Omura Onsen: Day-Use Hot Spring Baths & Prices

Facing Omura Bay, the town of Omura sits close to Nagasaki Airport, the regions gateway to the skies. The hot spring rising by the calm bay is a fine place to stop at the start or end of a journey. You can rest at leisure while sensing the character of a town known for its cherry blossoms and irises.

Highlights

Omura Park, spread across the ruins of Kushima Castle, is one of Japans notable spots for cherry blossoms. In spring a rich variety of blossoms bloom in succession, from the nationally designated natural monument Omura cherry to Somei Yoshino. In early summer splendid irises color the grounds, and the park is listed among both Japans Top 100 Cherry Blossom Spots and Japans Top 100 Historic Parks. Castle stone walls and moats remain, making it a place to enjoy seasonal flowers and history together.

Enjoying the Seasons

Timing a visit to the blossom season in spring or the irises in early summer is ideal. In summer the bay views feel cool, and in autumn and winter the pleasure of soaking in the clear air deepens. A bath after flower viewing or a stroll is a special treat.

Access and Basic Information

It is easy to reach from Nagasaki Airport, making it convenient as either the beginning or the end of a trip. It is also close to a station on the JR Omura Line, so rail travel is simple. Inns with bay views are plentiful, and some facilities offer day use bathing. Entry to Omura Park is free.

Practical Travel Notes

Omura Park is free to enter, and during the cherry and iris festivals evening illuminations are held. As a rough guide the cherries peak from late March to mid April and the irises from late May to early June, though the timing shifts year to year. Day use bathing fees vary by facility, commonly ranging from a few hundred to around a thousand yen. It is right across a connecting bridge from Nagasaki Airport, making it easy to drop by before or after a flight. Travel to central Nagasaki and Huis Ten Bosch is easy too, making it a handy waypoint for touring the prefecture.

A Quick Tip

The best time for cherry blossoms and irises shifts from year to year, so check the bloom forecast in advance to be safe. With the airport nearby, a soak makes a fine rest before or after a flight. The flower seasons draw crowds, so an early morning stroll offers a more relaxed visit.

Practical Information for Your Visit

• Spring quality: Iron(II)-containing sodium, magnesium and calcium chloride spring. Hypertonic, neutral and low-temperature
• Source temperature and pH: 30.0 degrees C, pH 6.6. Total dissolved substances 23.33 grams
• Benefits: Neuralgia, muscle pain, joint pain, frozen shoulder, motor paralysis, stiff joints, bruises, sprains, chronic digestive conditions, hemorrhoids, sensitivity to cold, convalescence after illness, recovery from fatigue, general health promotion, cuts, burns, chronic skin conditions, frail children, chronic women's conditions and menstrual disorders
• Those who should refrain from bathing: People with acute illnesses, malignant tumors, active tuberculosis, kidney failure, hemorrhagic disorders, severe anemia or serious heart disease
• Opening hours: Normally 10:00-22:00, and 10:00-23:00 on Fridays and Saturdays. Bathing reception closes 30 minutes before closing time
• Closing days: Irregular (3 times a year)
• Bathing fee: For non-members, 820 yen for adults (junior high school students and above) and 370 yen for children (elementary school students and above). For members, 700 yen for adults and 300 yen for children. A book of 10 tickets costs 6,500 yen
• Family baths: 1,800 yen for a 75-minute private session (1,600 yen for members). A separate bathing fee is required for each person. Reservations are by telephone only (0957-50-1126). You can also use them on the day without a booking if a room is free, but as the bath water is changed each time, preparation takes 20-30 minutes. The last bathing session starts at 20:00 from Sunday to Thursday and at 21:00 on Fridays and Saturdays (reception in both cases closes 30 minutes earlier)
• Towels and amenities: Body soap and shampoo with conditioner are provided. Bath towels can be rented for 180 yen and face towels are sold for 180 yen
• Tattoos: People with tattoos may not use the large public baths. The family baths are available to them, so it is best to book by telephone before visiting
• Children: Mixed bathing with children is allowed up to age 6. Children aged 7 and over may not bathe with the opposite sex under the prefectural ordinance
• Open-air bath: Yes (Hokobaru no Yu on the 1st floor). There is a tower sauna on the 2nd floor
• Access (by car): From the Isahaya direction, head north on National Route 34 and turn left at the Nagasaki Airport sign. From the Sasebo direction, head south on National Route 34 and turn right at the same sign. From Omura IC, cross National Route 34 and turn left at the Nagasaki Airport sign
• Access (by bus): From the Isahaya direction, take a bus bound for Nagasaki Airport and get off at the "Sunspa Omura" bus stop. From the Sasebo direction, take a bus bound for Nagasaki Airport and get off at "Unten Shikenjo-mae"
• Parking: The facility has a car park. It can fill up on weekends, public holidays and long holidays, so using public transport is recommended
• Omura Park: The address is 1-43 Kushima, Omura City, with parking for 134 cars (free). Temporary car parks are set up during the flower festival period
• How long to allow: 1-2 hours for a bath and a meal. Half a day if you add a stroll around Omura Park
• To avoid the crowds: It tends to be busy during the cherry blossom and Japanese iris seasons, and during the daytime on weekends and public holidays. Weekday mornings and the later hours on Fridays and Saturdays are relatively relaxed
• Location: 663-3 Morizono-machi, Omura City, Nagasaki Prefecture (at the entrance to Nagasaki Airport). The telephone number for Natural Hot Spring Omura Yunoka is 0957-50-1126

Sources of Information

The name of the spring quality, the source temperature, pH, total dissolved substances, benefits and bathing precautions are compiled from the hot spring (spring quality) page of the official Sunspa Omura website. The opening hours, bathing fees, ticket books, family baths, towels, the policy on tattoos and the swapping of the men's and women's baths come from the "Natural Hot Spring Yunoka" page and Q&A on the same site; the origins of the names Hokobaru and Minoshima and the background of Nagasaki Airport come from the explanation of the open-air bath on that page; and access by car and bus comes from the transport access page of the same site. For the varieties and number of cherry trees in Omura Park, the number of Japanese iris plants, the best viewing seasons, the parking and the park's selections, we referred to the Omura Park page on the official Omura City website. Details are subject to change, so please check the official information before you set out.