Hot Spring Culture Rooted in the Community
Oyu Hot Spring has four public bathhouses. They are still important to the local people.
 

 


Arase-no-yu standing along the Oyu-gawa River
 
Arase-no-yu is the largest bathhouse among the four. It quite tastefully and modestly stands by the Oyu-gawa River. A charge of 120 yen per person is the same rate as the other three public bathhouses. All the public bathhouses are open from 6:00 in the morning to 9:00 at night.
 

 
Bath for men, Arase-no-yu
Reception, Arase-no-yu
Japanese style lounge,
Arase-no-yu
Arase-no-yu has a lounge, and housewives sit around the kotatsu (Japanese foot warmer with a quilt over it) and chat after taking a bath in winter. They say that after seeing the family to school or work, many housewives like to spend time there. Historically Shimo-no-yu is the oldest hot spring and was discovered around 1469 - 1489. There is a shrine to the guardian deity of the hot spring on the summit of the hill at the back of Shimo-no-yu.
 
 
External appearance
of Kami-no-yu
 
Appearance
of traditional Shimo-no-yu
In Kami-no-yu, old lady diligently wash her underwear at the washing space by the building using the hot springs. Oyu Hot Spring is proud of the abundant hot springs.

Old lady doing her washing
beside Kami-no-yu
[Medicinal benefit]
Fatigue recovery, bruise, cut, skin disease, etc.

 
[Same charge for the four bathhouses]

Visitor charge: 120 yen
Open: 06:00 - 21:00
No accommodations.






[Access]
Take the JR Tohoku Shinkansen, and change to the JR Hanawa Line at Morioka Station and go to Towadaminami Station. From this station, take a bus to Towadako. Get off the bus at Oyu Onsen after about a 20 minute drive. There is also a bus to Towadako from Morioka Station.