Alps Onsen

This public bath is located a 7-8 minute walk from Nagano Station, just off the road leading to Zenkoji Temple. It's in an apartment building with an izakaya next door. There was a sign advertising new residents (apparently no bathing or water fees). It's an old-fashioned design where you leave your shoes at the entrance and go through the noren curtain to reach the bandai. You pay 380 yen. The changing room isn't very spacious, but there's a new mat on the floor and it feels clean. The lockers aren't very big, and if you have a backpack, you're advised to use two. Apparently, packing them too tightly can cause them to break. The bathroom is small and made of white tiles. There are six washing areas on each side. Each has a shower, which is convenient. There are just four washing areas in the middle with only faucets. No standing showers. The bathtub in the back is divided into two, one shallow and one deep. The pool is large enough for no more than three people to fit in at a time, and there is a jet at the shallow end. The water was rather lukewarm, around 42 degrees Celsius. It feels like you could stay in the bath forever in the summer. The mural was a pale-colored mosaic. It depicted a seaside landscape with a lighthouse and bicycles. There is no sauna, so you wash your body carefully and then warm up in the hot water before leaving, making this a traditional bath loved by locals. There is no shampoo or body soap. You should bring your own or purchase them at the front desk. As you would expect from a bustling urban area. As soon as you exit, there was a shop with a red lantern that I almost wanted to stop in at.

This is the closest public bathhouse to Nagano Station. Although it's labeled as a hot spring, it's a public bathhouse. It's a nostalgic Showa-era bathhouse. Separate entrances for men and women lead to shoe lockers. Keys are kept by the customer; it's not coin-operated. You pay 500 yen to the attendant, and they lend towels free of charge upon request. The towels were fairly clean. There's no free body soap, so you buy disposable items (mini soap, patch shampoo, and conditioner, 30 yen each) located next to the entrance. The changing room is about eight tatami mats in size. There are about four rows of lockable lockers. Incidentally, on top of the lockers, there's a row of bath items, presumably belonging to local regulars. They seem to have been left there. There's no sauna or cold plunge pool; there are two types of baths: a lukewarm bath (with one jet bath) and a slightly hotter bath. Three people in one bath might be a bit cramped. There are six washing stations on each side along the wall. Each bath has its own shower. Also, strangely, there's a washing area with just a faucet in the middle of the bathroom. There are no standing showers. There are two hair dryers, but they're not coin-operated; you pay 20 yen to the attendant and plug them in yourself. If you're visiting Zenkoji Temple, Obuse, Togakushi Shrine, etc., on a day trip, this might be a good place to wash off the sweat.

This public bath is about a 10-minute walk from Nagano Station. I visited around 10pm on a weekday. There were about two other customers there. This is an old-fashioned public bath with two bathtubs and several washing areas. They don't provide any detergents, so you'll need to bring your own or purchase them. You can borrow body towels for free, but they can be quite dry, so if you have sensitive skin, we recommend bringing your own. It also seems that if you live in a property with a public bath, you can use the bath for free.

I went to a public bathhouse a 15-minute walk from my lodging. This is the very essence of the Showa-era public bathhouse I've heard of and seen. The inside is very simple, with just a changing room and a bathroom. There are two bathtubs (one vibrating and one jetted). The bath here is incredibly warming. It warms you from the inside out. Even though I'm used to baths, I was so hot I broke out in a sweat after just 20 minutes. Please be careful when bathing, as you're likely to get a fever from the water.

My schedule ended late, so I stopped by about 30 minutes before closing time. If you're visiting by car for the first time, be careful as it can be difficult to find the parking lot. I parked my car outside and asked the attendant at the front desk for directions to the parking lot. This old-fashioned public bath has a nice retro feel and two reasonably large bathtubs, which I personally found very satisfying. I'd like to go again when I have time.