Kawaji Onsen: Day-Use Hot Spring Baths & Prices

This hot spring rises in a gorge where the Ojika and Kinugawa rivers meet, deep in the mountains of Nikko City. Said to have been discovered in the Edo period, it has long been known as a healing spa, with an old saying that wounds are cured at Kawaji. Tucked a little beyond Kinugawa Onsen, it has a calm and settled atmosphere.

Highlights

At the riverside public open-air bath known as Yakushi-no-Yu, you can soak while listening to the murmur of the water. The smooth alkaline simple spring water is low in stimulation and gentle on the skin. Unlike larger resorts, the area has many small inns, making it well suited to those who want a quiet stay.

Enjoying the Seasons

The fresh greenery and autumn foliage seasons paint the gorge in beautiful colors, and the scenery reflected on the river is a highlight. Summer brings a cool river breeze, while winter offers bathing with views of snow-dusted mountains. Strolling the nearby Ryuokyo gorge before a soak is also recommended.

Access and Basic Information

The area is within walking distance of Kawajiyumoto Station on the Yagan Railway and is close to Kinugawa Onsen Station, making it easy to visit. By car, take the Nikko Utsunomiya Road and head north on National Route 121. The municipal public bath Yakushi-no-Yu has long been a hub for day-use bathing, but due to equipment trouble it has been temporarily closed since June 2026, with no set date for reopening. If a drop-in bath is your aim, it is reassuring to check in advance which inns accept day-use bathers.

Practical Travel Notes

Kawaji is a hot spring town whose quiet is its strength, set a little apart from the bustle of Kinugawa Onsen. The walking trail leading from Ryuokyo to Kawaji is a rewarding one-way route, a comfortable distance for a hike that lets you enjoy the beauty of the gorge. The flow of soaking after a walk feels wonderful, so comfortable shoes are reassuring. While the public bath is closed, you will need to use an inn that offers day-use bathing, with fees from a few hundred yen to the low thousands and reception hours that vary by inn. Fresh greenery peaks around May and foliage from late October into early November, when the gorge is at its most colorful. Allow about half a day to a full day for a stroll combined with a bath.

A Quick Tip

The walking trail leading from Ryuokyo to Kawaji is rewarding, and the hot spring afterward feels especially good. Come in comfortable shoes to better enjoy the beauty of the gorge. The public bath is sometimes closed, so check the operating status before your visit.

Practical Information for Your Visit

• Spring quality: Simple hot spring (weakly alkaline, hypotonic). Colourless, clear, tasteless and odourless, it is gentle on the skin and is said to suit neuralgia, joint pain, chronic digestive complaints, burns, sensitivity to cold and recovery from fatigue
• Current status of the public bathhouse Yakushi-no-Yu: Temporarily closed since June 2, Reiwa 8, due to equipment failure. There is no set date for reopening
• Yakushi-no-Yu under normal operation: Open 10:00 to 20:00 (last admission 19:30); the mixed open-air bath closes at 18:00. Closed on Wednesdays (the following day when Wednesday is a public holiday), and the mixed open-air bath is closed from December 1 to March 31. The sauna inside the building is out of use for the time being because of equipment problems
• Bathing fees at Yakushi-no-Yu (revised April 1, Reiwa 8): For the men's and women's baths, 1,000 yen for visitors from junior high school age to 64 (500 yen for Nikko City residents), 1,000 yen for those aged 65 and over (300 yen for residents), 700 yen for children from age 4 to elementary school age (250 yen for residents), and free of charge for children under 4. A private bath costs 4,000 yen for 50 minutes
• Fee waivers at Yakushi-no-Yu: Bathing is free of charge if you show a physical disability certificate, a rehabilitation certificate, a mental disability certificate or a fee-exemption card at reception (private baths are not included). The whole building is non-smoking
• Day bathing while Yakushi-no-Yu is closed: The Kinugawa and Kawaji Onsen day-trip hot spring map issued by the Nikko City Tourism Association lists Yukemuri-no-Sato Kashiwaya and Iwaiyado Juan in Kawaji Onsen. Both accept day visitors only during limited afternoon hours and may turn you away if they are busy or the inn's schedule does not allow it, so phone ahead before you go. A separate bathing tax may apply
• Foot baths: Musubi-no-Yu and Kawajii-no-Yu at Kawaji Fureai Park are free of charge, open 9:00 to 18:00, all year round. They are at 45 Kawaji Onsen Takahara, Nikko City
• Getting there (by rail): From Kawaji-Yumoto Station on the Yagan Railway Aizu-Kinugawa Line it is about a 10-minute walk to Yakushi-no-Yu and about a 15-minute walk to the foot baths at Kawaji Fureai Park
• Footwear: The hot spring town is split between the two banks of the Ojika River, and you cross bridges to move between them. The walking path leading to Ryuo Gorge has steps and slopes, so trainers are advisable if you plan to combine a walk with your visit
• How long to allow: About 1 hour if you only take a bath; half a day to a full day if you add a walk in Ryuo Gorge
• Best times: Fresh green foliage around May, autumn colours from late October to early November
• Nearby: Ryuo Gorge, Kawaji Dam, Lake Ikari and Kinugawa Onsen
• Address and inquiries for Yakushi-no-Yu: 278-2 Kawaji Onsen Kawaji, Nikko City, tel. 0288-78-0229 (for questions about the facility, contact the Fujihara Tourism Division of Nikko City, 0288-76-4111)

Sources of This Information

The temporary closure of Yakushi-no-Yu (since June 2, Reiwa 8, with no reopening date), the bathing fees revised on April 1, Reiwa 8, the opening hours and closing days, the winter closure of the mixed open-air bath, the suspension of the sauna, the spring quality, the address and access were confirmed on the Kawaji Onsen Yakushi-no-Yu page of the Nikko City official website. The hours, charges and location of the Musubi-no-Yu and Kawajii-no-Yu foot baths also come from the same city website. The history of how the spring was opened, its links with the Aizu Nishi Kaido highway and the walking path leading to Ryuo Gorge come from Nikko Tabi Navi, the city's tourism site, while the saying that Kawaji heals wounds and Taki heals burns, and the inns that accept day visitors, come from the Kinugawa and Kawaji Onsen day-trip hot spring map issued by the Nikko City Tourism Association. Prices and operating status may change, so please check official sources before you set out.