Onsen and baths in Minakami

A large, well-appointed lake-view day-spa in Sarugakyo with a hot 58C source, two named outdoor baths, a distinctive low-temperature 'bona sauna' and cold bath, undercut by a paid hair-dryer system and repeated complaints of two-hour restaurant waits.

A mountainside day-use bathhouse near Tanigawadake with source-fed water split between heated and unheated (nuru-yu) indoor tubs and a riverside/waterfall-view outdoor bath, popular but with tight parking and inconsistent front-desk service.

A river-view day-onsen near Tanigawadake popular with hikers and skiers, with three distinct source baths and a scenic outdoor bath -- but PERMANENTLY CLOSED since March 2025 after a Legionella bacteria detection.

A rustic, family-run countryside day onsen near Minakami/Sarugakyo with an outdoor bath, low-temperature sauna, a genuinely cold (30C) kakenagashi plunge bath, and a well-loved restaurant famous for catfish tempura rice bowls and handmade soba; a price increase from around 700 yen took effect around July 2026.

A small town-run day bath in the Minakami hot spring district with a single indoor tub, popular with local regulars and hikers off Tanigawadake, offering body soap but charging extra for shampoo, and no sauna or outdoor bath.

A beloved, no-frills town-run mountain bathhouse with a genuinely hot source-fed alkaline spring (also lightly chlorinated), one indoor and one outdoor tub with bear-warning signs posted right by the open-air bath, and a July 2026 price jump that one reviewer speculates followed a Legionella scare.

A tiny, no-frills self-fed 350 yen town bathhouse near Minakami with genuine kakenagashi calcium-sulfate spring water, bare-bones facilities (no shower, no soap), and a loyal local following, but as of the most recent reviews it is closed indefinitely for aging-pipe repairs with no confirmed reopening date.

A small, calcium-rich local day-use onsen near Jomo-Kogen station popular with hikers and skiers, with a source-fed but very cramped outdoor bath (room for only 1-2 people); reviewers report it announced permanent closure effective March 31, 2025 due to rising fuel costs, though one later review describes visits that leave the current status unclear.

A rustic riverside outdoor mixed-bathing (konyoku) hot spring near Minakami with no washing area; a large share of reviewers, especially women, describe it as unsafe due to men who linger staring at or groping female bathers, plus reports of aggressive management.

An unmanned, coin-ticket communal bath in Sarugakyo Onsen with one indoor kakenagashi tub running very hot (often 45-50C), no soap or amenities provided, cheap at 300 yen, but with very limited free parking and cash-only payment.

A hillside ryokan-style onsen overlooking rice terraces, with strongly alkaline metasilicic-acid water, indoor and outdoor baths, a reservation-based wood-fired sauna, a cafe/rest area, and overnight lodging, though several reviewers complain of cramped changing rooms and inconsistent staff and booking availability.

A tiny, appointment-only charter/private hot spring near Tanigawa Onsen (Minakami) where each booking gets a private room with 2-3 kakenagashi baths (indoor, semi-outdoor, outdoor) and its own tatami rest area; access requires calling ahead, no food is served, and the steep unplowed approach road can be treacherous or impassable in winter.

A small source-fed kakenagashi bathhouse attached to a mountain campground, offering day-use bathing, a lockable private outdoor bath, and a separated indoor bath, with notably hot, minimally treated water.

An unmanned, 24-hour, 500-yen kakenagashi bathhouse tucked in the mountains near Fujiwara, with gender-separated indoor baths, notably hot water, and no outdoor bath, sauna, or rest area.

A famous, historic Edo-era ryokan (Hoshi Onsen Chojukan) whose signature bath is a true kakenagashi mixed-gender (konyoku) bathing hall bubbling straight from the floor, with separate women-only baths also on site; many reviewers, especially women, describe lingering men watching for female bathers, and day-use guests report it can feel rushed and crowded compared to staying overnight.

A tiny, honesty-box community bathhouse in Minakami with slippery alkaline kakenagashi spring water, no showers or wash stations, and short evening-only opening hours.

A quirky, old, tatami-floored indoor/outdoor bathhouse near Sarugakyo with a tokoroten snack after bathing; reviews are all from 2015-2019 and mention irregular opening hours and cleanliness concerns, so current status is uncertain.

A tiny residents' communal bathhouse in Sarugakyo onsen town with a single very hot flow-through tub, honesty-box payment, and no amenities, tolerant of outside visitors despite a residents-only sign.

A newer, spacious open-air bath at the Hoshi Onsen ryokan complex with good scenery and even a mixed-bathing option, but its circulated, heated, and chlorinated water draws unfavorable comparison to the ryokan's famous flow-through Hoshi-no-Yu.

A scenic hotel-guests-only outdoor bath at Minakami Kogen Hotel 200, framed by birch trees in summer and snow in winter, occasionally visited by wild monkeys.

A tiny communal bathhouse (kyodo-yokujo) in Yujuku Onsen reserved for local residents and lodging guests, with scalding-hot calcium-rich source water that day-trippers cannot access without a local connection.

A hard-to-spot, unmanned community-hall communal bath in Sarugakyo with a single small calcium-rich tub, honesty-box cash payment, and no amenities.

A tiny donation-based community bath (kyodo-yokujo) in Yujuku Onsen restricted to locals and lodging guests, with hot kakenagashi water straight from the source and no shower or shampoo.

The historic Hoshi Onsen Chojukan ryokan's registered-cultural-property indoor bath with mixed-gender bathing and floor-fed source water, open for limited day-use hours.

One of Yujuku Onsen's communal bathhouses, normally for local residents, currently closed/suspended as of 2026 due to management and user-behavior problems.

A ryokan's main bathhouse with indoor, outdoor, and sauna facilities (including a mist sauna on the women's side) and a scenic view, using an alkaline simple spring served unheated.

Baths that admit you without an overnight stay

Rotenburo, confirmed by visitors

Gensen kakenagashi, not recirculated

Often with a cold plunge