Watarase Onsen large open

Not sure how accurate the opening timings are on Google cos we went on 13 Oct 2025 which was Japan's Sports Day and a public holiday so Google back then said it was closed. But we trusted in all the road signs that read "Open all year round". Thank goodness it was open! Had similar encounters in the region where Google says its open but the shop turned out close, or vice versa. Anyway the bath facilties were great and very comfortable, there was good shampoo and soap provided (never saw this brand before but my hair immediately felt very smooth after applying it!) There were 3 outdoor baths (2 hot, 1 cold) and 1 indoor one (hot). We drove here after finishing the Kumano Kodo trail. We finished at Kumano Hongu Taisha at around 3.15pm and noted that several baths listed at Yunomine onsen seemed to close at 4pm so bearing in mind the time needed to get there we headed to Watarase instead which was closer. Paid 1k per adult.

Note for my fellow foreigners: there is nothing translated and you have to use a ticket machine so bring your translator app if you can't read japanese. At first I thought this was way too expensive (1000¥ the adult entry + the towel 450¥ if you don't have one) but I had such a good time that I think it was (almost) worth it. You can clean yourself inside or outside, which is enjoyable! There is two big baths on the exterior and one smaller on the interior. You have box for your shoes and box for your belongings, plus the usual basket for your clothes. There are a lot of commodities like soap, shampoo, moisturizer, hairbrush, foot massage machine, etc, you really don't need anything besides your towel if you can.

Was hesitating between 3 or 4* but felt that the ambience of the place and the friendliness of the staff merited bunny points. As I was staying in one of the cottages across the river, I paid JPY1,000 to use the baths which consisted of an indoor pool and two adjacent outdoor pools. As one reviewer pointed out, a large wall stood at one end of the large outdoor pool and there's no view of the mountains at all, only views within the fenced area. The water was hottest in the outdoor pools (44°?), while the pool indoors was a degree or two lower. A cold drinking water dispenser was provided. I would not pay the fee to use it again, although I did like the temperature and ambience of the pools

The onsen itself was delightful. It’s very onsen-y and pools are large made with natural stone, and the hot pool was perfect. However on my visit there was incredibly loud construction works happening there, and considering the price is fairly high for a public onsen (no discount due to disruption) the vibe was ruined. The generator, piling and heavy plant noises were so loud that you had to retreat indoors eventually. I got unlucky maybe but I do think more could have been done to soundproof or offer a reduced ticket price.

Beautiful onsen with different outdoor pools. My guesthouse host recommended it to me and said it's the nicest onsen in the entire area. She's totally right! Really kind & helpful staff - even if they do not speak English (I went there on "ladie's day" (?) with a 100yen discount and they explained it to me - really appreciated). Admission fee is normally 1000yen which is absolutely fair for what you get. You can also rent towels. Totally recommended!