When it comes to winter trips to Michinoku in the Tohoku region, hot springs are almost always included. There is no better way to feel the atmosphere of a winter trip to Japan than soaking in a snowy bath in the travel-filled Tohoku region. So, if you go skiing in Tohoku, let's introduce hot springs in resorts and nearby areas that you should definitely soak in.
[Near Tazawako Ski Resort]
Nyuto Onsenkyo (Akita Prefecture)
Tazawako Ski Resort is easily accessible, only 30 minutes by bus from JR Tazawako Station, and has a big slope with a variety of courses and an overwhelming view of Lake Tazawa, the deepest lake in Japan. There are many tourist attractions and hot springs in the area, but one hot spring that you definitely want to visit is the famous Nyuto Onsenkyo. The seven hot springs (inns) are full of Michinoku atmosphere and have the atmosphere of secret hot springs, and the exteriors retain the scent of traditional culture, such as thatched roofs, and some of them date back to the Edo period. Each has its own source, and day trip bathing is also possible. You can also go to and from the seven hot spring inns by bus called Yumeguri.
The snowy open-air bath surrounded by a beautiful beech forest is the best
Among the seven hot spring inns, Kyukamura Nyuto Onsenkyo is the most recently renovated and modern facility. You can enjoy two types of hot springs: ``Tazawako Kogen no Yu, simple sulfur spring'' and ``Nyuto no Yu, sodium bicarbonate spring.''
Kyukamura Nyuto Onsenkyo
Usage hours: 11:00-17:00
Fee: 800 yen
Access: 2 hours 55 minutes from Tokyo by Akita Shinkansen, 50 minutes by bus from JR Tazawako Station
◆Official website: http://www.nyuto-onsenkyo .com/index.html
[Mountain Field Miyagi Zao Sumikawa Soba]
Togatta Onsen “Kami-no-Yu” and “Shu-no-Yu” (Miyagi Prefecture)
Two public baths that are always crowded with locals and skiers
Togatta Onsen is a hot spring located in Zao Town, Katta District, Miyagi Prefecture. ``Mountain Field Miyagi Zao Sumikawa'' is in a prime location one and a half hours from Sendai and boasts 100% natural snow, as well as beautiful frost-covered trees, a backcountry field, and a CAT ski operation, making it a popular spot well known to free skiers. It's a famous powder spot. A nearby hot spring that you can drop by from here is Togatta Onsen, and there are many hot spring inns, but the public baths ``Kami no Yu'' and ``Hisano Yu'' are popular with locals and skiers.
"Kami no Yu" is a retro hot spring where you can be healed by the scent of Aomori Hiba trees. Both the men's and women's baths have hot and lukewarm hot water. ``Shu no Yu'' is a hot spring water made from 100% source water. The building is a reproduction of a bathhouse from the Edo period and is full of elegance.
Public baths “Kami-no-Yu” and “Kami-no-Yu”
Hours of use: Kami-no-Yu 9:00-20:30 | Kotobuki-no-Yu 6:00-10:00, 12:00-20:30
Fee: 400 yen for adults /Children 150
yenAccess: Approximately 11km from Mountain Field Miyagi Zao Sumikawa / Approximately 120km from Sendai Station
◆Official website/ http://toogattaspa.jp/index.html
[Tengendai Kogen Soba]
Shirabu Onsen Azumaya Ryokan (Yamagata Prefecture)
Relax while experiencing the 700-year-old history of the hot springs
Shirabu Onsen is about 5 minutes by car from the Tengendai Ropeway entrance. There are several hot spring inns where you can stop by and take a bath, but among them, you can enjoy a variety of hot springs that are 100% directly sourced, including open-air baths with a rustic atmosphere, and the food is outstanding! Azumaya Ryokan is a popular hot spring inn. The waterfall bath, a stone bathtub that has been passed down for 400 years, is famous. It is said that applying the hot water waterfall to the affected area has a therapeutic effect.
Shirabu Onsen Azumaya Ryokan
Hours: 11:00-16:00
Price: 700 yen for adults
Access: 30 minutes by car from Tohoku Chuo Expressway Yonezawa Hachimanbara IC / Shuttle service available (reservation required) Departs from JR Yonezawa Station at 14:30 / Ryokan Departure 10:00
◆Official website／ http://www.shirabu-higashiya.com/
[Near Appi Kogen Ski Resort]
Appi Onsen Shirakaba no Yu (Iwate Prefecture)
The open-air bath in a moist and calm space is the largest in Tohoku!
At Appi Onsen's Shirakaba no Yu, you can enjoy a variety of hot springs, including the largest open-air bath in Tohoku, a large bath, a rock bath, a lying bath, and a pot bath. The open-air bath is a relaxing space surrounded by the warmth of wood, and you can see a star-filled sky, making you want to soak in it forever. ``Shirakaba no Yu'' is a colorless and transparent hot spring that leaves your skin smooth and beautiful. There is also a large public bath that can accommodate 400 people at once, and a large sauna. Located in ANA Holiday Inn Resort Appi Kogen, day-use is also possible.
Appi Onsen Shirakaba no Yu
Hours: 13:00-23:00
Price: Adults 1,200 yen on weekdays / 1,300 yen on weekends, holidays, and special days
Access: Approximately 1 hour and 20 minutes by car from Iwate Hanamaki Airport (Appi Kogen Ski Resort)
◆Official HP/ https://www.appi.co.jp/heal/heal-top/
[Hachimantai Resort Panorama & Shimokura Ski Resort]
Shinappi Onsen Seirukaku (Iwate Prefecture)
Iwate Prefecture's strongest salt spring is a ``rejuvenating hot spring'' that warms up in a different way.
Shin-Appi Onsen is convenient to stop by from Hachimantai Resort Panorama & Shimokura Ski Resort. There are two sources, and the main bath of the large bath is commonly known as ``Kin no Yu'' and is light yellowish brown in color. The other is ``Gin no Yu'', which is a slightly lighter yellowish brown color than Kin no Yu.
The hot water at Shin-Appi Onsen Seirukaku contains 20g of salt, making it the only highly salty spring in Iwate Prefecture, with a salt concentration that is about twice that of seawater.
The salt content is effective for beautifying the skin, and it is also said to be a beauty hot spring or a rejuvenating hot spring. There is also an open-air bath with an artificial radium ore hot spring. We recommend a plan that allows you to take a day trip to the bath, and after relaxing in the bath, you can relax in a private room and enjoy the inn's special bento box. 2 or more people: 4,400 yen/person + bathing tax 75 yen | Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays 2 or more people: 5,500 yen/person + bathing tax 75 yen
Shin Appi Onsen Seirukaku
Hours: 10:30-18:00
Price: Adults (junior high school students and older) 800 yen / Children (elementary school students and older) 500 yen
Access: Approximately 37 km from Hachimantai Resort Panorama & Shimokura Ski Resort
◆Official website/ https://www.sinappi.jp/
[Around Amihari Onsen Ski Resort]
Amihari Onsen (Iwate Prefecture)
Tohoku is known for its collection of secret hot springs with a Michinoku atmosphere, but Amihari Onsen in Iwate Prefecture is a famous hot spring with a 1,300-year history that has been said to be effective against all kinds of illnesses since ancient times. ``Amihari Onsen'' refers to the five hot springs located within the grounds of Kyukamura, which is directly connected to the Amihari Onsen Ski Resort. The main building of Kyukamura has an indoor bath and an open-air bath called ``Taishaku-no-yu'', an indoor bath called ``Hakusen-no-yu'', a day-trip hot spring near the ski resort called ``Yakushi-no-yu'', an indoor bath, an open-air bath, and an open-air bath called ``Senjo-no-yu''. There are 5 unique hot springs that you can enjoy, including ``Yu'' and ``Shikaoitsuyu''. (Senjo-no-Yu and Shikaoi-Ashi-Yu are closed in winter)
Amihari Onsen
Usage Hours: Prices vary for each of the 5 hot springs
: 600 yen for adults/310 yen for elementary school students for day-use Amihari Onsenkan/Yakushi no Yu (others are free for Kyukamura guests)
Access: From Tokyo via the Tohoku Shinkansen About 2 hours from JR Morioka Station, about 1 hour by bus from Morioka Station / About 40 minutes from Tohoku Expressway Morioka IC
◆Official website: https://www.qkamura.or.jp/iwate/
[Inside Shizukuishi Prince Hotel Ski Resort]
Shizukuishi Takakura Onsen (Iwate Prefecture)
Enjoy a relaxing stay at Shizukuishi Prince Hotel
A hot spring at the Shizukuishi Prince Hotel within the Shizukuishi Ski Resort. Day use is also possible. The covered open-air bath is comfortable and relaxing even when it's snowing. In winter, you can relax in the beautiful snow-viewing open-air bath. There is a pond right next to it, and you can see carp swimming up close, giving you a taste of Japan.
Shizukuishi Takakura Onsen
usage hours: 5:00-9:30/ 14:00-22:00
Price: 800 yen for adults / 400 yen for children (elementary school students) / Free for children under elementary school age
Access: Approximately 2 and a half hours from Tokyo on the Akita Shinkansen, JR Free shuttle bus available from Shizukuishi Station
◆Official website: https://www.princehotels.co.jp/shizukuishi/facility/onsen/
[Near Natsuyu Kogen Ski Resort]
Natsuyu Kogen Onsen Usamori no Yu (Iwate Prefecture)
Blissful hot spring time after enjoying a tree run with plenty of snow
Natsuyu Kogen Onsen is a weakly alkaline simple spring pumped from 1,700 meters underground within the ski resort, and is a natural hot spring that is highly effective for beautifying the skin. There is also an open-air bath with a snowy view at an altitude of 1000m, a sleeping bath, and a far-infrared sauna. The sauna has an outside window, which is unusual for a sauna, giving it a very open feeling, making it comfortable even for long hours. After bathing, you can relax in the observation lounge.
On days when night games are open, the store's usual opening hours are extended until 10 p.m. There's nothing like warming up your body after a night game.
Natsuyu Kogen Onsen Usamori no Yu
Hours: 10:00-19:00 Wednesdays 14:00-19:00
Fees: Adults 800 yen, Elementary school students 400 yen, Preschoolers free
Access: Approximately 3 hours from Tokyo by Tohoku Shinkansen, JR Free shuttle bus available from Kitakami Station/25 minutes from Kitakami Nishi IC (car)
◆Official website/ https://www.getokogen.com/winter/11onsen/index.html
[Hoshino Resorts Nekoma Mountain Soba]
Nekoma Onsen Goshiki no Mori (Fukushima Prefecture)
Beauty hot spring with high moisturizing effect that won't make you feel cold
A luxurious natural hot spring flowing directly from the source of Urabandai Lake Resort. The neutral hot springs have a pH of 6.8, and have a high heat-retaining effect that prevents you from getting cold, stimulating blood flow and metabolism. It contains more than 200mg of metasilicic acid, a natural moisturizing ingredient that has skin beautifying effects, far exceeding the 100mg that is said to be effective, making it a beauty bath that can be called a ``natural lotion.'' ``Hibarami no Yu'' is an open-air bath with a spectacular view overlooking Lake Hibara. The indoor bath ``Aurora no Yu'' is a large bath with a large window overlooking the scenery, making you want to take a long, relaxing bath.
Nekoma Onsen Goshiki no Mori
usage hours: 9:00-10:30/13:30-21:00 (for day use)
Fees: Adults (junior high school students and older) 1,400 yen / 4 years old and older elementary school students 900 yen / Infants (3 Free
access: Tohoku Shinkansen ~ Ban'etsu West Line ~ Free shuttle bus available from JR Inawashiro Station / Tohoku Expressway ~ Ban'etsu Expressway ~ Approximately 25 minutes from Inawashiro Bandai Kogen IC (by car)
◆ Official website / https://www .lakeresort.jp/hotspring/
Ogishima Onsen Tamanoyu (Fukushima Prefecture)
I would like to stay overnight and enjoy plenty of local sake and Aizu local cuisine.
From the '23-24 season, it became Nekoma Mountain, but this Ogishima Onsen Tamanoyu Ryokan is close to the former Altz Bandai Ski Resort. A spectacular hot spring where you can soak in a large bathtub and relax while looking out at the majestic Mt. Bandai. Aizu's local cuisine is well-regarded, and you can also enjoy sweet stew of carp, which is said to have been a feast for the feudal lords of Aizu during the Edo period, and Aizu's specialty horse sashimi. With a sake advisor on hand, you can enjoy delicious local sake to the fullest. If so, you'll definitely want to stay overnight and relax. Of course, it is also possible to stay here and commute to Nekoma Mountain.
It is possible to take a day trip to the bath, but some days it is closed on weekdays, so be sure to check Instagram before you stop by.
Ogishima Onsen Tamanoyu Ryokan
Operating hours: 13:00-17:00 (varies depending on business days)
Fee: 700 yen (day-use hot spring)
Access: 8 minutes walk from JR Okinashima Station / 8 minutes walk from Inawashiro IC
◆Official website / https://www .lakeresort.jp/hotspring/