温泉入口

June 17, 2025: Visit to Mori no Kuni's "Poppo Onsen." I borrowed this while stopping at a roadside station. It's a rare sight when traveling around Japan: a station itself is a hot spring. The hot spring and open-air baths are located on the second floor of the station building. While there are no exact dates, the facility likely opened around 2004. It has undergone several expansions and renovations, most recently undergoing a major renovation in 2023, so the facility is still new, clean, and well-maintained. The hot spring water is a cold mineral spring of the baking soda type, primarily composed of sodium and bicarbonate. It's an environmentally friendly biomass-based hot spring, heated using local firewood. The view from the open-air bath is fantastic, and as I was admiring the tranquil scenery, I heard the sound of the Itou Line train pulling in, truly bringing home the station. The facility is open from 10:00 AM to 10:00 PM, with tickets lasting at 9:30 PM. The admission fee is 550 yen for adults, cash only. Shoe lockers are free or require a 100 yen return, changing lockers are free, and valuables lockers require a 100 yen return. Body soap, rinse-in shampoo, hair dryers, and water dispensers are provided. The soaps are cheaper versions of Wind Hill's. The baths are Meiji no Yu and Nametoko no Yu, which alternate daily for men and women. This time we used the Nametoko side. There are 12 indoor showers, one indoor bath, a dry sauna, and a cold bath. There is also an outdoor rock bath, and the open-air bathing area is equipped with chairs, reclining chairs, and benches. The water is a simple, hypotonic, weakly alkaline cold mineral spring that is colorless, transparent, tasteless, and odorless. The water is quite bland, but the thick consistency is noticeable due to the bicarbonate, which is the main ingredient. Indoors, there are tatami rooms where you can lie down, a deck where you can cool off outdoors, and a merchandise shop. Parking is available on both sides of the station, but the parking lot on the far right seemed to be the larger and more open space. I got the impression that the majority of users were locals, with only a few travelers.

May 2, 2025, Evening Bath I arrived before 5 PM. The admission fee was 520 yen. There were free lockers in the shoe lockers. Conditioner shampoo and body soap were provided, and they were available. There were ample parking spaces on both sides of the station (facility). There was one indoor bath. The water was clear and colorless, with a slight chlorine smell. The set temperature was 41°C, as indicated by the facility's own thermometer, which also read 41°C. It appeared the water was diluted, heated, and circulated. The sauna could fit about 10 people if packed in, and the thermometer indicated 84-86°C. There was a single-person cold bath, and the water was quite ice-cold, which was very pleasant. There was one open-air bath, with water similar to the indoor bath. There was one chair, one bed, and one bench in the open-air area, so you could enjoy a bath in the open air. The train arrived at around 5:20pm, just as I was enjoying my open-air bath, and I was able to see it from the small window in the privacy wall and from above the wall. There were over 10 washing areas, but even though there was a place to put your bathing supplies, some rude locals left their bathing supplies there to reserve a spot. Rather than hot spring lovers who are particular about the water, this facility might be a good choice for people who love trains and hot springs. I was able to relax for just over an hour after soaking in the tub, sauna, cold bath and open-air bath.

It's unique that it's located on the second floor of a local train station. The hot spring is also amazing. To be honest, I wasn't expecting much, but there's a sauna, a cold bath, and a rest room. With facilities like this, I wouldn't be dissatisfied waiting for the next train even if it's two hours later. Also, since it's on the second floor, the view from the open-air bath is quite impressive, with the mountain ranges and the Shimanto River flowing next to it. There are chairs, so it's also a high-quality place to relax in the sauna. After the bath, you can drink some milk and take a nap on the tatami mats, making for the perfect day off!

Heading north on National Route 441 from Kochi Prefecture and entering Ehime Prefecture, you'll soon find Mori no Kuni Poppo Onsen. This rare super hot spring is located next to Matsumaru Station. There's also a foot bath in front of the entrance. Once you enter the hot spring, you'll find a large public bath, an open-air bath, and a dry sauna that can fit about 10 people. The cold bath is small but cute. When you step out of the open-air bath, you can see Matsuno Roadside Station on the opposite bank of the river. Many of the bathers were locals, and everyone seemed to be having a great time.

December 29, 2025 This is the hot spring facility inside (next to) the station building 😌♨️ Wow!! ️ The open-air bath has a small window (for one person), a timetable, and you can watch the trains while completely naked (lol)🤣 I got in for a bargain at just 550 yen 😁 The hot spring was so relaxing, and it must have been incredibly popular because I arrived around 3 PM 🚙 there were a lot of cars and people. Of course, I could watch the trains while completely naked (lol)🤣 After the hot spring, I had some pomelo ice cream, a unique treat in Kochi 😋