Meiken Onsen: Day-Use Hot Spring Baths & Prices (Toyama)

Reached by continuing on foot along a mountain path from Keyakidaira, the terminus of the Kurobe Gorge Railway, Meiken Onsen is a lone secluded inn cradled by sheer ravine walls. The roar of the Kurobe River just below and the open-air bath wrapped in rising steam carry visitors briefly away from everyday life. With only Japanese-style rooms, the small inn is wrapped in the quiet unique to a secluded spring.

Highlights

The pride of the inn is its open-air bath overlooking the gorge. Surrounded by cliffs and virgin forest, it faces landmarks such as Okane Bridge and Hitokui-iwa across the water. The water is a simple sulfur spring (hydrogen-sulfide type), and the source is hot. Wrapped in a sulfurous scent, it gently eases the tiredness of a mountain hike. Said to be good for neuralgia and rheumatism, it offers the very feel of a mountain bath.

Enjoying the Seasons

In step with the Kurobe Gorge Railway schedule, the inn operates from the fresh-green season through the late-autumn foliage. It draws hikers seeking cool air in summer and bathers admiring the brocade-colored gorge in autumn. In winter the trolley suspends service and the inn closes, so checking the operating period is essential.

Access and Basic Information

Take the Kurobe Gorge Railway to Keyakidaira, then walk about fifteen minutes along a mountain path. Trails toward the Babadani area branch off along the way. Both overnight stays and day-use bathing are offered, with day-use reception generally until around two in the afternoon. Visit with time to spare.

Practical Travel Notes

The trolley to Keyakidaira takes roughly an hour or more one way, so pinning down the first departure on the Unazuki Onsen side and the last return from Keyakidaira in advance is reassuring. The walking section is an unpaved mountain path, so sturdy shoes are essential. As the elevation rises the temperature is cooler, so something to throw on is useful even in summer. Since shops are limited, preparing drinks and light snacks in advance is wise. For day-use bathing, planning your route working backward from both the trolley times and the reception cutoff avoids any mishap.

A Quick Tip

Do not forget sturdy shoes and a jacket. Checking the time of the last trolley in advance makes planning your descent much easier. For day-use bathing, plan a route with time to spare so you arrive within reception hours. Since the gorge weather changes quickly, having rain gear along is also reassuring.

Practical Information for Your Visit

• Spring quality: Simple sulphur spring
• Reputed benefits: Neuralgia, muscle pain and chronic dermatitis
• Source temperature: 81.2 degrees Celsius
• How the water is used: Free-flowing water straight from the source. Water is added because it is so hot
• Open-air bath: Yes (men's and women's). The indoor baths are rock baths, with men's and women's baths
• Private bath: There is an open-air private bath, free of charge and for overnight guests only
• Day-use bathing: The official website of the Association to Protect Japan's Secret Hot Springs lists 10:00 to 15:00 at 770 yen for adults and 600 yen for children. Check with the inn before your visit, together with whether it is open
• Season of operation: Only from late May to mid-November. In winter the Kurobe Gorge Railway does not run, so the inn closes as well
• Accommodation rates: From 16,500 yen per person per night with two meals (service charge and tax included, bathing tax extra). The rooms are Japanese-style, from 6 to 14 tatami mats, with some rooms having a toilet and some not. There are 11 rooms in all
• Access: About 20 minutes on foot from Keyakidaira Station on the Kurobe Gorge Railway. You walk along an unpaved mountain path, so proper walking shoes are essential
• Underfoot: A mountain path along a cliff, with ups and downs. It is not suitable for pushchairs or wheelchairs
• What to bring: The altitude is higher and temperatures are lower, so it is reassuring to have something to put on even in summer. The weather in the gorge changes easily, so rain gear is also a good idea
• Planning your itinerary: If you are visiting for the day, plan by working backwards from three things: the departure time of the torokko sightseeing train from Unazuki, the last train from Keyakidaira, and the closing time for bathing reception
• Address: Keyakidaira, Unazuki-machi, Kurobe City, Toyama Prefecture (the reservation office is at 198-1 Inuyama, Kurobe City, tel. 0765-52-1355)

Information Sources

The spring quality, reputed benefits and layout of the baths, the accommodation rates, the season of operation (late May to mid-November), the fact that operation in the 2026 season is undecided, and the background to the restoration work on Kanetsuri Bridge following the Noto Peninsula Earthquake were confirmed on the official website of Meiken Onsen. The source temperature of 81.2 degrees Celsius, the free-flowing water from the source and whether water is added, the hours and fees for day-use bathing, and the number of rooms are taken from the facility information on the official website of the Association to Protect Japan's Secret Hot Springs. The shuttle service turning back at Nekomata Station until 30 September 2026 and the resumption of services on the whole line from 1 October, the roughly 20-minute walk from Keyakidaira Station to Meiken Onsen, and the closure of the Sarutobikyo walking trail are taken from the official website of the Kurobe Gorge Railway. The point that the private bath is free of charge and for overnight guests only was taken from the tourism information of the Kurobe and Unazuki Onsen Tourist Office. Details are subject to change, so please check the official information before you set out.