Naruto Natural Hot Springs Compared: Aratae, Kaigetsu and AoAwo
Compare Naruto Aratae no Yu, Naruto Kaigetsu and AoAwo by spring details, bridge views, bathing facilities and meal-and-bath packages.
Checked: September 27, 2026
Naruto has more than one way to soak after a day by the strait, but the price tags are not measuring the same thing. One is a full bathing facility, one is a hotel bath beside the main sightseeing area, and one sells a resort outing with lunch or an activity attached.
The quick comparison
| Bath | Adult day-use price | Hours / booking | Best fit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Naruto Aratae no Yu | ¥800 weekdays; ¥1,000 weekends and holidays | 8 am–midnight; last entry 11 pm | Natural spring, several baths and sauna |
| Bay Resort Hotel Naruto Kaigetsu | ¥1,000 | 11 am–10 pm; towels included | A soak near Naruto Park with bridge scenery |
| AoAwo Naruto Resort | ¥5,000 for lunch buffet, fishing pond and bath | Book by 5 pm the previous day; date exclusions apply | A longer resort stop with food or activities |
Naruto Aratae: the most self-contained bath visit
At Aratae, the admission buys access to a natural-spring bath alongside a range of functional pools and sauna facilities. The Naruto source is listed as a calcium-sodium chloride cold mineral spring: 21.4°C at the source, pH 6.9 and a flow of 212 litres per minute. The bathing complex also has a carbonated bath, pot baths, jet and electric pools, cold baths and sauna. The carbonated pool is a bathing feature; it is not the same thing as a naturally carbonated spring.
Weekday adult admission is ¥800, rising to ¥1,000 on weekends and public holidays. It is open until midnight, and the final admission is 11 pm. From the Highway Naruto bus stop, allow about seven minutes on foot. That connection is handy if you arrive by express bus, while Naruto Station is a longer walk at around 20 minutes. Tattoo stickers count under the facility’s prohibition, so anyone with a tattoo should check the rule before travelling.
Naruto Kaigetsu: location and towels are part of the appeal
Kaigetsu’s public bath looks out toward the Onaruto Bridge and Naruto Strait, placing it close to the Otsuka Museum of Art and Uzunomichi. Day visitors can enter between 11 am and 10 pm. The current adult rate is ¥1,000; children pay ¥700 and preschoolers are free. Face and bath towels are included, which saves carrying a wet towel through the rest of the day.
The hotel’s public bath page does not publish a spring-analysis sheet. That makes it difficult to compare its water on technical terms with the documented Naruto Aratae source. Choose Kaigetsu for the view and the park-side location, rather than for a specific spring classification or sauna lineup.
AoAwo: a resort day rather than a bath-only ticket
AoAwo’s current adult lunch package combines an Awa-style buffet, hot-spring access and a fishing pond for ¥5,000. From September through November 2026, a seasonal version adds a Naruto Kintoki sweet-potato digging experience for ¥5,500. The harvest activity is weather-dependent; the resort says rain cancels the digging and provides sweet potatoes instead. Book by 5 pm the day before, and check excluded dates and the bath schedule for the day you want.
The price is several times the cost of a standalone bath, so the package only makes sense when lunch or the activity was already part of the plan. It does, however, turn the resort itself into the outing and avoids piecing together separate tickets.
Which one makes sense for your day?
If you are arriving by express bus or want time for several baths, Aratae is the flexible option. After the museum or Uzunomichi, Kaigetsu keeps you near Naruto Park and adds a view from the bath. AoAwo suits a slower half-day with lunch; check the booking deadline before building the rest of your schedule around it.
The wider Naruto and Komatsushima day-bath guide covers other nearby bathing options and southbound stops. For facilities in Tokushima City, see the natural spring comparison.
