Hirugami Onsen: Day-Use Hot Spring Baths & Prices

In southern Shinshu, in Achi Village of the Shimoina district, Hirugami Onsen is one of the largest spa resorts in the region. In a survey by the Ministry of the Environment, Achi Village ranked among the best places for viewing the stars, and it is known as the village of Japans finest starry skies. Its smooth, silky, beauty-bath water is also well regarded.

Highlights

The greatest draw is a magnificent starry sky, born of the high elevation and clear air. Look up after a bath at night and you will see more stars than words can describe. A morning market is also held in the spa town, and hunting for local vegetables and handmade goods is a pleasant pastime.

Enjoying the Seasons

Cherry blossoms in spring, stargazing in summer, and autumn foliage give the area rich seasonal highlights. The nighttime star tours are especially popular, and the night sky changes its expression with each season.

Access and Basic Information

It is close to the Sonohara smart interchange on the Chuo Expressway, and about ten minutes from the Iida-Yamamoto interchange, making car access convenient. By public transport, buses run from stations such as Nakatsugawa on the JR Chuo Main Line. The spa town has a village-run day-use bathing facility, Yuttari-na Hirugami, with open-air baths, a sauna, and reclining baths. Day-use admission for adults is in the several-hundred-yen range, open from around ten in the morning until night, with last entry set before closing. The water is strongly alkaline and known as a beauty bath said to leave the skin smooth.

Practical Travel Notes

Since stargazing is the greatest pleasure at Hirugami Onsen, especially beautiful night skies can be expected around the new moon, when moonlight is faint, and from late autumn into winter, when the air is clear. Because the star tours vary with the season and weather, booking ahead and checking the days conditions are recommended. The ideal flow is to combine a bath at the day-use facility with staying into the night to watch the stars. Nearby are real sights such as the Sonohara district, the Fujimidai highlands, and the morning market, so you can enjoy the whole day, strolling by day and stargazing by night. A day-use bath costs only a few hundred yen, and staying overnight lets you enjoy the stargazing at leisure.

A Quick Tip

Highland nights grow chilly even in summer. When you head out for stargazing, bring an extra layer to throw on and enjoy the night sky in comfort. As the star tours are popular, it is reassuring to check on them early along with your lodging reservation.

Practical Information for Your Visit

• Spring quality: Alkaline simple sulphur spring (alkaline, hypotonic hot spring). pH 9.7
• Source temperature: 47.4 degrees Celsius
• Indications: Neuralgia, muscle pain, joint pain, frozen shoulder, motor paralysis, joint stiffness, bruises, sprains, chronic digestive disorders, haemorrhoids, sensitivity to cold, convalescence, recovery from fatigue and general health promotion. As indications specific to a sulphur spring: chronic dermatitis, chronic gynaecological complaints, cuts and diabetes
• Day-use bathing (Yuttarina Hirugami): 10:00-21:30 (last admission 20:30), 800 yen for adults and 400 yen for children
• Closing days: Every Tuesday (the following day when Tuesday is a public holiday). In some months extra closing days are set besides Tuesdays, so it is safest to check the "Closing Day Notices" on the official website before setting out
• Open-air baths: Yes. Each of the two large bathhouses, one of stone and one of wood, has an adjoining open-air bath; the East Bath and West Bath alternate between men and women each day
• Sauna and other tubs: A high-temperature sauna, a cascading-water bath, a lying-down bath and a seated bath
• Family bath (nursing-care and family bath): 2,000 yen per hour (1,000 yen on presentation of a disability certificate). The admission fee is payable separately. Advance telephone reservation is required, and there are five time slots: 10:00-11:00, 12:00-13:00, 14:00-15:00, 16:00-17:00 and 18:00-19:00. The bath is refilled with fresh spring water each time, which takes about an hour to prepare
• Wheelchair users and infants: There is a private hot-spring room with a bathroom equipped with a lift, catering for people with physical disabilities, those recovering from surgery, and infants
• Hairdryers: From 15 July 2026 the hairdryers in the changing rooms are chargeable (100 yen for 5 minutes). Free power sockets are available if you bring your own
• Heated pool: 1,100 yen for adults and 550 yen for children as a set with bathing. Swimsuits can be rented for 500 yen and caps for 200 yen. Children of elementary school age and under must be accompanied by a guardian who is also in a swimsuit. On weekdays the pool is mainly used for members-only aquatic exercise classes, so general use is restricted
• Meals and rest: The dining area is open 11:00-20:00, and the relaxation service 11:00-20:30 (last reception 20:30)
• Access (by car): About 10 minutes from Sonohara IC on the Chuo Expressway along the Fujimidai Koen Line. Sonohara IC can only be used when coming from the direction of Nagoya. From the direction of Tokyo, exit at Iida-Yamamoto IC and drive about 6 km, roughly 7 minutes, along National Route 153
• Access (by highway bus): About 2 hours from the Meitetsu Bus Center on services such as the Shinnan Kotsu Komaba Line; get off at the Hirugami Onsen bus stop and walk about 4 minutes
• Address: 370-1 Chisato, Achi Village, Shimoina District, Nagano Prefecture (Yuttarina Hirugami)

Information Sources

The spring quality, pH, source temperature and indications are based on the official tourism website of Hirugami Onsen and the hot spring page of the official website of Yuttarina Hirugami, a facility run by Achi Village. The bathing fees, opening hours, closing days, family bath charges and reservation slots, pool fees and access details come from the usage guide and access pages of the Yuttarina Hirugami official website, and the introduction of charges for hairdryers was confirmed from the notice dated 15 July 2026 on the same site. The story of how the hot spring was discovered comes from the introduction to the Hirugami Onsen resort area on the official Achi Village website. Details are subject to change, so please check the official information before you set out.