Yokiyu: A Working Neighborhood Sento in Ishiyama

Yokiyu has been welcoming bathers in Otsu since 1932. Its broad karahafu gable and hand-painted tilework make it an appealing stop for anyone interested in old Japanese bathhouses, while the Sunday opening from 8 a.m. is handy if an afternoon-only sento does not fit your plans. It is still a local public bath, not a museum or a resort spa.

Opening hours

The early Sunday session is the exception; do not assume that every public holiday follows Sunday hours. Special closures and seasonal schedules can change, so check Yokiyu’s social posts before setting out.

Admission prices

Fares listed on September 30, 2026:

The 10-visit book is mainly for repeat visits; single admission is simpler for a one-off stop.

The October 1 price ceiling is not Yokiyu’s tariff

Shiga Prefecture’s regulated maximum for ordinary public baths changes on October 1, 2026. These are legal ceilings, not automatic price changes; Yokiyu has not published a new tariff. Check the bathhouse’s actual price before visiting from October onward.

Currency conversions are estimates using rates recorded September 30, 2026: ¥1 ≈ HK$0.0499 / NT$0.2024.

Your card or cash exchange rate may differ.

The bath lineup changes with the season

The bathing area has deep and shallow tubs plus a jet bath. In warmer weather, a cold plunge is available; in colder months, it is replaced by a medicinal bath whose contents change weekly.

There is no sauna, so this is a poor match if heat sessions and a cold plunge are the main reason for your visit. For a sauna nearby, compare Miyakoyu-ZEZE and Otsuyu.

Firewood-heated groundwater, not a documented natural hot spring

Yokiyu pumps natural groundwater and heats it over a wood fire. The operator publishes no spring name, mineral analysis, source temperature, pH or flow rate, so the available information does not establish that the bath meets Japan’s legal definition of a natural hot spring. The “Yokiyu Onsen” name on the historic sign is not water-quality documentation. Travellers looking specifically for a verified natural hot spring can compare options in the Shiga day-use onsen guide.

Look up at the entrance, then take a closer look at the tiles

The large curved gable above the entrance is a karahafu. The roof is now clad in copper, though it was thatched with persimmon bark until around 1960. Beneath it hangs the wooden “Yokiyu Onsen” sign, carved from a single slab of zelkova around 1934. Otsu City recognizes the sign as an important part of the townscape.

Inside, brush marks remain visible in the glazed tile mural. The lobby holds staff-collected tanuki ornaments, records and travel souvenirs. Yutonamisha took over the bathhouse in 2019 and continues to run it as a neighborhood sento.

Getting to Yokiyu and parking

From either JR Ishiyama or Keihan Ishiyama Station, the walk is about seven minutes along a straightforward route. The address is 17-10 Sakaemachi, Otsu. For visitors staying around Ishiyama or travelling through southern Otsu, the short walk means there is no need to plan around a shuttle. The Shiga no-car onsen guide compares other baths that work by public transport.

There are five free spaces about a two-minute walk away, but their availability depends on the day and time:

• Spaces 1–4 are available after 7 p.m. Monday through Saturday, and all day on Sundays and public holidays.
• Space 5 is available all day, every day.

The nearby Fruits Park Toriigawacho coin parking lot has three spaces and may offer a one-hour service discount, but that offer excludes weekday evenings after 7 p.m., Sundays and public holidays. Drivers should check the current parking instructions instead of relying on the headline “five free spaces.”

Basic toiletries are provided

You can arrive without toiletries: rinse-in shampoo, body wash, a hair dryer and toner are provided free. The women’s bath also has lotion, makeup remover and hair ties. A face towel can be rented; a fixed rental price for a larger bath towel is not listed, so bring one if you need it.

Check the tattoo policy before you go

Yokiyu does not publish a clear tattoo policy. If that will determine whether you can visit, contact the bathhouse directly rather than treating silence as permission or a ban; the Shiga tattoo-onsen guide covers the wider area. Yokiyu is a communal public bath, so groups who need a private bathing space can compare options in the Shiga family-bath guide. For more local sento, see the Shiga sento guide and Otsu sento comparison.

Sources and verification

- [Yokiyu, Yutonamisha](https://yutonamisha.com/sento/yokiyu/) — hours, listed prices, facilities, parking and amenities. - [Shiga Prefecture: regulated maximum public-bath admission](https://www.pref.shiga.lg.jp/el00/2062.html) — revised ceilings effective October 1, 2026. - [Otsu City: designated landscape signs](https://www.city.otsu.lg.jp/machi/c/kr/o/3958.html) — Yokiyu sign details and designation. - Currency references for September 30, 2026: [JPY/HKD](https://www.twelvedata.com/markets/630955/forex/jpy-hkd/historical-data) and [JPY/TWD](https://www.investing.com/currencies/jpy-twd). - Images: Yutonamisha and Otsu City pages linked above.

Verified: September 30, 2026