Tsukioka Onsen: Day-Use Hot Spring Baths & Prices

Rising in clouds of steam amid the rice fields of Shibata City, Tsukioka Onsen is one of Niigata's representative hot spring resorts, renowned for its emerald-green, sulfur-rich waters. Its silky texture has earned it a reputation as a "beauty bath" said to be gentle on the skin, and one of the most convenient things about this town is that you can sample the famous water at the public bathhouse or the free foot baths without staying at an inn. The calm hot spring street is lined with souvenir shops and places to snack as you stroll.

Highlights

Beyond the striking color of the water itself, the town glows with atmospheric lighting after dark. Many shops offer a taste of local breweries and crafts, making the streets a pleasure to wander. The emerald-green water, rich in sulfur, is loved for leaving skin smooth after a soak.

They Were Drilling for Oil, and Hot Water Came Out

Tsukioka Onsen opened in 1915 (Taisho 4). Among Japan's famous hot springs that makes it relatively new, and its beginning was not hot spring development at all but oil drilling. From the Meiji into the Taisho era, Niigata was known as one of Japan's leading oil-producing regions, and around Tsukioka wells were being sunk deep in search of oil. What they struck, however, was not oil but scalding water. The Tsukioka Onsen Ryokan Association also describes this as the starting point of the resort, saying it "began as a therapeutic bathing site after a hot spring was discovered by chance while drilling for oil." The fact that the water rises from a deep oil-field zone is what gives it its distinctive, sulfur-laden character.

Getting Along with a Sulfur Spring

The spring quality is a sulfur-bearing sodium chloride spring (weakly alkaline, hypotonic, high-temperature), with a source temperature of 51°C. The Tsukioka Onsen Ryokan Association describes it as "a sulfur spring boasting the highest mineral content in the country," and the greenish tint of the water also comes from its sulfur content. Because the way the color reads changes with the light and the weather, the water gives a different impression by day and by night.

Sulfur springs will discolor metal, so it is safest to remove rings, necklaces, and other precious-metal items in the changing room before you bathe. White towels can pick up color too, so bring something you do not mind staining, or use a towel bought or rented locally and save yourself the worry.

Drinking the "Self-Proclaimed Worst-Tasting Hot Spring in Japan"

The hot spring town has three free spots where you can touch the water. First is "Gensen no Mori," laid out on the site where the spring was first opened. It has a hand bath and a water-pouring statue, and its main attraction is something rare nationwide: you can drink the sulfur spring water here. The ryokan association bills it as the "self-proclaimed worst-tasting hot spring in Japan," and you can experience the aroma and taste of sulfur just as they are. Open 8:00–22:00, no closing days, free.

Next is the foot bath "Ashiyu Yutabi." It is paired with "Tsukimidai," a performance stage where you can watch entertainment and exhibitions, and the information hall "Flat," and at night it is lit by Japanese-umbrella lanterns. The third is the sightseeing garden "Tsukiakari no Niwa," where rows of andon lanterns with Japanese patterns line the corridor of a Japanese garden, turning the scene dreamlike from dusk.

No account of Tsukioka at night is complete without its geisha. Even as geisha culture has thinned in region after region, Tsukioka Onsen still has close to 30 geisha on its rolls. The fee structure for inviting them to a banquet is the same across the inns, and arrangements are made through your lodging.

Enjoying the Seasons

From spring into summer the countryside turns lush green, autumn brings the harvest, and winter offers a quiet scene of snow and rising steam. A relaxing stay awaits in any season.

Access and Basic Information

Direct buses run from JR Niigata Station and JR Shibata Station, and access by car is straightforward as well; it is about 15 minutes from the Toyosaka Niigata Higashiko IC on the Nihonkai-Tohoku Expressway. The water is a sulfur-bearing sodium chloride spring, warming the body to the core and helping it stay warm after bathing.

Practical Information

• Spring quality: Sulfur-bearing sodium chloride spring (weakly alkaline, hypotonic, high-temperature)
• Source temperature: 51°C
• Indications: As general indications, neuralgia, muscle pain, joint pain, frozen shoulder, motor paralysis, joint stiffness, bruises, sprains, chronic digestive disorders, hemorrhoids, and sensitivity to cold. As indications specific to the spring quality, cuts, burns, chronic skin conditions, frailty in children, chronic women's ailments, diabetes, and beautiful skin.
• Day bathing (public bathhouse Bijin-no-Izumi): 10:00–21:30 (reception closes 20:30) / adults 550 yen, children 330 yen
• Closed: Bijin-no-Izumi is closed on Tuesdays and the third Wednesday
• Parking: 40 spaces for standard cars at Bijin-no-Izumi. "Tsukiakari no Niwa" also has a free lot with 10 spaces
• Drinking the water: You can drink the sulfur spring water at "Gensen no Mori." Open 8:00–22:00, no closing days, free
• Free foot bath: "Ashiyu Yutabi" is open 8:00–21:00, year-round, free of charge. It has toilets, a women's changing area, vending machines, and tourist information, and towels are sold for 100 yen each at the neighboring "Hisagoso" and "Yuasobi Yado Akebono," so you can drop in empty-handed
• Free garden: "Tsukiakari no Niwa" is open 8:00–22:00 (lanterns lit 17:00–22:00), no closing days, free of charge
• What to bring: Take off precious metals. Avoid towels you would mind discoloring
• Access (direct bus): The direct bus operated by Niigata Kotsu between JR Niigata Station and Tsukioka Onsen takes about 60 minutes and costs 1,500 yen for both adults and children. Departures from Niigata Station are at 13:00 and 15:30 (from the chartered-bus stop at the station's south exit), and from Tsukioka Onsen at 10:15 and 14:10 (beside the Imai entrance). The JR Shibata Station–Tsukioka Onsen service takes about 25 minutes and costs 500 yen for adults and 300 yen for children, departing Shibata Station at 10:50 and 15:30 and Tsukioka Onsen at 10:20 and 11:15. No reservation is needed; seats are first-come, first-served (maximum 50 people), and paying in cash is the sure bet (PayPay can be used on some services)
• Bus route changes: The shuttle bus that linked JR Toyosaka Station with Tsukioka Onsen was suspended on July 24, 2025, and the direct Niigata Station and Shibata Station buses above began operating the following day, the 25th
• Access (by car): About 15 minutes from the Toyosaka Niigata Higashiko IC on the Nihonkai-Tohoku Expressway
• Address: Public bathhouse Bijin-no-Izumi / 403-8 Tsukioka, Shibata City, Niigata Prefecture (tel. 0254-32-1365)
• Time to allow: About an hour for bathing alone. Half a day if you add the foot baths and snacking your way along the hot spring street
• To avoid the crowds: The public bathhouse tends to see overnight guests and local users overlap from evening into night, while weekday mornings through early afternoon are comparatively calm

Practical Travel Notes

The resort has a public bath called Bijin-no-Izumi, where you can easily enjoy the emerald-green water in an indoor bath. Admission is 550 yen for adults, and it generally opens from about 10 a.m. into the evening, with Tuesdays and the third Wednesday listed as closing days. Confirm the latest schedule before your visit. Foot baths, sake breweries, and shops selling sweets and local sake dot the streets, so you can pair bath-hopping with snacking. Because it is a sulfur spring, towels and metal jewelry may discolor, so keep that in mind.

A Quick Tip

The color of the water shifts with the light, so try bathing both in daytime and after dark. The spring keeps you warm well after bathing, making it ideal for a leisurely walk around town afterward.

📚 Sources

The spring quality, source temperature, indications, and the story of how the spring was opened come from the official website of the Tsukioka Onsen Ryokan Association (its hot spring introduction page and top page). The opening hours, bathing fees, closing days, and number of parking spaces for the public bathhouse "Bijin-no-Izumi" come from the facility information on "Niigata Kanko Navi," the official tourism site of the Niigata Prefecture Tourism Association. The address, telephone number, and access by car come from the facility guide on "Shibata Kanko Guide," the tourism site of Shibata City. The hours, fees, facilities, and drinking water at the "Yutabi" foot bath, "Gensen no Mori," and "Tsukiakari no Niwa," the timetables, fares, and stops for the direct buses, the suspension of the shuttle bus, and the number of Tsukioka geisha were compiled from the official website of the Tsukioka Onsen Ryokan Association (its pages on the walkable hot spring town, access, Tsukioka geisha, and Chikatabi). Details are subject to change, so please check official sources before visiting.

Practical Information for Your Visit

• Spring quality: Sulfur-containing sodium chloride spring (weakly alkaline, hypotonic, high-temperature spring)
• Source temperature: 51 degrees
• Indications: As general indications, neuralgia, muscle pain, joint pain, frozen shoulder, motor paralysis, stiffness of the joints, bruises, sprains, chronic digestive complaints, hemorrhoids and sensitivity to cold. As indications specific to the spring quality, cuts, burns, chronic skin conditions, frailty in children, chronic women's complaints, diabetes and beautiful skin
• Day-use bathing (the public bathhouse Bijin no Izumi): 10:00-21:30 (reception closes at 20:30) / 550 yen for adults and 330 yen for children
• Closed days: Bijin no Izumi is closed on Tuesdays and the third Wednesday of the month
• Parking: Bijin no Izumi has space for 40 ordinary cars. Tsuki Akari no Niwa also has a free car park with 10 spaces
• Drinking the water: At Gensen no Mori you can drink the sulfur spring water. Open 8:00-22:00, no closing days, free of charge
• Free footbath: Ashiyu Yutabi is open from 8:00 to 21:00, all year round, free of charge. It has toilets, a women's changing room, vending machines and tourist information, and towels are sold for 100 yen each at neighboring establishments such as Hisagoso and Yuasobi no Yado Akebono, so you can drop in empty-handed
• Free garden: Tsuki Akari no Niwa is open from 8:00 to 22:00 (the paper lanterns are lit from 17:00 to 22:00), with no closing days and no admission fee
• What to bring: Take off any precious metal jewelry, and avoid towels you would mind being discolored
• Access (direct bus): The direct bus operated by Niigata Kotsu between JR Niigata Station and Tsukioka Onsen takes about 60 minutes and costs 1,500 yen for both adults and children. Departures from Niigata Station are at 13:00 and 15:30 (from the chartered bus stop at the south exit of Niigata Station), and departures from Tsukioka Onsen are at 10:15 and 14:10 (beside the Imai entrance). The service between JR Shibata Station and Tsukioka Onsen takes about 25 minutes and costs 500 yen for adults and 300 yen for children, departing Shibata Station at 10:50 and 15:30 and Tsukioka Onsen at 10:20 and 11:15. No reservation is required for either service and seats are first-come, first-served (maximum 50 passengers); cash is the safest way to pay (PayPay can also be used on some services)
• Changes to bus routes: The shuttle bus that linked JR Toyosaka Station with Tsukioka Onsen was suspended on July 24, 2025, and from the following day, the 25th, the direct buses from Niigata Station and Shibata Station described above began operating
• Access (by car): About 15 minutes from Toyosaka-Niigata-Higashiko IC on the Nihonkai-Tohoku Expressway
• Address: Public bathhouse Bijin no Izumi / 403-8 Tsukioka, Shibata City, Niigata Prefecture (phone 0254-32-1365)
• How long to allow: About an hour if you are just bathing, or half a day if you add the footbaths and some snacking around the hot spring town
• To avoid the crowds: At the public bathhouse, guests staying overnight and local residents tend to overlap from early evening into the night, while weekday mornings through early afternoon are relatively calm

Information Sources

The spring quality, source temperature and indications, as well as the circumstances of the spring's founding, come from the official website of the Tsukioka Onsen Ryokan Association (the hot spring pages and the top page); the opening hours, bathing fee, closing days and number of parking spaces for the public bathhouse Bijin no Izumi come from the facility information on Niigata Kanko Navi, the official tourism site of the Niigata Prefecture Tourism Association; and the address, telephone number and access by car come from the facility listing on Shibata Kanko Guide, the tourism site of Shibata City. The opening hours, fees, facilities and drinking water at the Yutabi footbath, Gensen no Mori and Tsuki Akari no Niwa, the timetable, fares and boarding points for the direct buses and the suspension of the shuttle bus, and the number of Tsukioka geisha currently active were compiled from the official website of the Tsukioka Onsen Ryokan Association (the pages on strolling the hot spring town, access, Tsukioka geisha and Chikatabi). Details are subject to change, so please check the official information before you set out.