Komori Onsen: Day-Use Hot Spring Baths & Prices

Rising in Kibichuo, Komori Onsen is a historic domain bath said to have been established as a healing spot by Ikeda Tsugumasa, lord of the Okayama domain, in 1732. Once built as a major undertaking of the domain, it preserves that heritage to this day. Though it lapsed once as the water cooled, drilling after the war brought the spring back to life.

Highlights

The water is a soft alkaline simple spring, clear and colorless, cherished as a beauty bath that smooths the skin. It is a plain single inn with only an indoor bath and no open-air pool, but in its quiet mountain setting you can face the water at your leisure.

Enjoying the Seasons

The surroundings are a green corner of the Kibi Highlands. Fresh spring leaves, cool summer breezes, and autumn foliage color the post-bath stroll through the seasons. The stillness far from the city bustle is the finest treat of all.

Access and Basic Information

Located in Komori, Kibichuo, Okayama. It sits in a peaceful mountain fold reached by driving north from central Okayama. Day-use bathing lets you sample the vestiges of the domain bath with ease.

A Quick Tip

Because the source runs on the cool side, warm up slowly in the heated water. The surroundings are rich in nature, so allow plenty of time to enjoy a quiet interlude.

Practical Travel Notes

• Spring quality: An alkaline simple spring (a mild, tepid alkaline type). The source is about 28 degrees, on the low side, so it is served heated. It is a soft, skin-smoothing beauty bath.
• History: Ikeda Tsugumasa, lord of the Okayama domain, is said to have opened the healing spot in 1732. Today it is a single inn offering stays and day-use bathing, with an indoor bath only and no open-air pool.
• Access: About 25 minutes by car from the Kayo interchange on the Okayama Expressway. It lies in a mountain fold roughly 70 minutes by bus from JR Okayama Station.
• Day-use fees and hours may change, so please check the latest information before visiting.

Practical Information for Your Visit

• Spring quality: Alkaline simple spring (mildly alkaline lukewarm spring). pH 9.4, colourless, clear and almost odourless
• Source temperature: A lukewarm spring at 28.1 degrees
• Indications: Rheumatism, motor impairments of the bones and joints, aftercare of traumatic injuries, muscle pain, neuralgia, recovery from fatigue, and atopic dermatitis
• Day-trip bathing hours: Weekdays 11:00-17:00 (varies depending on the day), public holidays and Sundays 11:00-17:00
• Bathing fee: 610 yen for adults, 450 yen for children (tax included, for about one hour of use)
• Closing days: Irregular closures 3 to 5 times a month. There can also be unscheduled closures, so if you are coming from far away it is safest to call (0867-34-0015) to check before setting out
• Plans with a rest room and a meal: A 2-hour course from 11:00 to 15:00 costs from 2,800 yen (a mini kaiseki meal and the bathing fee included, reservation required). Private use of a room from 11:00 to 15:00 costs from 7,000 yen (for two people or more, reservation by phone)
• Accommodation: From 9,700 yen to 11,700 yen per night with two meals (reservation required)
• Taking the hot spring water home: Free of charge, for guests only
• Address: 245 Komori, Kibichuo-cho, Kaga-gun, Okayama Prefecture
• Access: From JR Okayama Station, take the Chutetsu Bus bound for Komori Onsen. By car, 25 km from the Okayama-Soja IC on the Okayama Expressway via National Routes 180 and 429. From Fukiwatari Station on the JR Tsuyama Line, 30 minutes by taxi
• Parking: Available
• How long to allow: About one hour if you only take a bath; two hours if you use a rest course with a meal
• To avoid the crowds: The bathhouse is small, so early afternoons on Saturdays and Sundays tend to be busy. Weekday afternoons are the most relaxed
• What to bring: This is a lone inn deep in the hills, so it is reassuring to have cash with you
• Nearby: Ukankei Gorge, Sankyu Park (20 minutes by car), Makiba no Yakata (35 minutes by car), Enjo Furusato Village, the Enjo roadside station (5 minutes by car), and Bitchu Matsuyama Castle

Sources of the Information

The legend of the spring's discovery, the creation of the therapeutic bathing place by Ikeda Tsugumasa in Kyoho 17 (1732) and the major construction works run directly by the domain up to Kyoho 18, the size of the bathhouse, the drilling survey of Showa 28-29 (1953-1954) and the ceremony marking its restoration and development, the spring quality of alkaline simple spring (mildly alkaline lukewarm spring), the spring temperature of 28.1 degrees, the pH of 9.4, the indications and the date of the water analysis, the bathing fee and bathing hours, the prices of the rest courses and of accommodation, the irregular closing days, the transport information and taking the hot spring water home were all confirmed on the official website of Komori Onsen. The address, telephone number, availability of parking and the bus route from Okayama Station are based on the spot information on Okayama Kanko WEB, run by the Okayama Prefectural Tourism Federation, and on the Kibichuo Town tourism guide. Prices and opening hours are subject to change, so please check the official information before you set out.