Natural Onsen Sashiki no Ujin no Yu: Day-Use Hot Spring

This day-use hot spring is attached to Yuinchi Hotel Nanjo, which stands on a hilltop in Sashiki, Nanjo City. The water is served fresh from the source with no filtering, reheating, or dilution, and from a hill about one hundred fifty meters above sea level you can take in the southern sea in a single sweep.

Highlights

The wide panorama seen from the large bath and the relaxation room feels like the view from a castle. Sinking into the soft, free-flowing source water lets the tension slip from your shoulders. The building also has a dining hall and resting spaces, so you can spend a relaxed full day here.

Enjoying the Seasons

In the warm season it is pleasant to feel the sea breeze on the terrace after bathing. In summer an early morning bath is refreshing, while in winter a long, slow soak in the warm water is the way to go. Because it opens early, starting your day with a morning bath is also an option. On a clear morning, the blue of sea and sky stands out especially well.

Access and Basic Information

The address is Sashiki Shinzato, Nanjo City. Nearby sights such as Gyokusendo Cave and the sacred site of Sefa Utaki make this an easy place to combine with sightseeing. Heading there by car from central Naha is convenient. It is open from 6:30 to 23:00, last entry 22:30, and day-use bathing needs no reservation. Day-use runs roughly 2,200 yen for adults including the bathing tax, with towel and in-house wear rental included. Please check the official site for the latest fees and hours.

Practical Travel Notes

A morning or late-afternoon bath is ideal, quietly overlooking the sea in the morning or enjoying the terrace breeze at dusk. Allow one to two hours for a bath and rest, or half a day including a meal at the dining hall. Nearby, Sefa Utaki, Nirai Kanai Bridge, and Gangala Valley and other Nanjo sights lie within driving range, making it a good base for touring the south. Since a towel and in-house wear are included, you can drop by empty handed.

A Quick Tip

Because it sits on a hill, on clear days the view reaches far into the distance. It is also perfect as a place to cool down after exploring the nearby World Heritage sites and beaches. Free-flowing water warms the body readily, so remember to sip water often.

Practical Information for Your Visit

• Character of the water: Ancient fossil seawater welling up from strata 2,119 to 1,500 metres below the surface. Its salt concentration is about 80 percent that of seawater, and the golden-coloured water is rich in metasilicic acid, calcium, iodine, iron and nutrient salts
• Reputed benefits: Neuralgia, muscle pain, joint pain, frozen shoulder, motor paralysis, stiff joints, bruises, sprains, chronic digestive complaints, haemorrhoids, chronic skin conditions, chronic gynaecological conditions, sensitivity to cold, frailty in children, cuts, burns, convalescence after illness, recovery from fatigue and general health promotion
• How the water is used: Free-flowing spring water with no filtration, heating or dilution whatsoever
• Opening hours: 6:30-23:00 every day (last admission 22:30). Being able to take a morning bath is a real strength
• Day-use bathing fee: 2,050 yen for adults plus 150 yen bathing tax, and 1,200 yen for elementary school children. Up to 2 preschool-age children per adult bathe free. A set of bath towels and relaxation wear is lent free of charge, so you can come empty-handed
• Hotel guests: Guests staying at the hotel use Enjin no Yu free of charge
• Saunas: A dry sauna for men, and a dry sauna and a mist sauna for women. There is also a cold bath
• View bath: There is a view bath that makes the most of the hilltop location
• Private baths: Two rooms, "Aiya" and "Kizuna," in the annex. They use the same free-flowing spring water as Enjin no Yu and have a living room and barrier-free fittings. Open every day 9:30-23:00 (last admission 21:30) in 90-minute slots. Advance reservation is required, made through the email form or at the Enjin no Yu front desk (098-947-0112, open 6:30-23:00)
• Private bath rates (90 minutes): Hotel guests pay 2,200 yen for adults and 1,200 yen for elementary school children. For non-staying visitors it is 6,000 yen for 1 person, 10,000 yen for 2, 12,000 yen for 3 and 14,000 yen for 4
• Tattoos: Tattoos of any size mean you cannot use the large public baths. You will need to use a private bath in the annex instead, so speak to the staff. The pool can be used if the tattoo is covered with a rash guard or similar
• Children in nappies: Children who wear nappies day to day cannot enter the baths. They use the showers and the baby bath provided in the large bathing area
• Payment methods: Credit cards (JCB, VISA, Mastercard, AMEX, DC, NICOS, Diners, UFJ, UnionPay and others) and electronic money (PayPay, au PAY, iD, WAON, nanaco, Edy and transport IC cards) are accepted
• Parking: About 400 spaces, free of charge
• Access (by car): About 20 minutes on local roads from the Haebaru-minami interchange on the Okinawa Expressway
• Access (by bus): A 3-minute walk from the "Kyuka Center" bus stop
• Time needed: 1-2 hours for a bath and a rest. Half a day if you also use the restaurant and the relaxation room
• To avoid the crowds: It opens at 6:30, so first thing in the morning is the quietest time
• Address: 1688 Sashiki Aza Shinzato, Nanjo City, Okinawa Prefecture

Combining It with the Surrounding Area

As a hot spring up on a hill, it suits the end of a day exploring southern Okinawa. Nanjo City's famous sights, such as Sefa-utaki, the Nirai Kanai Bridge and Gangala Valley, are all within driving distance.

Sources of Information

The way the water is used (free-flowing with no filtration, heating or dilution), the reputed benefits, the opening hours and last admission, the day-use bathing fees, the free loan of bath towels and relaxation wear, and the make-up of the saunas and view bath were confirmed on the natural hot spring page of the official website of Yuinchi Hotel Nanjo. The rates, hours, reservation method and barrier-free fittings of the private baths "Aiya" and "Kizuna" come from the private bath page of the same official website, while the rules on tattoos and children in nappies, the fact that the roughly 400 parking spaces are free, and the credit cards and electronic money accepted come from the FAQ on the same site. The depth of the source (2,119 to 1,500 metres underground), the strata dating from about 5 million and about 54 million years ago, the salt concentration of about 80 percent that of seawater and the components contained in the water come from announcements on the hotel's official website, while the address, the breakdown of the fees, the number of parking spaces, the travel time from the Haebaru-minami interchange and the walking time from the "Kyuka Center" bus stop were confirmed on the facility page of the Okinawa tourist information website "Okinawa Story." Fees and opening hours are subject to change, so please check official information before you go.