Kikunoyu in Yamanaka Onsen: Bath Layout, Hours and Getting There
Kikunoyu costs ¥500 and opens 7 a.m.–10 p.m.; its men’s and women’s baths are separate buildings, about 30 minutes by bus from Kaga Onsen.
Kikunoyu makes most sense as part of a stop in Yamanaka’s hot-spring town, rather than as a facilities-heavy spa. The men’s bath has a notably deep tub; the women’s bath has both shallow and deep sections. Since the bath buildings are separate, agree on a meeting spot outside before heading in. Yamanakaza, next door to the women’s bath, or the square around Kikunoyu are easy landmarks.
The practical details
| Current information | |
|---|---|
| Adult admission | ¥500 |
| Ages 6–11 | ¥150 |
| Ages 3–5 | ¥70 |
| Hours | 7am–10pm |
| Regular closure | Second and fourth Tuesday of the month; maintenance closures may also occur |
| Bus stop | Kikunoyu-mae; some buses terminate at Yamanaka Bus Terminal instead |
Visitors staying at an inn affiliated with the Yamanaka Ryokan Association can receive half-price admission. Ask at the inn’s front desk for the discount ticket; it is not a blanket benefit at every accommodation in town.
Two bath buildings, with different layouts
Kikunoyu’s separate buildings are an unusual feature of a Japanese communal bath. The men’s bath is in a solid, Tenpyo-inspired building and has a deep tub that reaches around waist height. Take care stepping in and out, particularly if you are not used to deep baths or have limited mobility.
The women’s bath has a more curved exterior and a tub with shallow and deeper areas. Yamanakaza, a small cultural and visitor centre, stands beside it. Its lacquered pillars and decorative ceiling make it a useful rendezvous point for mixed-gender groups; the men’s and women’s entrances are not two sides of one shared building.
The town’s spring is classified as a simple hot spring, low in dissolved solids and weakly alkaline. The tourism association lists a source temperature of 45.2°C. That figure describes the spring, not a guaranteed temperature in either bath tub. The operator does not publish enough detail to label every Kikunoyu tub as 100% free-flowing source water, so it is best not to assume a particular circulation or dilution method.
How to reach Kikunoyu
From Kaga Onsen Station, take the Onsen-Yamanaka Line from stop 2. The ride to Yamanaka Bus Terminal takes about 30 minutes and the current listed adult fare is ¥430. Some services continue to Kikunoyu-mae; others finish at the terminal, leaving roughly a short walk through town. Check the timetable for your travel date because some departures vary by weekday, weekend or holiday.
The former Kaga Yunosato express bus between Yamanaka and Kanazawa stopped running on 31 July 2023. For a trip from Kanazawa, travel to Kaga Onsen Station and change to the local bus rather than relying on older direct-bus guides.
If you are already walking around town, Kikunoyu sits by Yuge-kaido, the roughly 600-metre main street linking the bath area with Korogi Bridge. The Kakusenkei gorge path is another good addition, though it has steps and uneven ground; allow time to return to the bus stop or your inn.
Is Kikunoyu the right bath for your stop?
Come for a straightforward local bath and a glimpse of Yamanaka’s communal bathing culture. The ¥500 admission also makes it easy to add after a walk, especially if you are staying nearby. The bath itself is simple: it is not a resort spa with a sauna suite, lounge or several kinds of specialty pools.
If you need a private bath, look at an inn with a reservable family bath or a room with its own onsen instead. For the broader difference between Yamanaka’s river walk and the compact bathhouse quarter in Yamashiro, see Yamashiro or Yamanaka Onsen?. A no-car day-trip plan for both districts explains how bus connections shape the schedule.
Kikunoyu’s current listing gives a useful starting point, but check the tourism association’s latest notices before making a special trip. A pump fault caused a temporary closure in June 2026; the bath reopened on 12 June. The second- and fourth-Tuesday schedule can also be adjusted for holidays or maintenance.
Sources
- [Yamanaka Onsen Tourism Association: Kikunoyu, hours, admission and bath layout](https://www.yamanaka-spa.or.jp/highlights/landmark) - [Yamanaka Onsen Tourism Association: Kikunoyu closure-day change](https://www.yamanaka-spa.or.jp/news/2597) - [Yamanaka Onsen Tourism Association: Kikunoyu reopened on 12 June 2026](https://www.yamanaka-spa.or.jp/news) - [Yamanaka Onsen Tourism Association: Onsen quality and source temperature](https://www.yamanaka-spa.or.jp/about) - [Yamanaka Onsen Tourism Association: Access and bus fare](https://www.yamanaka-spa.or.jp/access) - [Hokutetsu Kaga Bus: timetable revised 15 March 2026](https://www.hokutetsu.co.jp/_wp/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/timetable_kaga_20260315.pdf) - [Yamanaka Onsen Tourism Association: Kaga Yunosato express bus suspension](https://www.yamanaka-spa.or.jp/news/2454)Checked: 27 September 2026. Tags: Yamanaka Onsen, Kikunoyu, public bath, Kaga Onsen, Ishikawa, bus access
