Ogose Onsen: Day-Use Hot Spring Baths & Prices (Saitama)

Welling up in Ogose, known as the town of plum blossoms, Ogose Onsen is a quiet hot spring wrapped in tranquil countryside scenery. In a setting where the nature of every season feels close at hand, it is a perfect place for anyone who wants to enjoy the water at leisure. Ogose was also the first town in Japan to declare itself a Town of Hiking, and many visitors combine mountain walks or flower viewing with a hot spring.

Highlights

The highlight is the peaceful countryside scenery surrounding it on all sides. Though it makes no showy display, you can soak slowly in a calm atmosphere that blends into nature. Ogose is famous for its plum groves, and many visitors come to enjoy the seasonal flowers together with the hot spring.

Enjoying the Seasons

The spring plums are a landscape that represents Ogose, when the whole area is wrapped in the scent of blossoms. Ogose Bairin is counted among the three great plum groves of the Kanto region, with many plum trees in bloom across grounds of about 40 hectares. Early-summer green, autumn foliage, and winter clear air each hold their own charm, and a post-bath stroll is one of the pleasures too. Kurayama Santaki, three waterfalls tied to mountain asceticism, are also a sight worth visiting through the seasons.

Access and Basic Information

The nearest station is Ogose, served by the JR Hachiko Line and the Tobu Ogose Line, from which you can reach the area by car or bus. If you drive, parking is provided, and centered on day use it is cherished by locals as well. The area is dotted with sights such as Ogose Bairin, Kurayama Santaki, and temples and shrines tied to Ota Dokan. Hours and prices vary by facility, so checking in advance is reassuring.

Practical Travel Notes

Popularity rises especially during the plum-viewing season (typically mid-February to mid-March) and the autumn foliage. To combine with hiking, working up a sweat on the trails and then finishing with a hot spring is recommended. Allow half a day for strolling and two to three hours for a bath and rest. The area has roadside stations and shops selling plum-themed specialties, so choosing souvenirs after your bath is a pleasure too. Budget roughly a few thousand yen with a meal added to the bathing fee.

A Quick Tip

Popularity rises especially during the plum-viewing season. If you want to enjoy both flowers and hot springs at once, visiting early in the day and spending time slowly is recommended. With well-kept hiking courses too, setting out in easy-to-move clothing lets you enjoy Ogose more deeply.

Practical Information for Your Visit

• Spring quality: A strongly alkaline spring with a pH of 10.3. The faintly milky-white water has earned it the name "the bath of fair skin"
• Opening hours: 9:00-21:00 (last entry 20:30)
• Closed: Open all year round
• Bathing fee: Adults (junior high school age and above) 800 yen on weekdays, 600 yen on weekdays after 17:00, and 1,000 yen on Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays. Children (age 4 to elementary school age) 400 yen; preschool children aged 3 and under free of charge
• Multi-ticket book: A book of 11 tickets for 8,800 yen
• Towels: A towel set is sold for 300 yen
• Open-air bath: Yes. It can be used together with the indoor baths
• Tattoos: People with tattoos (including body paint and stick-on designs) may not use the baths. The same applies to anyone who is heavily intoxicated or has a contagious illness
• Coming with children: Guests are asked to refrain from mixed bathing with children aged 7 and over (revised October 1, 2022)
• Meals: "Kaachan Shokudo" inside the building is open 11:30-15:00 (last order 14:30) and 16:00-20:00 (last order 19:30)
• Events: On days with a "3" in the date each month there are triple points and a limited menu, and on days with a "9" there is a lottery event
• Parking: 430 spaces, free of charge
• Wheelchairs and strollers: Wheelchairs are available to borrow inside the building (free of charge, limited number), and there is a multipurpose toilet on the first floor as well as a restroom with a diaper-changing area. It is reassuring to enquire in advance before your visit
• Access: By car from Ogose Station, served by the JR Hachiko Line and the Tobu Ogose Line. About 25 minutes from Tsurugashima IC on the Kan-etsu Expressway
• Location: 700 Furuike, Ogose Town, Iruma District, Saitama Prefecture
• Time needed: About 1 hour for a bath, or 2-3 hours including a meal and a rest
• Crowds: Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays cost more and tend to be busy, while weekdays after 17:00 are cheaper

Information Sources

The opening hours, bathing fees, multi-ticket book, towel set, closing days, tattoo policy and age limit for mixed bathing at Ume no Yu, the hours of Kaachan Shokudo, and the strongly alkaline pH 10.3 water and location were confirmed on the "Day-use bathing: Natural Hot Spring Ume no Yu" page of the New Sunpia Saitama Ogose official website. The fact that it has been presented as a natural hot spring since August 2020, that the 430 parking spaces are free of charge, and the availability of wheelchair loans, a multipurpose toilet and a diaper-changing area come from the frequently asked questions on the same website. The area and number of trees at the Ogose Plum Grove are from the Ogose Town tourist information, and the declaration as Japan's first "Town of Hiking" (April 29, 2016 / Heisei 28) was confirmed in an announcement on the Ogose Town official website. Details are subject to change, so please check the official information before you set out.