Iwase Community Onsen

November 8, 2024 (Fri) 19:30 "Iwase Yukyu no Sato". Open 10:00-21:00, last entry 1 hour before closing. Adults 3 hours 360 yen. Free shoe lockers, 100 yen refundable for valuables lockers. Body soap, shampoo, and hair dryers available. The bathhouse alternates between men and women weekly, with "Hinoki (dry sauna)" and "Iwa (mist sauna)". This time, I used the "Iwa" sauna. Indoors there is one indoor bath and a mist sauna, and outdoors there are two open-air baths (a large hot bath and a small lukewarm bath), a covered wooden bathtub, and an outdoor relaxation space. The spring water is a hypotonic alkaline high-temperature sodium chloride spring. 60.3℃. pH 8.8. Metasilicic acid 61.9mg. Metaboric acid 44.8mg. Colorless, transparent, slightly salty taste, faint hydrogen sulfide odor. This is an inexpensive municipal public bath, but the water contains not only sodium chloride, which is the main component, but also bicarbonate, resulting in a wonderfully smooth and silky feel. The high metaboric acid content also makes it a skin-beautifying and restorative spring. The open-air bath was larger and more spacious than expected, with ample room for both the bath and the outdoor relaxation area, allowing for a truly relaxing experience. In one corner, there was a small, canoe-like bath carved out of a tree, which was also quite comfortable. While there's no cold plunge pool, the open-air bath allows for quick and easy cooling down, making it a more than adequate hot spring facility considering the price.

For a municipal hot spring facility, it's quite large, with a spacious rest area. It's a very luxurious and impressive design. The bicycle parking area is covered and seems to have room for about 10 bikes, which is a great advantage for motorcyclists. However, the changing room is a bit of a shame. There are no lockers with locks, only baskets. Valuables must be placed in a locker with a lock before entering the changing room. The hot spring water is slippery and good for the skin. There seems to be a large amount of mineral deposits, as a white cloth was wrapped around the spout. The water quality is undoubtedly high. The sauna is a mist sauna with no cold plunge pool. The amount of steam is abundant, and the room temperature is fairly high. Steam seems to come out approximately every 10 minutes, and while it was coming out, it was so white that it was almost suffocating. Unlike many public hot springs, there were shampoos and body soaps provided, making it a good hot spring experience at a reasonable price.

Bringing a mat is recommended when using the sauna! The nearby Ayuri Onsen and Hibari Onsen, which I visited just before, had slippery water, but this one has a different water quality. Also, the open-air bath here is surrounded by greenery, so I enjoyed the scenery. The sauna is over 90℃ and has a capacity of 3 people. Towels are not provided, and mats are not available for rent, so bringing your own is recommended. There is no cold plunge pool. While I was taking a cold shower in the washing area with lowered water temperature, a customer next to me told me that I could use the tap water in the open-air bath. There are only about 6 washing areas, so there may be a wait if it gets a little crowded. There was a solo-use ancient tree bath in the open-air bath, but it seemed that local customers had a custom of sitting on the edge and monopolizing it for a while after getting in, so I couldn't use it in the end.

With all these facilities and such a reasonable price for a weekend getaway, I'm thrilled. I've been to a lot of hot springs in Sukagawa City, but I wonder why I hadn't found this one sooner... It's located off the street, but there's no major sign, so I guess it's only used by locals. There's no dining area on site, so I imagine people who buy a one-day pass and stay for an extended period bring their own food. There are vending machines for drinks and ice cream, and a cold water dispenser. There's a large tatami-floored lounge and another with underfloor heating. You can spend your time however you like. There are sofas along the wall. There's an indoor bath, a small sauna, and an open-air bath. The changing room isn't very large. There are two sinks. The water is thick and has a medicinal scent. If it were closer to me, I'd probably come here every day.

It was inexpensive, soothing, and relaxing. I thoroughly enjoyed the indoor bath, open-air bath, and sauna! The men's open-air bath on this day was a cypress bath! The women's open-air bath was a rock bath! Apparently, it's changed every week. Both the indoor and open-air baths were spacious, allowing for a relaxing soak. Hair and body shampoo are always available. There are also two hair dryers, so there's plenty of equipment! Hot spring benefits: - Fatigue recovery, health promotion, neuralgia, joint pain, chronic digestive disorders, sensitivity to cold. - Indications for different hot spring types: - Chronic skin diseases, arteriosclerosis, cuts, burns, etc. The facility has a large hall, Japanese-style rooms, and flooring. The flooring is heated and warm! You're allowed to bring in food and drinks, but alcohol is not. I had a relaxing soak ♨️