Hannyaji Onsen: Day-Use Hot Spring Baths & Prices

Standing in the mountains near Okutsu Onsen in Kagamino, Hannyaji Onsen is a historic bath said to have opened as a temple lodging. Reached on foot along a path ringed by bamboo, the riverside open-air bath truly lives up to the name of a hidden spring.

Highlights

From the riverside open-air bath you can look out at the Ayugaeshi Falls, one of the eight scenic views of Okutsu. The strongly alkaline simple spring is a gentle beauty bath, clear and colorless with a soft feel. Booked privately by the hour, it lets you face nature in peace to the sound of the falls.

Enjoying the Seasons

In the season of fresh greenery the bamboo and river dazzle, and in autumn foliage dyes the valley. The scene where the spray of the falls mingles with the steam is unforgettable. The valley changes its look with every season, inviting you back again and again.

Access and Basic Information

Located in Okutsu, Kagamino, Okayama. Head toward the Okutsu hot spring area from the Chugoku Expressway. The open-air bath is by reservation on a fully private basis. Hours and conditions vary with the season.

A Quick Tip

Because it is a private-booking bath, reserving ahead is the surest plan. The open-air bath is reached on foot, so comfortable clothing and shoes make the visit worry-free.

Practical Travel Notes

• Spring quality: A simple spring (low-tonicity, alkaline, high-temperature). The source is about 42 degrees and the pH is roughly 9.5, high enough to make a soft, skin-friendly beauty bath.
• Format of use: The former inn suspended operations in the spring of 2023, and today the main way to enjoy it is the riverside open-air bath, booked privately in one-hour blocks. Reservation is essential, and fees and reception times should be confirmed by inquiry.
• Beside the open-air bath is the Ayugaeshi Falls, one of the eight scenic views of Okutsu. As the bath is reached on foot, comfortable shoes are recommended.
• Operating status can change easily, so be sure to confirm the latest reception situation before visiting.

Practical Information for Your Visit

• Spring quality: Alkaline simple hot spring. It is said to be good for neuralgia, joint pain, recovery from fatigue and beautiful skin
• How it is used: Fully private hire by the hour. Advance booking and confirmation are required
• Prices: The bathing fee is 1,100 yen for junior high school students and above and 550 yen for elementary school students. On top of this there is a private hire charge of 1,100 yen per hour
• Opening hours: Roughly 10:00 to 17:00. The hours differ between summer and winter, and they may accept visitors outside these hours, so it is safest to discuss it by telephone
• Closing days: Irregular. As the opening days are limited, never set off on the spur of the moment without contacting them first
• Accommodation: Not currently offered; the facility operates for day-use bathing only
• Open-air bath: Yes. It sits beside the river with a close-up view of Ayugaeshi Falls
• Footing: You walk down a path through a bamboo grove to reach the open-air bath. Please visit in comfortable walking shoes
• Parking: 4 ordinary cars. As there are few spaces, it is reassuring to check when you book
• Access (by car): About 25 minutes from the Innosho interchange on the Chugoku Expressway
• Access (by public transport): About 60 minutes by bus bound for Ishikoshi from JR Tsuyama Station, getting off at the Obatake bus stop and walking about 10 minutes
• Guide to time required: One hour of private hire is the standard. If you combine it with a walk in the Okutsu Gorge, allow half a day for a relaxed visit
• Address: 20 Okutsu Kawanishi, Kagamino Town, Tomata District, Okayama Prefecture (TEL 0868-52-0602)

The Okutsu Gorge and Okutsu Onsen are nearby, and many people visit this area to combine the hot spring with the autumn foliage of the gorge.

Where this information comes from

The prices (bathing fee and private hire charge), opening hours, number of parking spaces, address, telephone number, access, the history of the bath opening as a temple lodging in the Meiji era, the fully private hire system and the proximity of Ayugaeshi Falls are all based on the Hannyaji Onsen page of Okayama Kanko WEB, the official Okayama Prefecture tourism website. The spring quality and its benefits, the irregular closing days, the fact that accommodation is not offered and that the opening hours differ between summer and winter were taken from the facility information on Mimasaka no Kuni, a tourism information site for the Mimasaka region. Opening days and prices are subject to change, so please check the official information before you set out.