Noshiro, Akita

It's said to have the worst manners in Japan, and that's certainly true. It was daytime, but there were still a fair number of bathers, and one person was reserving a spot at the showers. He was a regular, and he had his belongings in a plastic shopping basket, and even placed a bottle of what looked like shampoo next to it, claiming his spot. There were also other people waiting for a shower to open. The person reserving a spot had just come out of the sauna, so he'd been using it for quite some time. There aren't dozens of showers, so reserving a spot isn't exactly unreasonable. The facility director has put up signs warning people, but it seems there are still a certain number of people who don't see, can't see, or don't follow the rules. Some people may think that it's not appropriate to be too harsh on the elderly, but I can't tolerate these nuisances. It really ruins our precious hot spring experience.

November 10, 2024, around 5:00 PM I was tempted by the cheap price of 300 yen and went in for a bath. It seemed to be a time when many locals visit, as I endured stares that seemed to say, "Where are you from?" While I enjoyed the local conversations with them, I felt guilty for skipping someone. Each time someone left, I said, "See you later, bye!" I'm glad the pandemic is over. It wasn't very spacious; there were 7 or 8 washing stations. (I vaguely remember there being a few more?) The showers were the same as those at home. Body soap and rinse-in shampoo were provided. There were also two free hair dryers, but they were being used, so I didn't use one. Next time I come, I'll try a different time.

The water temperature is lukewarm. It's alkaline, so it feels slippery. It's a hot spring attached to a sports facility, just good for washing off sweat, but it's expensive for what it is. The location is okay if you consider it as part of a sports and hot spring package, but it's inconvenient if you're only going for the hot spring. The changing rooms and bath area aren't very clean and are small. It might be okay to use if you're exercising and just want to use the hot spring as an afterthought.

The usage fee is cheap at 300 yen. I didn't experience any of the bad manners mentioned in other reviews (I used it on a weekday afternoon). Shampooing leaves your hair feeling stiff, so if that bothers you, you might want to bring your own. The bath is deep; for some people, the water reaches their face when sitting. Since it's also a sports facility, there are plenty of vending machines. There's no food available.

I use the baths often, but they're always crowded. The changing rooms are so full that there aren't even any changing baskets left. However, the baths themselves are surprisingly empty, so I think a lot of people use the sauna. The changing rooms are quite small. The lobby is spacious. The parking lot also gets crowded when there are sports events or events for the elderly.