Sazanami Onsen Nozomi-no-Yu

4.2★ · 29 Google ratings · Minakami, Gunma · 漣温泉のぞみの湯

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

Before you go

Can you bathe here?

Day visitors

Limited hoursOpening hours are short (roughly 17:00-20:30 in the evening only), recently shortened further due to fuel costs.stated by 4 visitors · Sep 2025 – Jun 2026

Hours

17:00–20:30from the facility listing

Price

¥200Current non-member admission is 200 yen (paid via honesty box), up from 100 yen in older reviews.stated by 7 visitors · May 2023 – Jun 2026

Tattoos

Not known · call aheadno policy stated in the 26 recent reviews we read

How we know this

Watch out

Soap & shampoo

There are no showers or wash stations (karan); bathers scoop bath water with a bucket, so no soap or shampoo is provided.

stated by 6 visitors · Mar 2018 – Jun 2026

Day visitors

Opening hours are short (roughly 17:00-20:30 in the evening only), recently shortened further due to fuel costs.

stated by 4 visitors · Sep 2025 – Jun 2026

Payment

Payment is cash only, dropped into an honesty box; no card machine exists.

stated by 2 visitors · Mar 2018 – Jun 2026

The bath

What you’ll find

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.

Indoor baths

1Each side has just one small tub (wood-built, fits about 3 people).stated by 1 visitor · May 2025

The water

Free-flowing (kakenagashi)

✓ YesThe bath runs on free-flowing (kakenagashi) spring water, confirmed by multiple reviewers.stated by 3 visitors · May 2025 – Jun 2026

Spring type

Alkaline simple spring (sulfate-sodium-chloride)The water is an alkaline simple spring with a faint sulfur smell, giving a silky, slippery skin feel.stated by 2 visitors · Jun 2019 – Apr 2026

Source temperature

33°CThe natural spring source temperature is around 33C before heating.stated by 2 visitors · Jun 2019 – Jun 2026

pH 9.3The posted spring analysis lists an alkaline pH, cited as 9.3 in a recent survey versus 9.1 in an older one.stated by 2 visitors · Jun 2019 – Apr 2026

Heated

✓ YesThe 33C source is heated (boiler) before use, since it comes out cooler than a typical hot spring.stated by 4 visitors · Dec 2017 – Jun 2026

Practical

What to bring

Payment

Cash onlyPayment is cash only, dropped into an honesty box; no card machine exists.stated by 2 visitors · Mar 2018 – Jun 2026

Soap & shampoo

Not provided — bring your ownThere are no showers or wash stations (karan); bathers scoop bath water with a bucket, so no soap or shampoo is provided.stated by 6 visitors · Mar 2018 – Jun 2026

Guide

What visitors add

The water

Alkaline simple spring: one reviewer cites the posted 2025 (Reiwa 7) analysis showing pH 9.3 with sulfate, sodium and chloride ions; an older reviewer cites pH 9.1. At least five distinct reviewers report a faint sulfur/egg smell, and at least four report fine carbonation-like bubbles adhering to the skin with a smooth, slippery (tsuru-tsuru) feel. Water is described as nearly colorless and transparent (three reviewers).

stated by 9 visitors · Dec 2017 – Apr 2026

Price

Admission for visitors is ¥200 (six distinct reviewers, 2023-2026; one specifies ¥200 is the non-association-member price). Reviews from 2017-2022 cite ¥100, so the price has doubled over time.

stated by 8 visitors · Dec 2017 – Jun 2026

Day-use visits

Recent hours are short and evening-only, and reports vary: reviewers from Sep 2025 to Jun 2026 report opening at 17:00 with closing given as 19:30 (one reviewer), 20:00 (one reviewer), and 20:30 (one reviewer). Two reviewers say hours were shortened because of rising fuel costs. Older reviews (2018-2019, two reviewers) reported 16:00-21:00. One reviewer notes bathers should be out by 20:30 for cleaning.

stated by 6 visitors · Mar 2018 – Jun 2026

Water handling

Four distinct reviewers describe the bath as kakenagashi (free-flowing) with heating only; two reviewers state the source temperature is about 33°C, which is heated to a comfortable bathing temperature (one reviewer estimates around 40°C).

stated by 6 visitors · Dec 2017 – Jun 2026

Towels, soap & lockers

There are no taps or showers at all — six distinct reviewers state there are no karan/showers/faucets; you rinse yourself by scooping bath water with a basin (two reviewers). No review mentions soap, shampoo, towels for hire, or lockers; bring everything yourself.

stated by 6 visitors · Dec 2017 – Jun 2026

Day-use visits

During the COVID period the bath was restricted to local residents only (three reviewers, 2021-2022, report being turned away or barred as non-residents); two later reviewers (2025-2026) indicate access for outsiders has returned to normal.

stated by 5 visitors · Nov 2021 – Jun 2026

Timing