Nasushiobara Ekimae Hot Spring

*I'm reposting this because I've accumulated five free exchange vouchers. I visited around 4 PM on Saturday, January 17, 2026. There were a few other guests when I went in, but they left shortly after, so I had the bath all to myself for about 30 minutes. The indoor bath was 42 degrees Celsius, and the open-air bath was 40 degrees Celsius. The open-air bath was about 1 meter deep. The water is a sodium, calcium, and chloride hot spring, flowing directly from the source. The indoor bath is emerald green, and the open-air bath was milky white. With the characteristic oily smell of hot springs and black floating deposits, I personally think it's the best hot spring water in Tochigi Prefecture. There's only one sauna, but I'm not particularly interested in saunas, so it didn't bother me. The lounge is in a separate building, but there's free cold water available, so you can relax. It's a bit pricey at 1,000 yen, but it's well worth the price.

This is a newly opened hot spring near Nasushiobara Station. The entrance fee is 1000 yen. The hot spring water is cloudy and has a mixed smell of sulfur and petroleum. The water is fairly cloudy. Black mineral deposits are floating in it. There's a lot of black stuff attached to the spout where the spring water flows in. It feels like a thin rubbery film to the touch, but I think it's genuine hot spring material. The bath area has three washing stations, an indoor bath, and an outdoor bath. The indoor bath was 43 degrees Celsius, and the outdoor bath was 42 degrees Celsius. The outdoor bath is 105 centimeters deep, so you can stand and soak up to your stomach. There's also a place to sit, where you can soak up to your shoulders. The view is disappointing because it's in the city, but there's a picture of a golf course in the bath, so you can enjoy a green atmosphere. (laughs) I would definitely like to visit this hot spring again.

This hot spring was dug by the president of a drilling company for his own use, and it has been well-received by the locals, so it is now open to the public. As the price is a little high at 1,000 yen, there were only a few customers, and it was almost private. As it is said to be a hot spring that hot spring connoisseurs don't want to tell anyone about, the quality of the water is very good. However, the scenery and facilities are cheap, so if you want to enjoy both, I recommend going a little further and visiting the hot springs in Nasushiobara. I enjoyed the high-quality sulfur spring water that flows directly from the source, without heating or adding water.

The price is a little high at 1,000 yen compared to the surrounding area, but the quality of the spring water is unmatched in the area. The men's and women's rooms switch daily, and only one room has a sauna. The temperature is stable between 100 and 110 degrees Celsius, but the drawback is that it's only for two people...it can fit three people at once, which is a bit of a stretch. The water is drinkable, as you'd expect from an Idoya. The facilities are generally a bit bland, but the design is well thought out. The open-air bath is two-tiered and over 100 meters deep, but it's heart-friendly.

I stopped by while I was in the area for work. The facility is compact overall, but the hot spring water, which flows directly from the source 1,500 meters underground, was excellent. (It was very refreshing.) The open-air bath changes color depending on the sunlight, so it's also known as the five-colored bath. The shower pressure was good, the facility was clean overall, and the staff were very friendly. Towels are sold for 200 yen, so you can come empty-handed. The bathing fee was 1,000 yen.