How much does it cost?

Name: Zazen Hot Spring
Address: Higashiogawa, Katashina, Tone District, Gunma 378-0414, Katashina, Gunma, JP
Telephone: +81278-58-2211
Rating: 4.1

Right Onsen › Gunma › Katashina

Zazen Hot Spring

4.1★ · 30 Google ratings · Katashina, Gunma · 座禅温泉

Open in Google Maps Official site (Japanese)

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

Before you go

Can you bathe here?

Price

¥800Standard admission is 800 yen; several reviewers note discounts to 500-600 yen with a ropeway or lift-ticket stub.stated by 5 visitors · Nov 2022 – Mar 2026

Hours

13:00–18:00from the facility listing

Tattoos

Not known · call aheadno policy stated in the 28 recent reviews we read or on the facility's website

How we know this

The bath

What you’ll find

A ropeway-station bathhouse at Marunuma Kogen near Nikko-Shiranesan with rust-red, iron/sulfur turbid water and a sauna but no outdoor bath, popular with hikers and skiers; one reviewer notes staff said traditional tattoos are welcome, but only one review confirms this.

Outdoor bath

NoReviewers consistently confirm there is no outdoor bath, only an outdoor resting area.stated by 4 visitors · Jul 2023 – Aug 2026

Sauna

✓ YesA large sauna reaching roughly 93-100C is present, though some reviewers find it not very hot.stated by 6 visitors · Aug 2022 – Aug 2026

Cold bath

✓ YesA small cold plunge is available, though several reviewers say it runs lukewarm rather than cold.stated by 5 visitors · Oct 2024 – Mar 2026

Rest area

✓ YesAn outdoor rest deck and an indoor tatami rest area are both available.stated by 3 visitors · Dec 2024 – Mar 2026

The water

Spring type

Iron/sulfur (rust-red, turbid)The water is a rust-colored, turbid spring with a sulfur/iron smell.stated by 2 visitors · Nov 2023 – Oct 2024

Practical

What to bring

Payment

✓ Cards & QR acceptedThe facility accepts cashless/QR payment at the ticket machine or front desk.stated by 2 visitors · Nov 2024 – Sep 2025

Towels

Rental availableTowel rental is available on-site.stated by 2 visitors · Feb 2023 – Dec 2024

Soap & shampoo

✓ ProvidedShampoo, conditioner and body soap are provided.stated by 4 visitors · Dec 2024 – Apr 2026

Lockers

✓ Coin returnedLockers use a refundable 100 yen coin deposit; one older review from before a 2024 renovation mentions lockers without keys.stated by 3 visitors · Nov 2024 – Dec 2024

Hair dryer

✓ FreeHair dryers are provided at the sinks with no fee mentioned by reviewers, though one notes personal dryers cannot be used.stated by 2 visitors · Oct 2025 – Apr 2026

Guide

What visitors add

The water

Nine distinct reviews describe a cloudy, rust/reddish-brown to golden iron-tinged water (one also notes a sulfur smell); one reviewer estimated the bath at around 42C and two others say it is not too hot. One reviewer (Nov 2022) believes the source changed around 2021 because older write-ups and the posted analysis did not match the current iron-rich water.

stated by 9 visitors · Apr 2021 – Mar 2026

Price

Admission is 800 yen, reported by five distinct reviews (2022-2026). Discount reports differ by date: two 2022-2023 reviews report larger discounts (lift ticket 800 to 600 yen; ropeway ticket stub 800 to 500 yen), while three 2023-2026 reviews report a 100-yen discount with a lift/ropeway ticket; one reviewer (Nov 2024) explicitly says the discount and locker information changed after a renewal.

stated by 8 visitors · Nov 2022 – Mar 2026

Day-use visits

Hours are limited and reports vary by date: one reviewer (Jul 2025) says reception until 17:00 with exit by 18:00, one (Nov 2025) says it opens at 13:00, and one (Aug 2024) says bath entry ran 13:00-16:00. One reviewer warns it is closed when the ropeway is not operating, and one says there are days when groups book the whole facility.

stated by 4 visitors · Aug 2024 – Nov 2025

Payment

Two reviewers report cashless payment is accepted (one specifies QR payment at the ticket machine); payment is made at the information center, ticket machine, or front desk before bathing.

stated by 3 visitors · Nov 2024 – Mar 2026

Staffing

The facility is staffed, not unmanned: two reviewers describe paying at the information center or front desk, and one quotes staff comments on tattoo policy.

stated by 2 visitors · Sep 2025 – Mar 2026

Timing