Kitaoumi Spa

Usually, I don't leave bad reviews, but for this, I will. I was camping nearby, and the campground recommended coming here for their hot springs/sauna and even provided coupons. Upon checking the website, they had a notice saying they do allow tattooed customers under certain stipulations. So away I went, and when I arrived, I asked the front desk about tattoos, as the notice instructed, and they said they do not accept tattooed customers. I asked about the notice on their website; they said they no longer honored that. Very unfortunate indeed; I had to waste my time. It's not unusual for sentos/onsens to be anti-tattoo, but then why even have that notice on their website? Also, if you have a notice on your website saying you allow tattoos to a certain degree, then when I arrive asking about it, and you turn me away, it leaves me thinking: did you turn me away because of tattoos or because I'm a foreigner? Although the staff was not necessarily rude, I would not recommend this spot. All this could have been easily avoided if their website had stated no tattoos from the beginning. Hopefully, they will change that so no one else has to deal with this and also leave you a bad review.

The facility was larger than I had imagined, and from the moment I arrived, I felt like I could stay all day. The facility is spacious and clean, and the hot spring area is spacious, so even when there are a lot of people, it doesn't feel cramped, which is a nice impression. The water has a mild, mild flavor, so you won't get tired even after a long soak, and both the indoor and outdoor baths are relaxing. In the open-air bath, the sky feels vast, and the atmosphere is particularly quiet and calming at night. The sauna and cold bath are also professional-quality, and the ample outdoor bathing space is a nice plus. There are also plenty of rest areas and dining options, so this is a large-scale hot spring facility that you'll want to visit again, not just for the hot springs, but also on days when you just want to relax.

We’re in 2026 and they still strictly prohibit anyone with a tattoo to enter the baths. I only have a small one on my arm and yet they rejected me. I understand it’s a cultural difference but it’s hard for me to see any positive in the concept of judging someone’s character based on having a tattoo. We are here for 2 weeks and had planned to visit this bath every day as well as eating there, but now we will have to find something else.

In it's day this may have been the to-go place, but it is a bit run down and some features don't work. Kind of expensive for just the baths but there are free massage chairs, and lots of things to keep young kids distracted. Late night hours, and some modern amenities. Would visit again, but will never be in this area again, lol.

Large communal bath house, offering both indoor and outdoor onsen pools. The water quality is very good and leaves the skin soft and rejuvenated. Take shoes off when you enter and place in locker. ¥100 for shoes locker, refunded when you leave. ¥100 for large towel rental, very clean and well looked after.