湯田温泉

This facility offers both overnight stays and day-trip bathing. For day-trip bathers, deposit 500 yen per person in a paper box in front of the front desk (which is often unmanned). Unlike Matsunoyama, this is a gentle bicarbonate spring. You'll feel a slimy feeling on your skin the moment you step in. It's a short drive from Matsunoyama, so it might be a good place to soak after a bath. The spring quality is excellent. There's a sign saying the water is circulated, heated, and disinfected, but the chlorine smell isn't noticeable. The indoor bath is made of cypress and is a decent size. Faucets, shampoo, and body soap are provided, but there's no sauna. The open-air bath, which is about the size of a two-person bath, is heated, so depending on the season and time of day, it may be too cold to enter. It's especially recommended during the hot summer months. Rice paddies stretch out just beside the open-air bath, and you can see houses and farm roads. While there's hardly any foot traffic, it seems like a good choice for those who don't mind being seen from outside (the women's bath seems to be a little more screened, but I'm not sure). On clear early summer nights, you might even be able to see fireflies. Currently (June 2022), I believe bathing is available from 6am to midnight, including for guests staying overnight.

I stopped by the next day after staying at Matsunoyama Onsen. There was a box at the front desk for a 500 yen day-use pass, so I put it in and headed to the hot spring. Unfortunately, the open-air bath was still cold, but the indoor bath was a cypress bath and quite hot. I arrived around 1pm and had the place to myself. On the way, I spoke with a regular customer, who told me it's always open and nice.

The lukewarm water makes this hot spring perfect for summer. The small open-air bath is completely visible from the outside. Since it's rice harvest season and there are many people working in the fields, I only took a bath in the indoor bath this time. The hot spring is slimy and rich in metasilicic acid. Since it's a hot spring that only locals know about, it's always private.

The spring water leaves your skin feeling slippery. The bathroom is made with plenty of cypress wood and smells wonderful. The ceiling is not very high, so it feels a bit cramped, but the cypress scent is stronger because of that. Be careful as it is very slippery.

The water is slippery and moisturizes the skin.