Yamanaka Onsen
山中温泉36°15′ N 136°22′ EOnsen town¥500, about CAD 4.50 or USD 3.20 (October 2026 rates)
Yamanaka Onsen suits couples who want a gorge-side hot-spring town with a ¥500 public bath and old craft streets, and its trade-off is a long trip from Toyama and the mountains.
Photo 藤谷良秀(Fujitani Yoshihide) · Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0 and others, credited in the gallery
Know before you bathe
Kikunoyu is the town's shared bath, so wash first and keep the water clean.
Getting there
Yamanaka Onsen lies in Kaga, south of Kanazawa toward the Fukui border.
Kikunoyu, the town's public bath, stands where the first communal bathhouse was built after the spring was found. Men and women bathe in separate buildings, which is rare in Japan. The men's bath is a heavy Tenpyo-style hall with a tub deep enough to stand in to the waist, and the women's side has deep and shallow pools.
Matsuo Basho stopped here on his Narrow Road to the Deep North journey and praised the water in a haiku, and his travelling companion Sora left him at Yamanaka. Galleries of Yamanaka lacquer and Kutani pottery line the Yuge Kaido, which runs about 600 m from Kikunoyu toward Korogi Bridge. Its shops look after bags and let walkers use their toilets free.
Worth knowing
- Watch the Yamanaka-bushi folk dances at Yamanaka-za, next to the women's bath, on Saturdays, Sundays and holidays.
Quick answers about Yamanaka Onsenよくある質問
Can you visit Yamanaka Onsen without staying the night?
Yes. Yamanaka Onsen sells day entry at ¥500 per adult (2026), about CAD 4.50 or USD 3.20 (October 2026 rates).
How much does Yamanaka Onsen cost?
Prices at Yamanaka Onsen start at ¥500 per adult (2026), about CAD 4.50 or USD 3.20 (October 2026 rates).
What are the opening hours of Yamanaka Onsen?
Yamanaka Onsen keeps these hours: Daily 07:00–22:00.