白州塩沢温泉フォッサ・マグナの湯

20250418 "Hakushu Shiozawa Onsen." While you might think this is in Nagano Prefecture, crossing the bridge from National Route 20 leads to a day-trip hot spring facility in Hokuto City, Yamanashi Prefecture, on the opposite bank. This facility is eligible for the Hokuto City Tour Hot Springs Pass, and the admission fee is standardized. While the regular price is a little steep at 830 yen for adults (410 yen for city residents), using the pass effectively brings the price down to 600 yen for adults (350 yen for city residents). The sulfur-containing springs are rare in Yamanashi, and a faint smell of hydrogen sulfide wafts through the air as you enter the bath. Of the seven facilities, this one may have the most typical hot spring water. Due to its location, the majority of visitors are locals, so it's likely to be empty most of the time. Open from 11:00 AM to 9:00 PM, with last reservations 30 minutes before closing. There are no shoe lockers, but changing lockers cost 100 yen and require a return. Valuables lockers are free. Body soap, rinse-in shampoo, and hair dryers are provided. The bathing area has eight indoor faucets, a high-temperature indoor bath, a shallow low-temperature reclining bath, a dry sauna, a cold water bath, and an outdoor medium-temperature open-air bath. The tubs are Kerorin tubs. There are no chairs for open-air bathing in the open-air bath. The water is a hypotonic alkaline hot spring containing sulfur, NaCa chloride (sulfur-containing gypsum salt spring), and is colorless and transparent with a salty, sulfurous taste and hydrogen sulfide odor. The spring temperature is 32.0-33.3°C and the pH is 10.0-10.4. Of the 1379-1383mg of dissolved substances, the total sulfur content is 2.9-4.3mg of hydrogen sulfide. The pH is strongly alkaline with a pH above 10, but perhaps because it contains no bicarbonate or metasilicic acid, the water was hardly thick.

Be careful when crossing the bridge from National Route 20, as it is narrow. Even standard vehicles may have difficulty passing each other. Purchase a ticket from the ticket machine before entering. Go through the corridor with the tatami-style rest area to the men's and women's changing rooms. Lockers are 100 yen returnable. There are also basket-only lockers. There are 8 washing areas, shampoo and body soap provided. The bathtubs are yellow Kerorin. There are two indoor baths, with a slight sulfur smell, a hot 42°C bath and a 38°C reclining bath. The reclining bath looks like it can fit about 8 people side by side. The alternating baths are very pleasant. Sauna: about 95°C, two-tiered. Capacity: 8. There are no sauna seats, so each person brings their own mat from the storage area. Cold bath: the water faucet is turned on full blast at 18°C. There is an outdoor bath in the open-air bath. You can relax in the water at just under 40°C. There are no chairs for outdoor bathing. It's difficult to rest after the sauna...that's a shame!

I visited this place while traveling along the Koshu Kaido road. This famous hot spring is one of the sources that gushes forth from the Fossa Magna fault line that stretches from Itoigawa in Toyama Prefecture to Shizuoka. It has a slight sulfurous smell, and despite being a highly alkaline spring, it doesn't feel slimy, which is a quality that I personally like. The bathroom has a high-temperature tub, a lukewarm tub where you can lie down, a sauna, a cold bath, and an open-air bath, so there is a variety to enjoy. There are no food and drink facilities, but there are vending machines selling beer, Yatsugatake milk, and other drinks. There is also a rest room, so I think it's a pretty nice facility.

The smell of sulfur fills the air, and it feels like a bathing facility frequented by locals. There are indoor baths (hot water and lukewarm reclining baths), an open-air bath, a dry sauna, and a cold bath. I think it's good for people who want to stay in the bath for a long time. However, I personally found the reclining bath and open-air bath too warm. It costs ¥830 for non-Hokuto residents, and it's cheaper if you buy the Hokuto City Tour Hot Springs Pass for ¥8,400/14 times (7 hot spring facilities), but I wonder if you can really take 14 hot spring baths in Hokuto City?

The quality of the hot spring water is outstanding! In spring, you can see the cherry blossoms from the open-air bath, and even from the lobby! The bathroom is small considering the size of the facility. Although it is a health facility for local residents, it is a great hot spring that is open to people from outside the city as well. The sauna is small, and the space to relax is a bit of a challenge, but the sulfur spring water still feels great!