Shogawa Onsen: Day-Use Hot Spring Baths & Prices

Inns dot the banks of the Shogawa, a first-class river flowing through Tonami City, forming the Shogawa Onsen district. Its charm lies in soaking leisurely to the murmur of the water amid scenery woven from dam lakes and ravines. Abundant nature and mountain-village cuisine welcome travelers.

Highlights

Upstream from the district lies the Shogawa Gorge, and a sightseeing boat lets you reach the secluded Omaki Onsen, accessible only by water. The waters are mainly bicarbonate and calcium springs, cherished as beauty-of-the-skin baths. At the Shogawa Mizu Memorial Park there is a footbath using natural hot spring water, letting you touch the waters casually. The area is also near Inami, renowned for its woodcarving, so a visit pairs well with a tour of traditional crafts. The Shogawa Gorge cruise pier is close too, making this an area to savor the scenery of water and ravine to the full.

Enjoying the Seasons

Cherry blossoms and fresh green in spring, river breezes in summer, and foliage coloring the gorge in autumn bring different scenery each season. In winter, the warm water feels all the more soothing amid a hushed snowscape.

Access and Basic Information

It is convenient to drive from the Tonami Interchange on the Hokuriku Expressway, and the boarding point for the Shogawa Gorge cruise is nearby. By rail, Tonami Station on the JR Johana Line serves as the nearest base. The inns are scattered along the river, each offering baths with its own character. Since water quality varies by inn, choosing to match your preference is recommended. Using day-use bathing or a footbath lets you enjoy the waters even without staying overnight.

Practical Travel Notes

The area is convenient by car and suits touring the cruise, Inami, and Tonami Tulip Park together. If you plan to combine your visit with the cruise, check the boat timetable first. Using a footbath or day-use bathing lets you enjoy the waters even without staying overnight. Since the water quality and presence of open-air baths differ by inn, looking into the facilities in advance heightens your satisfaction. Combining the gorge scenery, the boat trip to Omaki Onsen, and the crafts of Inami makes for a route that fills a full day.

A Quick Tip

If you plan to combine your visit with the cruise, check the boat timetable in advance. Adding a stroll through the woodcarving town of Inami makes for a fulfilling day. Since each inn uses its water differently, looking into the facilities first is reassuring if you care about open-air baths or water quality.

Practical Information for Your Visit

• Spring quality (Omaki Onsen): A blend of two sources, a chloride spring and a sulfate spring. The flow rate is 360 liters per minute, and the water is free-flowing from the source
• Indications (Omaki Onsen): Cuts, peripheral circulatory disorders, sensitivity to cold, depressive states and dry skin, as well as chronic joint and muscle pain, weakened gastrointestinal function and recovery from fatigue
• Baths at Omaki Onsen: The separate men's and women's open-air baths and terrace baths are open 6:00-21:00; the large bath and the women's medium bath are open 24 hours (cleaning from 9:00 to 12:00)
• Amenities at Omaki Onsen: Shampoo, conditioner, body soap, soap, cosmetics, hair dryer, razor and comb are provided
• Getting to Omaki Onsen: Only via the "Omaki Onsen course" of the Shogawa Gorge sightseeing boat. At Omaki port, only those with a day-trip or overnight reservation at Omaki Onsen Ryokan may disembark, and one-way boarding is not possible
• Boat fares and duration: The Omaki Onsen course takes about 60 minutes round trip and costs 3,400 yen for adults and 1,700 yen for children. The Nagasakibashi cruise course takes about 25 minutes and costs 1,500 yen for adults and 750 yen for children. Individual visitors do not need a reservation
• Boat timetable (April 1 to November 30): Departures from Komaki port at 8:30 / 10:30 / 14:30 / 16:00. From December 1 to January 31 a winter timetable applies, and from February 1 to March 31 a spring timetable, with different numbers of sailings and times
• Parking at Omaki Onsen: Free parking for 30 cars for overnight guests at Komaki port (the boat pier)
• Payment at Omaki Onsen: Credit cards are accepted for online reservations; payment on site is cash only
• Address and phone of Omaki Onsen: 44 Omaki, Toga-mura, Nanto City / 0763-82-0363. The boat pier is at 73-5 Komaki, Shogawa-machi, Tonami City / 0763-82-0220
• Bathing hours at Yuzu no Sato Yamabuki: 9:00-19:00 (guests using a meal or banquet plan may stay until 21:00)
• Closed days at Yuzu no Sato Yamabuki: Every Tuesday (open when Tuesday is a public holiday), and the New Year period from December 29 to January 3
• Fees at Yuzu no Sato Yamabuki: 510 yen for junior high school students and older, 310 yen for elementary school students, free of charge for children below elementary school age
• Facilities at Yuzu no Sato Yamabuki: Indoor and open-air baths, a lounge and dining area, three Japanese-style rooms and a private room for functional training, plus an adjacent park golf course and putt golf course
• Address and phone of Yuzu no Sato Yamabuki: 5134 Sho, Shogawa-machi, Tonami City / 0763-82-2321
• Access (the hot spring area as a whole): About 30 minutes by bus from Tonami Station on the JR Johana Line, or about 15 minutes by car from the Tonami IC on the Hokuriku Expressway
• Time needed: About one hour just for the round trip to Omaki Onsen by boat. Allow half a day if you also combine it with a day-trip bath
• Combine your visit with: Shogawa Water Memorial Park, roadside station Shogawa, and Inami, the town of wood carving

Information Sources

The legend of the founding of Omaki Onsen (in the second year of the Juei era, by Fujiwara Kabo), its submersion following the completion of the Komaki Dam and reopening in 1931, the spring quality, the flow rate of 360 liters per minute and the free-flowing source water, the hours of each bath, the amenities, the 30-car parking lot, the fact that payment on site is cash only, and the address and phone number were confirmed on the pages "History and Charm of Omaki Onsen," "Natural Hot Spring" and "Frequently Asked Questions" of the official Omaki Onsen website. The boat courses, fares, timetable and the conditions for disembarking at Omaki port are based on the fare and operation pages of the official Shogawa Gorge sightseeing boat website. The bathing hours, closed days, fees, facilities, address and phone number of Yuzu no Sato Yamabuki were confirmed on the facility guide page of Tonami City Hall and on the facility's own official page. The spring quality of the Shogawa hot spring area as a whole and access from Tonami Station and the Tonami IC refer to the Shogawa Onsenkyo page of "Toyama Kanko Navi," the official tourism site of Toyama Prefecture. Opening hours, fees and boat timetables are subject to change, so please check official information before you set out.