Nibetsu Hot Spring

April 20, 2025 785 yen I was scammed. Why are there two hot springs?! On this day, I was short on time and had to leave in 30 minutes, so I went in. I entered through the main entrance and went straight into the entrance I could see, then headed to the hot springs from the changing room next to the pool. The view I saw in the photos was zero. Actually, it was all concrete with no windows. There were several baths and a sauna. Thinking I must have misread the website, I reluctantly enjoyed the bath and sauna briefly and went outside. On the way to the bath, I saw a sign that said "Panoramic Open-Air Bath," but when I glanced at the website, I mistook it for a swimsuit-only area, so I decided to skip it and just check it out later. I thought it would be just a small open-air bath, but I was completely wrong. After walking quite a distance down a maze-like path, I found another indoor bath, sauna, open-air washing area, and a regular public bathhouse. Since I was short on time, I only went in for a minute and left. Upon closer inspection, there's another exit on the back, leading to a counter specifically for the open-air bath. The front entrance seems to be almost exclusively for pool users. I wonder if this is the only hot spring in the whole country that's this hard to find. Next time I go to Akita, I definitely want to enjoy the panoramic open-air bath.

They only offer a pool and hot spring package. The layout is so bad it's almost laughable. After getting a locker key at the reception and passing through the "Yu" curtain, you're met with a disastrous experience. Since the bathtub has no windows, I decided to go to the panoramic bath. I walked about 10 meters naked, following a sign, when I heard voices and realized it led to the dining hall. I asked a local, and they said you have to get dressed before going to the panoramic bath. I was surprised it wasn't written anywhere. After getting dressed, you have to climb stairs to get to the panoramic bath, and then descend again. I can't understand why they designed the layout like this. I was looking forward to enjoying the snowy scenery, but the safety railing blocks the view of the snow when you're in the bath. At first, I thought it was for voyeurism, but you can definitely see in from outside when you're in the open-air bath, so I suspect they put it there without thinking. There were so many things wrong with it, and I couldn't hide my surprise at how they clearly had no intention of doing business.

The pool and hot springs combined cost about 500 yen per adult. However, the price remains the same even if you only use one or the other. Our family only used the baths. I think there were about five different baths, including the open-air bath. While it's quite inexpensive, I gave it 4 stars because I wish the price was a little cheaper if you only used the baths or the pool. The reception staff were very kind, and the baths were equipped with hairdryers, body soap, and shampoo with conditioner, so there were no complaints. There were also playground equipment for children inside, although it costs extra, so I think it's a great place for families to enjoy themselves.

510 yen. There is an open-air bath, sauna, pool and even a water slide.

Personally, I wouldn't buy it again.