Day-use bathing (Kawayu Onsen Hotel Kitafukuro): 10:00-20:00 (last admission 20:00, irregular closing days). 1,000 yen for adults, 500 yen for children, free of charge for preschool children
• Day-use bathing (Oyado Kinkiyu Bettei Suikazura): 13:00-16:00 (last admission 15:00). 1,500 yen for adults, 1,000 yen for children, 700 yen for preschool children
• Tattoos: KKR Kawayu does not admit guests with tattoos
• Footbaths: The footbaths in the hot spring town are free of charge and available 24 hours (free-flowing spring water). Inside JR Kawayu Onsen Station there is the town's only indoor footbath, which has underfloor heating and can be used even on rainy or snowy days. Bring your own towel to all of them
• Parking at Mt. Io (Atosanupuri): 200 yen for motorcycles, 500 yen for passenger cars, 1,000 yen for microbuses and 2,000 yen for large buses. It is shared with the Mashu Lake First Observation Deck, and each can be used once on the same day
• Mt. Io in winter: It is closed from November until the following April, and parking is free of charge during that period
• Tsutsujigahara Nature Trail: A walking trail linking the Kawayu Onsen town with Mt. Io. About 2.5 km, roughly 1 hour on foot
• Access (rail and bus): About 10 minutes by bus from Kawayu Onsen Station on the JR Senmo Main Line
• Access (air): About 1 hour 40 minutes by car from Tancho Kushiro Airport
• Time to allow: 1 hour for bathing alone. Half a day including a walk around Mt. Io, or a full day if you also visit Lake Kussharo and Lake Mashu
• What to bring: The acidic water damages metal, so remove jewelry before bathing. A change of clothes is reassuring as protection against the smell of sulfur

Sources of Information

The opening hours and fees for the list of day-use bathing facilities in the Kawayu Onsen area (Yukichi, KKR Kawayu, Hotel Parkway, Kawayu Kanko Hotel, Kawayu Onsen Hotel Kitafukuro and Oyado Kinkiyu Bettei Suikazura), and the fact that Kawayu Kanko Hotel accepts cash only, were confirmed in the day-use bathing guide on \"Teshikaga Navi,\" the tourism website of Teshikaga Town. The spring quality of KKR Kawayu, its pH of 1.8, its 100 percent free-flowing spring water with no added water or heating, the location of its source, the construction of its open-air baths, the 200 yen towel rental and the fact that guests with tattoos cannot use it come from the hot spring page of the inn's official website. The opening hours, Wednesday closing day, fees, resident rates for Teshikaga Town, September 2024 renovation reopening and location of the Kawayu Public Bathhouse \"Yukichi\" come from the facility page on Teshikaga Navi. The opening hours of the Taiho Sumo Museum (9:00-17:00), its admission fee (420 yen for high school students and older, 200 yen for elementary and junior high school students), the number of exhibits and its location likewise come from the facility page on Teshikaga Navi. The parking fees at Mt. Io, their shared use with the Mashu Lake First Observation Deck, the closure from November to April, and the Tsutsujigahara Nature Trail's length of about 2.5 km and walking time of roughly 1 hour come from the Mt. Io page on Teshikaga Navi. The free 24-hour footbaths and the indoor footbath inside JR Kawayu Onsen Station come from the footbath guide on Teshikaga Navi. As details are subject to change, please check the official information before you set out.