awa awa KOBE vs Uhara-no-Yu: Morning Baths, Sauna and Access in Kobe
awa awa suits HAT Kobe or a private swimsuit sauna; Uhara-no-Yu opens at 6 a.m. with a discounted morning ticket. Compare access, prices and bathing rules.
These two Kobe day spas suit different parts of the city and schedules. awa awa KOBE is in HAT Kobe, opens at 10 a.m. and offers a swimsuit-required private sauna for mixed groups.
Uhara-no-Yu is in Higashinada between Sumiyoshi and Uozaki stations. It opens at 6 a.m. and has a discounted morning ticket, a salt-chloride spring and a separate bedrock-bath area. Standard adult admission is ¥1,000 on weekdays at awa awa and ¥1,200 at Uhara-no-Yu, but Uhara’s morning rate can undercut both.
One is for an early start; the other fits a HAT Kobe afternoon
The morning ticket ends at 10 a.m.; staying later switches to the regular rate. Bedrock bathing opens at 9 a.m., leaving little time before the morning ticket expires.
| Uhara-no-Yu morning visit | Terms |
|---|---|
| Bathing hours | 6 a.m.–11:30 p.m. |
| Last admission | 11 p.m. |
| Morning ticket arrival | 6–9 a.m. |
| Required departure | By 10 a.m. |
| Morning ticket | ¥850 weekdays; ¥900 weekends / public holidays |
awa awa starts at 10 a.m. and closes at midnight, with last entry at 11 p.m. It works better after the Hyogo Prefectural Museum of Art, a HAT Kobe waterfront walk or a visit to the Disaster Reduction and Human Renovation Institution. The Hanshin Kasuganomichi Station walk is about 10 minutes; a Kobe City Bus 101 stop at Nisseki Byoin-mae serves the site from Sannomiya.
| awa awa KOBE | Uhara-no-Yu | |
|---|---|---|
| Adult standard admission | ¥1,000 weekdays; ¥1,200 weekends/holidays | ¥1,200 weekdays; ¥1,300 weekends/holidays |
| Early visit | Opens at 10 a.m. | ¥850/¥900 morning ticket for entry 6–9 a.m. and exit by 10 a.m. |
| Bathing hours | 10 a.m.–midnight | 6 a.m.–11:30 p.m.; last entry 11 p.m. |
| Additional bathing option | Separate private swimsuit sauna | Bedrock bath: +¥800 weekdays, +¥900 weekends/holidays |
| Nearest rail access | Hanshin Kasuganomichi, about 10 minutes on foot | JR/Rokko Liner Sumiyoshi, 8 minutes; Hanshin/Rokko Liner Uozaki, 6 minutes |
What the extra charge gets you
For an ordinary visit, awa awa’s admission covers its public baths and sauna; the facility rents a face-and-bath-towel set for ¥330. Its separate private sauna is the unusual part: swimsuit-required, up to six people for 90 minutes, with a self-loyly sauna, cold bath and outdoor cooling space. Current listed use fees begin at ¥8,500 per person on weekdays or ¥9,500 on weekends and holidays; additional guests and swimsuit rental cost extra. It is for a group that specifically wants a shared private space, not an inexpensive way to take a regular bath.
Uhara-no-Yu’s standard admission includes its public bathing areas and saunas. The official facility list names a source-fed outdoor hot-spring bath, an indoor spring bath, carbonated bath, electric and jet baths, a salt sauna and a far-infrared sauna.
Its spring is called Koino Onsen and comes from a 1,089-metre bore on the property. The current facility page identifies it as a sodium-chloride spring. It does not present the older 47.5°C figure as a newly updated analysis, so that figure is not a current bath-temperature guarantee.
Bedrock bathing costs ¥800 on weekdays or ¥900 on weekends and holidays, includes the special clothing and large towel, and is restricted to guests aged 13 and over. You must also pay for bath admission; it cannot be used on its own. This arrangement suits a longer visit with shared rest space more than a quick morning soak.
Location, parking and entry rules
Uhara-no-Yu is about an eight-minute walk south from JR or Rokko Liner Sumiyoshi Station, or six minutes north from Hanshin or Rokko Liner Uozaki Station. Vehicles must enter from the west; right turns into or out of the car park are not allowed.
| Uhara-no-Yu parking | Terms |
|---|---|
| Capacity | About 100 cars |
| Free parking with bath only | Up to 3 hours |
| Free parking with qualifying services | Up to 6 hours |
| After free period | ¥200 per 30 minutes |
awa awa permits cross-gender bathing only up to elementary-school age; Uhara-no-Yu limits it to children aged six or younger and no taller than 120 cm.
| Family detail | awa awa | Uhara-no-Yu |
|---|---|---|
| Parking | 2 lots, 250 spaces combined | About 100 spaces |
| Child admission | Elementary school ¥600; preschool free | Ages 3 through elementary school ¥650–¥700; age 2 and under free |
| Accompaniment | Adult must accompany child | Adult must accompany child |
Tattoo rules also differ. awa awa’s current spa page allows a tattoo only if fully covered with its specified 13 × 19 cm seal. Uhara-no-Yu’s visitor guidance says guests with tattoos are refused entry and gives no cover-sticker exception. Ask the facility before travelling if the rule affects you.
Choose awa awa for HAT Kobe, a later visit or a bookable mixed-group sauna. Choose Uhara when the early opening, Higashinada location or bedrock-bath add-on suits the day. For another comparison with awa awa, Tsuki-no-Yufune is the more compelling match if a cooler spring bath or free parking matters more than central access.
