Okina-no-Yu (Yubatake Source)

3.9★ · 83 Google ratings · Kusatsu, Gunma · 翁乃湯（湯畑源泉）

✓ Natural hot-spring water✓ Free-flowing source water

Before you go

Can you bathe here?

Day visitors

Limited hoursAs of late 2025/2026, day visitors appear allowed roughly 09:00-16:00, with the bath locked to residents-only overnight (about 16:00-09:00); this is a change from 2021-2024, when many reviews reported it was residents-only with no visitor access at all, so status should be reconfirmed on arrival.stated by 3 visitors · Nov 2025 – Feb 2026

Hours

00:00–24:00from the facility listing

Price

FreeThe bath is free to use.stated by 3 visitors · Oct 2020 – Feb 2026

Tattoos

Not known · call aheadno policy stated in the 38 recent reviews we read

How we know this

Watch out

Day visitors

As of late 2025/2026, day visitors appear allowed roughly 09:00-16:00, with the bath locked to residents-only overnight (about 16:00-09:00); this is a change from 2021-2024, when many reviews reported it was residents-only with no visitor access at all, so status should be reconfirmed on arrival.

stated by 3 visitors · Nov 2025 – Feb 2026

The bath

What you’ll find

A free, historic acidic-sulfur community bath in Kusatsu fed by the Yubatake source; access for non-residents has swung repeatedly between fully closed and open over 2020-2026, and as of late 2025/2026 it appears open to day visitors roughly 09:00-16:00 with residents-only hours overnight — reconfirm locally before visiting.

Outdoor bath

NoThe facility has only the single indoor bath and no outdoor bath.stated by 1 visitor · Feb 2026

Indoor baths

1There is a single simple indoor bath, with no washing stations.stated by 1 visitor · Feb 2026

The water

Free-flowing (kakenagashi)

✓ YesThe bath is fed directly and continuously from the Yubatake source (kakenagashi).stated by 3 visitors · Aug 2021 – Feb 2026

Spring type

Acidic sulfur-aluminum sulfate-chloride springThe Yubatake-source water is an acidic sulfur-aluminum sulfate-chloride spring.stated by 2 visitors · Oct 2024 – Feb 2026

Source temperature

52.3°CAn official spring analysis posted at the bath lists the source temperature as 52.3°C (the tub itself runs cooler).stated by 1 visitor · Feb 2026

Bath temperature

44°CReviewers measured the tub itself at around 42-44°C.stated by 2 visitors · Oct 2020 – Feb 2026

pH 2The posted spring analysis lists a pH of 2.0 (strongly acidic).stated by 1 visitor · Feb 2026

Practical

What to bring

Soap & shampoo

Not provided — bring your ownNo shampoo is provided, and visitors are asked to avoid using soap at all out of respect for this residents' bath.stated by 2 visitors · Feb 2026

Guide

What visitors add

For foreign visitors

ACCESS HISTORY, CRITICAL: from 2020 through Oct 2025 at least twelve reviewers reported this Kusatsu communal bath closed to non-town-residents (COVID-era '町民以外入浴不可' signage; several tourists turned away). The restriction has since been relaxed: one reviewer (Nov 2025) reports the residents-only notice is gone, replaced by a sign reserving 16:00-09:00 for Sensui district residents (locked overnight), and one reviewer (Feb 2026) bathed as a day visitor mid-morning. One earlier reviewer (Jun 2025) had heard the same daytime opening.

stated by 15 visitors · Aug 2020 – Feb 2026

The water

Temperature is milder than most Kusatsu communal baths: at least seven reviewers describe it as comfortable/relatively low and good for longer soaks, one estimating the tub at about 42 degrees C. Counter-reports exist: one reviewer measured 44 degrees C (Oct 2020), one (Aug 2021) found it very hot and advised adding cold water, and one notes it is occasionally too hot.

stated by 10 visitors · Oct 2020 – Jul 2026

Outdoor bath & sauna

Single indoor stone tub only — one reviewer records '内湯一種' and another describes a small stone tub; one says it fits about 4-5 people and one calls it shallow. No outdoor bath or sauna is mentioned by any reviewer. Toilet reports conflict: two 2020 reviewers say a toilet exists (Japanese-style), while the Feb 2026 reviewer questions whether it is usable.

stated by 5 visitors · Oct 2020 – Feb 2026

Day-use visits

Current day-use window: one reviewer (Feb 2026) records day-visitor hours of 09:00-16:00, consistent with the Nov 2025 sign locking the bath 16:00-09:00 for district residents. Pre-restriction reviews (2020-2021) described near-24h access except a morning cleaning window (7:30-9:00 or 7:30-9:30).

stated by 4 visitors · Oct 2020 – Feb 2026

Price

Bathing is free: three reviewers state it (one recorded '入湯料:無料' in Feb 2026; two 2020 reviewers call it a free public bath).

stated by 3 visitors · Oct 2020 – Feb 2026

The water

Spring classification (from the posted analysis sheet quoted by one reviewer, Feb 2026): acidic, sulfur-bearing aluminium sulfate-chloride spring (hydrogen-sulfide type), pH 2.0, source temperature 52.3 degrees C, Yubatake source — matching a second reviewer's classification (Oct 2024). One reviewer conflicts on the source, claiming it is the Bandaiko source with a slightly prickly sting; the analysis-sheet quote supports Yubatake (2 reviewers vs 1). The strongly acidic water warrants short soaks and rinsing off after, per one reviewer.

stated by 3 visitors · Oct 2024 – Feb 2026

Timing