Yama no Yu (Yuzawa)

湯元共同浴場山の湯36°57′ N 138°48′ EPublic bath¥850, about CAD 7.60 or USD 5.40 (October 2026 rates)

Yama no Yu is the oldest of Echigo-Yuzawa's five public baths and charges ¥850 for a small sulphur soak. It suits anyone who wants the Snow Country town as it was; the tub holds only five or six people and the bath closes on Tuesdays.

Know before you bathe

The tub fits five or six people, so keep your soak short when it is busy and wash at the taps first.

Getting there

In the Yumoto district past the Nunoba ski area, about 20 minutes' walk from Echigo-Yuzawa Station's west exit or 10 minutes by car from the Yuzawa interchange. Ten parking spaces.

Locals call this bath yamanbocha. It stands in the Yumoto quarter near the inn where Kawabata Yasunari wrote Snow Country, and the baths' own site says the writer soaked here himself. The building looks like a mountain hut.

The sulphur water runs straight from the source into a tub that fills up with five or six bathers. Entry costs ¥850 for adults with the bathing tax, and the five-bath ticket sold at the counter brings each visit down to ¥500.

Worth knowing

Yama no Yu closes from 9 to 11 November 2026 for leak repairs.

The essentials

In Japanese: 湯元共同浴場山の湯(やまのゆ)Yama no Yu
Kind: Public bath
Day visit: ¥850 per adult (2026), about CAD 7.60 or USD 5.40 (October 2026 rates)
Prices: Adults pay ¥850 including the ¥150 bathing tax, children aged four to primary school ¥350, and under-fours go free (2026). The ¥2,500 soto-yu meguri ticket covers one visit to each of the five public baths and never expires.
Hours: 10:00–21:00, last entry 20:30. Closed Tuesdays, with the day moved when it falls on a holiday, at New Year or in the Obon week.
Closed: Tuesdays
Water: Simple sulphur water, alkaline and hot, flowing straight from the source without recirculation.
Spring types: simple sulphur spring
Outdoor bath: No
Mixed bathing: No
Private baths: No
Tattoos: Not published. The Yuzawa public baths' site publishes no tattoo rule.
Bring: Bring a towel and soap. The bath lists a lobby and rest space and no rentals.
Address: 930 Yuzawa, Yuzawa, Minamiuonuma District, Niigata 949-6101
Website: Official site

Quick answers about Yama no Yu (Yuzawa)よくある質問

Is Yama no Yu in Yuzawa open on Tuesdays?

No. Yama no Yu closes on Tuesdays and opens 10:00–21:00 on other days, with last entry at 20:30.

How far is Yama no Yu from Echigo-Yuzawa Station?

Yama no Yu is about 20 minutes on foot from Echigo-Yuzawa Station.

Can you visit Yama no Yu (Yuzawa) without staying the night?

Yes. Yama no Yu (Yuzawa) sells day entry at ¥850 per adult (2026), about CAD 7.60 or USD 5.40 (October 2026 rates).

Is Yama no Yu (Yuzawa) mixed bathing?

No. Yama no Yu (Yuzawa) keeps separate baths for men and women.

How much does Yama no Yu (Yuzawa) cost?

Prices at Yama no Yu (Yuzawa) start at ¥850 per adult (2026), about CAD 7.60 or USD 5.40 (October 2026 rates).

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Quick answers about Yama no Yu (Yuzawa)よくある質問

Is Yama no Yu in Yuzawa open on Tuesdays?

How far is Yama no Yu from Echigo-Yuzawa Station?