Isohara Onsen: Day-Use Hot Spring Baths & Prices

Isohara Onsen is a seaside hot spring in Kitaibaraki City, at the far north of Ibaraki Prefecture. It is known as the birthplace of the childrens song poet Ujo Noguchi, and the calm sea and unhurried village mood welcome every traveler. The quiet waters facing the Pacific gently loosen the mind.

Highlights

Futatsujima, the islands offshore, is the symbol of Isohara and shifts its look from morning to evening. Once a larger and a smaller island rose from the sea here, but the tsunami of the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake washed away the smaller one, leaving the present form. At the Ujo Noguchi memorial hall in the Nakago district of Kitaibaraki, you can step into the nostalgic world of his beloved songs such as Shabondama, Nanatsu no Ko, and Akai Kutsu.

Enjoying the Seasons

Summer is for beach strolls and swimming, while autumn brings colored leaves to the nearby hills of Kitaibaraki. In winter the air turns crisp and the sunrise over the horizon looks especially beautiful. In winter many inns serve anglerfish dishes, so dining is part of the pleasure.

Access and Basic Information

The nearest station is Isohara on the JR Joban Line, from which you head toward the shore on foot or by taxi. By car, take the Kitaibaraki interchange on the Joban Expressway and drive toward the sea. Inns stand along the coast facing Futatsujima, and some facilities accept day visitors. Fees and hours vary by facility, so check before you visit.

Practical Travel Notes

Best are the early hours, when the sunrise over Futatsujima is beautiful, and the crisp air from autumn into winter. In summer you can play in the sea at Isohara Futatsujima Beach (paused for a time after the earthquake, it later reopened). You can also add the Ujo Noguchi memorial hall, or drive a little farther to the scenic Izura coast and hexagonal hall. A coastal stroll and the memorial make about half a day, while an overnight spa stay allows a relaxed two day trip. Budget wise, day bathing runs from a few hundred to the low thousands of yen, and the memorial hall costs a few hundred yen.

A Quick Tip

Mornings are the best time to gaze at Futatsujima. Consider a relaxed stay to savor the quiet that only this village of childrens songs can offer. The seafront can be windy on some days, so bring something to layer on.

Practical Information for Your Visit

• Spring quality: Toshimaya Tsukihama no Yu has a simple sulphur cold mineral spring (hypotonic, weakly alkaline, cold mineral spring). Isohara Seaside Hotel has a bicarbonate soda spring (calcium sulphate-hydrogen carbonate spring), and Umi Neiro no Yado Kai Futatsujima has a sulphur-containing sodium chloride-sulphate spring
• Indications: Toshimaya Tsukihama no Yu lists benefits for the skin, recovery from fatigue, rheumatism and nervous disorders. Kai Futatsujima lists neuralgia, muscle pain, frozen shoulder, sensitivity to cold, recovery from fatigue and more
• Source temperature: 17 degrees (Toshimaya Tsukihama no Yu)
• Handling of the water: At Toshimaya Tsukihama no Yu the water is diluted and heated, recirculated and filtered, and sterilised with chlorine (0.2-0.4 ppm), with no bathing additives
• Day-use bathing: Toshimaya Tsukihama no Yu accepts day visitors on Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays (except the day before a public holiday) from 11:00 to 14:00. 1,000 yen (including tax), with reception at the front desk
• Inns that do not offer day-use bathing: Umi Neiro no Yado Kai Futatsujima accepts neither day-use bathing nor lunch-only visits
• Towels: At Toshimaya Tsukihama no Yu, bath towels can be rented for 330 yen and face towels are sold at 385 yen (both including tax)
• Provided in the baths: The large bathing hall and open-air bath at Toshimaya Tsukihama no Yu have hairdryers, body soap, shampoo, conditioner, razors, shower caps and combs. Nothing is provided in the private open-air baths
• Open-air baths: All three inns have one. At Isohara Seaside Hotel, the rooftop bath SORA is alternated between men and women, while the indoor view bath NAMIMA is separated by gender
• Private baths: Toshimaya Tsukihama no Yu has the private open-air baths Kurage no Yu and Tenpi no Yu, available from 14:00 to 22:00 (last reception). Kai Futatsujima has no private bath
• Bathing hours (for overnight guests): The large bathing hall at Toshimaya Tsukihama no Yu is open 24 hours (except 9:00-11:00 for cleaning). At Isohara Seaside Hotel the hours are 5:30-10:00 and 15:00-23:00 (SORA) / 23:30 (NAMIMA). At Kai Futatsujima they are 5:00-9:30 and 15:00-25:00
• Parking: Isohara Seaside Hotel has 50 free spaces (large buses must reserve), and Kai Futatsujima has 15 free spaces with a limit of one car per room, with any additional cars going to the second car park opposite
• Access: About 5 minutes by taxi from the east exit of Isohara Station on the JR Joban Line to each of the inns. From the Kitaibaraki IC on the Joban Expressway it is 6 to 7 minutes (about 3 km) via National Route 6. From Shinagawa Station, the Hitachi limited express reaches Isohara Station in as little as 1 hour 57 minutes
• Pick-up service: Toshimaya Tsukihama no Yu offers overnight guests a free transfer from Isohara Station (about 3 minutes; you need to let them know your arrival time in advance). Kai Futatsujima offers it to parties of 2 or more staying with two meals, picking up between 15:00 and 17:00 and dropping off between 8:30 and 10:00
• Footing and steps: At Kai Futatsujima there are about 3 steps on the way to the large bathing hall
• Wheelchairs and baby equipment: Isohara Seaside Hotel has a ramp at the entrance, a wheelchair-accessible toilet and wheelchairs for loan (numbers are limited, so check in advance; if you contact them they will reserve a parking space near the entrance). Kai Futatsujima has a lift, handrails and free wheelchair loan, but it is not fully barrier-free, so discuss use of the large bathing hall in advance. Kai Futatsujima also has a baby bath in the women's bathing hall and nursing-care chairs in both the men's and women's bathing halls
• Payment: Kai Futatsujima accepts cash, various credit cards and various forms of electronic money. Isohara Seaside Hotel accepts JCB, VISA, DC, UC, Mitsubishi UFJ Nicos, Mastercard, AMEX and Diners
• Bathing tax: At Isohara Seaside Hotel, overnight guests of junior high school age and above pay 150 yen (not required for primary school age and younger)
• Avoiding the crowds: Since day-use bathing is offered for only 3 hours on 4 days a week, the 11 o'clock hour right after opening is the safest bet
• Worth combining with your visit: The Kitaibaraki City Museum of History and Folklore (Noguchi Ujo Memorial Hall) is open 9:00-16:30 (last entry 16:00) and closed on Mondays (the following day when Monday is a public holiday) and from 29 December to 1 January. Admission is 320 yen for adults, 100 yen for high school, university and vocational school students, free for primary and junior high school students, and 200 yen for visitors aged 65 and over. It is a 20-minute walk (1.5 km) from the east exit of Isohara Station, or 10 minutes from the Kitaibaraki IC. There are reciprocal discounts with the Tenshin Memorial Museum of Art Izura, Rokkakudo and the fisheries history museum Yo-Soro
• Addresses: Toshimaya Tsukihama no Yu is at 200-3 Isohara, Isohara-cho, Kitaibaraki City; Isohara Seaside Hotel is at 2550 Futatsujima, Isohara, Isohara-cho in the same city; and Umi Neiro no Yado Kai Futatsujima is at 2552 Isohara, Isohara-cho in the same city

Information Sources

The spring quality, source temperature, handling of the water, the days and fees for day-use bathing, the towels and the private open-air baths are from the hot spring page and in-house guide on the official website of Toshimaya Tsukihama no Yu. The bathing hours, the 50 parking spaces, the barrier-free provisions, the credit cards and the bathing tax are from the basic information page on the official website of Isohara Seaside Hotel, while whether day-use bathing and private baths are available, the steps, wheelchairs and baby bath, the 15 parking spaces and the conditions for the pick-up service are from the Q&A and access pages on the official website of Umi Neiro no Yado Kai Futatsujima. The list of inns was confirmed on the Isohara Onsen page of the Kitaibaraki City Tourism Association, and the details of the memorial hall on the official website of the Kitaibaraki City Museum of History and Folklore. Details are subject to change, so please check the official information before you set out.