Tsuchiyu Onsen Day Trip: Four Inns, Fees and Bath Types
Compare Nakanoyu, Otomeyuri, YUMORI and Sansuiso for fees, private baths, spring details, bus costs and day-use hours.
Checked: September 27, 2026 Tsuchiyu Onsen is about 40 minutes by bus from Fukushima Station. Its compact hot-spring town has a public bath, a sauna-focused day spa, private baths and ryokan-style day-use plans. The hard part is choosing: local listings cover 19 inns and one public bath, but an inn’s day-use hours can change with cleaning, occupancy or spring maintenance.
For a first visit, Nakanoyu is the simplest place to start. Admission is ¥500, it has two types of spring water and four private rooms, and it sits close to the bus stop. Otomeyuri is a better fit if you want a sauna and a place to spend several hours. YUMORI has bookable private baths at a lower starting price, while Sansuiso is the splurge for a hotel-style bath with towels and a lounge break included.
The Fukushima onsen comparison weighs Tsuchiyu against Iizaka and Takayu.
Compare the four easiest options
| Facility | Adult admission | Day-use hours | Private bathing | What it suits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nakanoyu | ¥500 | 9:00–21:00; last entry 20:30; closed Tuesdays | Four rooms, ¥1,500 per group for 50 minutes, plus admission | First visits, a low-cost soak, two spring types |
| Otomeyuri | ¥1,000 with free membership; ¥1,500 without | 10:00–21:00; last entry 20:30 | One private bath, ¥3,000 per hour, plus admission; members only | Sauna, amenities, a longer indoor stop, clearly stated tattoo policy |
| YUMORI Onsen Hostel | ¥800 | Mon–Fri and Sun, 11:00–18:00; Saturday, 11:00–15:00 | Four types, ¥1,500–¥4,000 per hour; reservation required | Couples, families and people who want to book ahead |
| Sansuiso | ¥2,000 | 10:00–14:30; last entry 13:30 | The ryokan’s private baths are for overnight guests, not part of the regular day pass | Views, towels and a more complete ryokan visit |
Admission is only part of the private-bath cost. At Nakanoyu, the ¥1,500 room charge is per group, but each person still pays the ¥500 entry fee. Otomeyuri’s private bath also costs extra on top of each guest’s admission. YUMORI’s room charge is separate from its public-bath admission. Sansuiso’s overnight-guest private-bath rules do not carry over to its standard day-use ticket.
Nakanoyu: the best low-cost first stop
Nakanoyu is Tsuchiyu’s public bath, rebuilt and reopened in 2018. The indoor baths and outdoor bath use simple spring water; the hotter pool uses hydrogen-carbonate spring water. All of its tubs are described by Fukushima City as free-flowing. The two source temperatures are about 65°C and 51°C, so those figures should not be mistaken for the temperature of the water you’ll actually bathe in.
| Visit detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Public-bath hours | 9 a.m.–9 p.m.; last entry 8:30 p.m. |
| Weekly closure | Tuesday, moving to Wednesday when Tuesday is a public holiday |
| Child admission | ¥250 for ages one to under 12 |
| Private room | ¥1,500 for up to 50 minutes, plus admission; fits roughly three people |
| Private-room booking | Walk-in allocation only; no advance reservations; reception ends at 7:30 p.m. |
Bring your own soap and shampoo. Nakanoyu provides hair dryers but no shampoo, conditioner or body wash. There is a rest room, though the city asks visitors to limit each stay there to one hour. A ramp, lift, accessible toilet, shower chair and an accessible private bath are listed among the facilities. If someone in your group needs a particular transfer setup or care equipment, call ahead to check what is available on the day.
Otomeyuri: a sauna stop you can settle into
Adults pay ¥1,000 after registering for Otomeyuri’s free membership card at reception; there is no joining or annual fee. Non-members pay ¥1,500, and the card is issued on the spot.
| Day-use detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Hours | 10 a.m.–9 p.m.; last entry 8:30 p.m. |
| Closures | Maintenance only |
| Towel rental | ¥400 |
| Lounge outfit | ¥400, or ¥700 with a towel |
Each side of the bath has an indoor pool, an outdoor pool, a dry sauna and two cold-water pools supplied with mountain-stream water. The spa lists the sauna at about 90°C and the cold pools at an average of 13°C. Shampoo, conditioner and body wash are provided, along with additional toiletries in the women’s changing area. Towel rental is ¥400; a lounge outfit is also ¥400, or ¥700 for the two together.
The shared baths use the local alkaline simple spring. Otomeyuri says the water flows through the indoor and outdoor pools, with a small amount of water added only to adjust the temperature; the pools are drained and cleaned after closing each day. Its published flow rate is 50 litres per minute. The property does not list a matching source temperature or pH figure on its current spa page, so those numbers are best left unspecified.
The members-only private bath, Hotaru, costs ¥3,000 per room for one hour, plus admission for each bather. Reservations have priority; ask about availability if you have not booked. The spa also publishes a tattoo registration system for fashion tattoos and says overseas visitors are exempt from that registration. Check the current rules directly if your tattoo is large or you are unsure whether it qualifies.
YUMORI: bookable private baths, with one important distinction
The current walk-in rate is ¥800 for an adult and ¥600 for a child. The tourism association sells a designated coupon at a 10% discount, which brings the adult price to ¥720; that is not the standard price at the front desk. Its coupon listing says the ticket must be bought through participating outlets, is valid for a year from issue, and does not cover every inn.
Day-use bathing runs from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday and Sunday, with guests allowed to stay until 7 p.m. On Saturdays, admission ends at 3 p.m. and guests must leave by 4 p.m. The regular weekly closure is Thursday, with the first Monday of the month also listed as a closing day. Maintenance and special closures can affect those hours, so check YUMORI’s latest notice before travelling.
YUMORI draws on Tsuchiyu’s roughly 60°C spring water, cooled with mountain water. The public bath recirculates its water while fresh spring water is added; the four private baths are described as free-flowing apart from water added to bring the temperature down. That difference matters if you are choosing YUMORI specifically for a free-flowing soak.
| Two-adult budget item | Cost |
|---|---|
| Adult admission | ¥800 each; ¥1,600 total |
| Least expensive private bath | ¥1,500 per hour |
| Bath and admission | ¥3,100 before transport |
| Return bus from Fukushima Station | ¥1,900 |
| Basic total | About ¥5,000 before towels or food |
Private baths range from ¥1,500 to ¥4,000 per hour and require a reservation. YUMORI describes itself as tattoo-friendly.
Sansuiso: pay more for the whole day-use package
| Sansuiso day-use plan | Adult | Child aged 3–12 | Hours and inclusions |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard | ¥2,000 | ¥1,500 | 10 a.m.–2:30 p.m.; bath towel, face towel, lounge drinks and snack buffet |
| Bath and pool | ¥2,200 | ¥1,700 | Same 10 a.m.–2:30 p.m. window |
Both plans stop accepting guests at 1:30 p.m.
The inn says its source yields around 230 litres per minute at about 60°C. It tempers the water with natural spring water and describes its bathing style as free-flowing. The draw is the scale and setting: public baths overlook the Arakawa gorge, with a two-tier waterfall visible from one of the outdoor baths. Which baths are open to day visitors depends on the day, so do not assume every bath pictured on the overnight-guest pages is included.
The ryokan’s private baths are for overnight guests and can be booked after check-in; their hours begin at 3 p.m., after the ordinary day-use period has ended. If you want a private bath, look for a separate day-use rest plan or stay overnight rather than adding the overnight guest fee to the standard ¥2,000 ticket.
What the trip costs from Fukushima Station
The adult bus fare between Fukushima Station’s east exit and Tsuchiyu Onsen is currently ¥950 each way. Here are basic single-adult totals before food:
| Bath | Bath plus return bus | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Nakanoyu | ¥2,400 | ¥500 admission; bring toiletries |
| Otomeyuri | ¥2,900 | Assumes the free membership card and ¥1,000 admission; a ¥400 towel rental brings it to ¥3,300 |
| YUMORI | ¥2,700 | Based on the ¥800 standard rate; ¥2,620 with the eligible coupon already purchased |
| Sansuiso | ¥3,900 | ¥2,000 package includes towels, lounge drinks and a snack buffet |
For two adults travelling by bus and sharing a private bath, budget:
| Facility | Two-adult total | What the estimate includes |
|---|---|---|
| Nakanoyu | ¥6,300 | Return bus, two admissions and one private room; walk-in availability only. |
| YUMORI | ¥6,900 | Return bus, two standard admissions and the lowest-priced private room. |
| Otomeyuri | ¥8,800 | Return bus, two member-rate admissions and one private bath. |
These estimates exclude food and towel rental. Sansuiso is omitted because its standard day pass does not include the private baths reserved for overnight guests.
Getting there without a car
Fukushimakotsu buses leave from stop 7 outside Fukushima Station’s east exit; the ride takes roughly 40–45 minutes. Nakanoyu is near the Tsuchiyu Onsen terminal, while Otomeyuri is near the Tsuchiyu Onsen-machi Mitsuke stop. YUMORI and Sansuiso are farther into the area, so check the walk from your stop and ask the facility about transport if you need a lift. The current fare is included in the cost comparison above.
Bus times vary by weekday, weekend and timetable revision. Fukushimakotsu has announced a revised schedule from October 1, 2026, so older departure examples may already be out of date. Check both directions on the operator’s live timetable before you leave; that matters most for Sansuiso’s early last entry and YUMORI’s Saturday cutoff.
Three half-day plans
Keep it simple: Take a morning bus, bathe at Nakanoyu and leave time for a meal or a stroll around the hot-spring town. There is little reason to rush through several baths on a first visit. The ¥500 admission also makes it easy to keep the day’s main expense to transport.
Make the bath the main event: Give Otomeyuri a few hours for the sauna, cold pools, rest area and a meal. Register for the free membership card on arrival. Bathing is nude and separated by gender, as is standard at Japanese public baths; bring a towel or rent one there.
Compare two bathing styles: On a weekday or Sunday, use YUMORI’s public bath and Nakanoyu’s two spring types as a deliberate comparison. Check the current hours and give yourself time to walk between them; this is a two-bath day, not a quick add-on before the bus. The combined adult admission is ¥1,300, before transport.
Sansuiso works better as the focus of a shorter visit. Its day-use reception closes at 1:30 p.m., so arriving after another bath can leave little time to enjoy the inn.
Check the day’s availability before setting out
The Tsuchiyu Onsen Tourism Association refreshes its “today’s day-use bathing” list each morning at 9 a.m. Inns may stop accepting day visitors because of cleaning, spring repairs, guest occupancy or a seasonal closure. The association also notes that mountain-area baths such as Makukawa and Akayu can have a shorter season depending on snow. Those remote baths are not interchangeable with the central hot-spring town: transport and winter access need separate planning.
In winter, Nakanoyu advises drivers to use studless tires. Visitors arriving by bus avoid that concern, but should leave extra time for snow and slippery paths between stops and facilities. Before heading out, confirm the bath and both bus legs for that date.
Frequently asked questions
Which Tsuchiyu bath is cheapest?
Nakanoyu is the lowest-priced of these four at ¥500 for an adult. With a return bus fare from Fukushima Station, the basic outing starts at ¥2,400, assuming you bring your own toiletries.
Is YUMORI ¥700, ¥720 or ¥800?
The current standard adult rate is ¥800. The ¥720 rate is for the tourism association’s designated 10%-off coupon. YUMORI’s ¥700 listing appears on an older day-trip page and is not the current standard rate.
Where can a couple bathe together?
Nakanoyu has the lowest private-room fee, but takes guests on a walk-in basis. YUMORI and Otomeyuri prioritise reservations for their private baths. The standard day-use ticket at Sansuiso does not include its private baths.
Which option has the clearest tattoo information?
Otomeyuri publishes a registration process for fashion tattoos and an exemption for overseas visitors. YUMORI calls itself tattoo-friendly. Check the facility’s current rules if your tattoo does not fit those descriptions.
Can I visit three or four baths in one day?
It is possible, but most visitors will get more from choosing one main bath and, at most, a second for a specific reason. Multiple long soaks add fatigue and dehydration, and the return bus still sets the pace of the day.
