Public bathhouse · Open
Sabako-yu
- Day-use bathing
- Yes
- Fee
- ¥400checked 2026-10-09
- Hours
- 6:00–21:00checked 2026-10-09
Photo information
Save to passport
Official classification
Spring type (therapeutic classes)
Official spring-type name (as recorded)Simple (low-mineral) hot spring, alkaline, hypotonic, high temperature; wording varies by bathhouse
- Source temperature
- 48.8–62°C
- pH
- Unconfirmed
- Flow rate
- Unconfirmed
- Radon
- Unconfirmed
Appearance & feel
Water colour · Feel
Clear
Colour and feel are listed only where a source states them. They vary by day and by bath.
What makes it special
Twenty-five minutes by local train from Fukushima Station, a town with nine public bathhouses where you sit in very hot water next to the people who live there.
Facilities in this area
Facilities come from the register (Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, official sites). Those marked "natural spring unconfirmed" are listed on the basis of their name only.
Public bathhouse · Open
Hako-yu
- Day-use bathing
- Yes
- Fee
- ¥500checked 2026-10-09
- Hours
- 6:00–21:00checked 2026-10-09
Baths2
| Type | Gender | Source | Bath temperature | Free-flowing | Added water | Heated | Recirculated | Disinfected |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Indoor bath | Separate | Unconfirmed | Unconfirmed | Unconfirmed[2] | Unconfirmed[2] | Unconfirmed[2] | Unconfirmed[2] | Unconfirmed[2] |
| Indoor bath | Separate | Unconfirmed | Unconfirmed | Unconfirmed[2] | Unconfirmed[2] | Unconfirmed[2] | Unconfirmed[2] | Unconfirmed[2] |
Public bathhouse · Open
Daimon-no-yu
- Day-use bathing
- Yes
- Fee
- ¥400checked 2026-10-09
- Hours
- 月・水・金 6:00–13:00 / 火・土・日 13:00–21:00checked 2026-10-09
Getting there
Reachable by public transport
At JR Fukushima Station change to the Fukushima Kotsu Iizaka Line, about 25 minutes to the terminus, Iizaka Onsen Station. Hako-yu is beside the station; Sabako-yu is about a 10-minute walk.
- Getting there
- Iizaka Onsen Station · 10
- Checked
- 2026-10-09
About the water
Iizaka's water is a simple spring, low in dissolved minerals and clear to look at. Its personality is temperature, not chemistry: the association lists bath temperatures from 48.8 °C to 62.0 °C, with Sabako-yu at 51.0 °C. Locals take pride in this 'hot water', and only Hako-yu offers a milder tub as well. The local way in is to pour water over yourself first and keep soaks short. We could not confirm an official notice of indications, so none is given here.
| Source | Source temperature | pH | Radon | Checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sabako-yu | 51 | Unconfirmed | Unconfirmed | no check date |
| Hako-yu | 48.8 | Unconfirmed | Unconfirmed | no check date |
| Daimon-no-yu / Totsuna-yu | 62 | Unconfirmed | Unconfirmed | no check date |
Three things not to miss
Photo information
Sabako-yu
Centre of the spa town The oldest bath in Iizaka, where the poet Matsuo Basho is said to have bathed in 1689. The present building, from 1993, recreates the wooden bathhouse of 1889. 400 yen, 6:00–21:00, closed Mondays. Water 51.0 °C.
The symbol of the town and the bath that best embodies Iizaka's famously hot water. It opens at 6 a.m., so you can slip into the locals' morning routine.[2][6]
Photo information
Hako-yu
Right by Iizaka Onsen Station A Japanese-style bathhouse topped with a drum tower, with two tubs: Iizaka's trademark hot one and a milder one. 500 yen, 6:00–21:00, closed Tuesdays. Water 48.8 °C.
The one bathhouse designed so that people who cannot take the hot tub still have somewhere to soak. With the station steps away, it is the natural first stop.[2]
The nine-bath circuit
All over town Sabako-yu, Hako-yu, Dosen-no-yu, Daimon-no-yu, Hachiman-no-yu, Totsuna-yu, Senki-no-yu, Tennoji-Anabara-yu and more. Most charge 400 yen; each has its own closing day, and several alternate between morning and afternoon opening.
The patchwork of timetables reflects baths run by neighbourhood groups taking turns. Visiting them all means learning to read the schedule, which is itself a lesson in how communal baths work.[2]
The story
One of the three great springs of the north
Iizaka spreads along both banks of the Surikami River northwest of central Fukushima. It has long been counted, with Naruko and Akiu, among the three great hot springs of the Tohoku north. In 1689 the poet Matsuo Basho and his companion Sora stayed here on the journey that became 'The Narrow Road to the Deep North', and are said to have bathed at Sabako-yu. A private railway, the Iizaka Line, runs from Fukushima Station straight into town; step off at the terminus and you are in the spa.[6][2][3]
Sabako-yu and its wooden bathhouse
Sabako-yu is held to be Iizaka's oldest bath. Its wooden bathhouse of 1889 served for a century before being rebuilt in 1993 in cypress and zelkova to the original design. The building, with its wooden water tower, still opens at 6 a.m. in the middle of town. The association lists it at 51.0 °C, 400 yen, closed Mondays.[2][6]
How to get into very hot water
Water in Iizaka's public baths runs 48.8–62.0 °C; the association itself calls hot water the town speciality. Locals acclimatise with ladles of water, get in briefly, get out, repeat. First-timers should start at Hako-yu, the only bathhouse with a milder tub beside the hot one. Each bath has its own closing day and several swap between morning and afternoon hours by weekday, so keep the timetable handy.[2]
Going solo
Easy for solo travellersUnconfirmed
Weekend / peak restrictionsUnconfirmed
Where to eat dinnerEateries in the spa town and by the station; Fukushima's 'enban gyoza' (a plate-sized ring of dumplings) is a local speciality.
Private bathUnconfirmed
checked 2026-10-09
Through the year
Recommended months
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Months open
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
"Recommended" and "open" are recorded separately. Check the season for seasonal springs.
Oct — The Iizaka Kenka ('fighting') Festival at Hachiman Shrine over three days around the first weekend of October (2–4 Oct in 2026); on the second night the floats collide
May — Iris-bath events at the public baths in May
Food, culture & experiences
Iizaka Kenka Festival
Hachiman Shrine's annual festival; the highlight is floats ramming each other as the shrine palanquin returns[1]
Hachiman Shrine is near Hachiman-no-yuTotsuna Bridge
A steel arch bridge from the Taisho era linking the station and the town[6]
1 minute from Iizaka Onsen StationBasho's footsteps
In 1689, on the journey recorded in 'The Narrow Road to the Deep North', Basho and his companion Sora stayed in Iizaka and reputedly bathed at Sabako-yu[2]
At Sabako-yuEditors' guide
Come by train, start at Hako-yu by the station to try both tubs, then cross Totsuna Bridge to Sabako-yu. Bring your own soap and towel for the public baths. In the first days of October the Kenka Festival takes over the town.
The "editors' guide" above is written by the editors from sources; it is not a visitor's opinion.
Photo gallery
Visitor reviews
No reviews yet. While the review platform is being prepared, we do not display fictional reviews or ratings.
Review posting is in preparation, with visit date, facility, comments on water, scenery and access, photos, language and reporting.
Overview
Iizaka Onsen (飯坂温泉) is an onsen (hot spring resort) located in the Iizaka district (former town of Iizaka) within the city of Fukushima, Japan. It is located to the northwest of the city center, and is connected to Fukushima Station by the Fukushima Kōtsū Iizaka Line railway.
This overview is based on the lead section of the English Wikipedia article (CC BY-SA 4.0). View original page
Onsen areas nearby
Unconfirmed & notes
- Flow-through/added-water notices, tattoo policy and soap rules at the public baths unconfirmed
- Iizaka Line fare and frequency unconfirmed
- Single-occupancy terms at inns unconfirmed
Sources
- 飯坂温泉観光協会 公式サイト飯坂温泉観光協会 · 2026-10-09
- 飯坂温泉 共同浴場飯坂温泉観光協会 · 2026-10-09
- 飯坂温泉 アクセス飯坂温泉観光協会 · 2026-10-09
- 飯坂温泉 - WikipediaWikipedia · 2026-10-09
Register sources
- 飯坂温泉 - Wikipedia(日本語版)Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0 · 2026-10-09
- Wikidata Q17192714Wikidata · CC0 · 2026-10-09
Data status
Name & locationPublishedCoordinatesPublishedSpring typePublishedPhotosPublishedFacilitiesPublishedVisiting info (dated)PublishedEditorial articlePublished
Updated 2026-10-09
Suggest a correction or addition