Sakakibara Onsen: Day-Use Hot Spring Baths & Prices

Spreading at the foot of the Nunobiki hills in the west of Tsu, Sakakibara Onsen has long been called the bath of Nanakuri and is said to appear as a celebrated spring in a famous Heian-era essay. Its silky alkaline water is known as a beauty bath, and visitors come for the smooth, moisturized feel it leaves on the skin. The quiet setting among rice fields and wooded hills is another of its great charms.

Highlights

Around the spa town you will find walking paths along clear streams and old shrines and temples, perfect for a relaxed stroll between baths. Iyama Shrine enshrines the guardian deity of the spring and is cherished as a site connected to the old hot-water ritual. A hillside hot spring resort nearby lets you bathe while enjoying gardens and views.

Enjoying the Seasons

In spring, cherry blossoms and rape flowers color the countryside, and early summer brings fireflies dancing over clear waters. Autumn turns the surrounding hills, and the rice harvest gives the fields a peaceful air. Winter is the season when the warm water sinks deepest into the body, well suited to a long soak while gazing at the quiet rural scenery.

Access and Basic Information

From Sakakibara-Onsenguchi Station on the Kintetsu Osaka line, head to the spa town by bus or taxi. By car, the Hisai interchange on the Ise Expressway is close, making the area easy to reach from both Nagoya and Osaka. The water here is an alkaline simple spring, clear and colorless with a gentle touch on the skin. Inns and day-use facilities such as Yumoto Sakakibara-kan and Shintokan welcome bathers.

Practical Travel Notes

Day-use bathing fees vary by facility but generally run around a thousand yen. Reception hours and closing days differ from place to place, so if a drop-in bath is your aim, confirm details with each facility in advance. The spa town spreads across farmland, so a car is handy for moving between facilities. Combined with a stroll around Iyama Shrine and the surroundings, the area suits a relaxed half day to full day. For souvenirs, local produce and traditional sweets are on offer, and browsing a roadside stand along the way is one of the pleasures.

A Quick Tip

To make the most of this beauty bath, soak slowly and unhurried. Some day-use facilities open only during the daytime or set closing days, so allow extra time in your plans. The surroundings are calm, so it suits a leisurely overnight trip especially well.

Practical Information for Your Visit

• Spring quality: Alkaline simple spring
• Source temperature: 31.2 degrees
• How the water is used: Free-flowing spring water. Because the source is lukewarm, heated tubs are also used alongside it, and in the large communal bath you can enter both the lukewarm water straight from the source and the heated water
• Benefits: Chronic rheumatoid arthritis, skin conditions, women's complaints, diabetes, neuralgia, recovery from fatigue and more
• Day-trip bathing (Yu no Sho): Reception 9:00-20:00 (last admission 19:00). Stays are limited to 2 hours
• Fees: 1,500 yen for adults (including a bath towel), 500 yen for children (age 3 to 6th grade of elementary school)
• Closing days: Irregular. The facility closes for inspection about four times a year
• Open-air baths: Yes (Osome and Tamenosuke). Together with the large communal baths, they switch between men and women each day
• Private baths: Three private open-air baths with a view. Weekdays only, for 2 to 6 people using the large communal bath, 3,000 yen per group for 45 minutes. Six time slots from 12:00 to 17:45, with last reception at 17:00. Advance reservations are not accepted
• Wheelchairs: The private open-air bath with a view, Ama no Hara, is a barrier-free type where you can move right up to the bathtub in a wheelchair
• Provided amenities: Shampoo, conditioner and body soap are provided in the large communal baths (but not in the private open-air baths with a view). A bath towel is included in the bathing fee; buying one separately costs 100 yen, and renting a bath towel costs 200 yen
• Tattoos: People with tattoos may not use the facility
• Resting: There is a large tatami hall for resting (no private rooms). Bringing in your own food is not allowed
• Parking: 100 spaces, shared with the ryokan
• Access: About 20 minutes from the Hisai IC on the Ise Expressway. By public transport, take the Mie Kotsu bus bound for Sakakibara Shako-mae (including routes via Shimomura and via Kamiinaba) from Kintetsu Hisai Station, about 40 minutes, get off at Yumoto Sakakibarakan-mae, then walk 3 minutes. The shuttle bus from Kintetsu Sakakibara Onsenguchi Station is for overnight guests only
• Location: 5970 Sakakibara-cho, Tsu City, Mie Prefecture (Yu no Sho)

Information Sources

Yu no Sho's bathing fees, opening hours, length of stay, the conditions and fees for the private open-air baths with a view, the amenities, the resting area, the parking, the policy on tattoos and access by bus were confirmed on the business information, frequently asked questions and access pages of the official Yumoto Sakakibarakan Yu no Sho website. The spring quality, source temperature, number of springs, certification by the Society for the Protection of Japan's Hot Spring Heritage, and the names of the baths and their switching between men and women are based on the hot spring information page of the same site. The indefinite closure of Shinyukan was confirmed in an announcement on that facility's official website. The history of Nanakuri no Yu and Iyama Shrine are based on tourism information from Tsu City and the Sakakibara Onsen Promotion Association. Fees and opening hours are subject to change, so please check official information before you set out.