Public bathhouse · Open
Iorinoyu
- Day-use bathing
- Yes
- Fee
- ¥600checked 2026-10-09
- Hours
- 8:30–20:00checked 2026-10-09
Photo information
Save to passport
Official classification
Spring type (therapeutic classes)
Official spring-type name (as recorded)Sodium bicarbonate–chloride hot spring
- Source temperature
- 78°C
- pH
- 7.5
- Flow rate
- Unconfirmed
- Radon
- Unconfirmed
Appearance & feel
Water colour · Feel
Unconfirmed
Colour and feel are listed only where a source states them. They vary by day and by bath.
What makes it special
Every bath in the village runs straight from the source, with no recirculation, no dilution and no chlorine. This is the heart of the mountain spa district that made that pledge in 2004.
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.
Day-use bath · Open
Hoshi-no-yu (Subaru-no-sato spa house)
- Day-use bathing
- Yes
- Fee
- ¥1,000checked 2026-10-09
- Hours
- 12:00–17:00checked 2026-10-09
Public bathhouse · Open
Ikoi-no-yu public bath
- Day-use bathing
- Yes
- Fee
- ¥600checked 2026-10-09
- Hours
- 9:00–21:00checked 2026-10-09
Getting there
Reachable by public transport
Take Nara Kotsu's Yagi–Shingu line bus from Kintetsu Yamato-Yagi Station (or JR Gojo) or from JR Shingu Station to the Totsukawa Onsen stop. From Yamato-Yagi it is four to just under five hours into Totsukawa village. By car, follow Route 168 from Gojo or Shingu.
- Getting there
- Yamato-Yagi Station ·
- Checked
- 2026-10-09
About the water
Hot water rich in sodium bicarbonate and salt. The tourist association describes it as salty water that keeps you warm after bathing. At Iorinoyu 867 litres a minute of 100% source water pour in, and you can drink a little at the spout. We found no official description of its colour or smell.
Indications (as posted on the analysis)
Cuts, burns and similar (as listed by the Totsukawa Village Tourism Association)
Indications are an official statement based on the water analysis, not a guarantee of treatment. They are kept separate from opinions.
| Source | Source temperature | pH | Radon | Checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Iorinoyu sources (two wells) | 60.2 | 7.5 | Unconfirmed | no check date |
Three things not to miss
Photo information
Iorinoyu public bath
Centre of the spa town, by Lake Futatsuno The village public bath, fed by two sources piped 3.4 km at 867 litres a minute (60.2°C at the source, pH 7.5). Adults ¥600, 8:30–20:00, closed Tuesdays. The footbath outside is free, and you can sip the water at a drinking spout.
Its sign spells out the pledge in plain words: no recirculation, reuse, reheating, chlorination or dilution. It is the easiest place to see the declaration in practice.[2][1]
The Yagi–Shingu line, Japan's longest bus route
Kintetsu Yamato-Yagi Station to JR Shingu Station, stopping at Totsukawa Onsen A regular Nara Kotsu bus route 169.8 km long. It takes four to just under five hours from Yamato-Yagi into Totsukawa village. Totsukawa Onsen is one of the rest stops, with a small footbath at the bus station.
Crossing the folded ridges of the Kii Peninsula by bus makes it obvious why people call this place remote.[5]
Photo information
The lakeside spa town
Totsukawa Onsen village The village's busiest settlement for inns and shops. Its water comes from the Shimoyu source, said to have been found by a charcoal burner in the Genroku era (late 17th century).
Three public baths, Hoshi-no-yu, Iorinoyu and Ikoi-no-yu, let you compare the water on foot.[1]
The story
The 2004 free-flowing pledge
In 2004 representatives of Totsukawa, Yusenchi and Kamiyu declared that every facility would use only free-flowing source water, with no recirculation, reuse, reheating, chlorination or dilution. The government's interpretive text calls it unheard of in Japan. Keeping water hot and fresh over long pipelines is hard, but generous flow and a clever system of blending different sources to hold the temperature have let the spas keep their word.[3][4]
A charcoal burner's find by the lake
Totsukawa Onsen draws on the Shimoyu source, said to have been found by a charcoal burner in the Genroku era. Today the town spreads along the Futatsuno reservoir, and water is piped 3.4 km from the source to about ten hotels and inns. Some 96% of the village is forest, and the spa district is designated a National Health Resort Hot Spring by the Ministry of the Environment.[1][3][4]
Why take the bus
Nara Kotsu's Yagi–Shingu line runs 169.8 km, and 48 of its 168 stops lie within Totsukawa. The full trip takes nearly seven hours with three breaks: Gojo Bus Centre, Uenoji and Totsukawa Onsen. At the Totsukawa Onsen stop you can dip your feet in the station's small footbath during the break.[5]
Going solo
Solo stay unconfirmedUnconfirmed
Weekend / peak restrictionsUnconfirmed
Where to eat dinnerUnconfirmed
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.
Jan · Feb · Mar · Apr · May · Jun · Jul · Aug · Sep · Oct · Nov · Dec — Buses are few and the ride is long, so plan to stay the night
Food, culture & experiences
Tanize Suspension Bridge
297 m long and 54 m high, one of Japan's largest everyday-use suspension bridges, beside the Uenoji rest stop on the Yagi–Shingu bus line[5]
Walkable from Uenoji bus stop (a round trip fits the bus's ~20-minute break)Yusenchi and Kamiyu Onsen (same spa district)
The other two spas that joined the 2004 free-flowing pledge[3]
Editors' guide
Head first to Iorinoyu and read the numbers on its sign (source temperature, flow, pipe distance) before you get in; the pledge will make sense. Then compare it with Hoshi-no-yu in the afternoon or Ikoi-no-yu, open until 21:00.
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.
Onsen areas nearby
Unconfirmed & notes
- Solo stays at inns, individual bath temperatures and tattoo policy are unconfirmed
- Check current bus times and fares with Nara Kotsu
Sources
- 十津川温泉(十津川村観光協会)十津川村観光協会 · 2026-10-09
- 十津川温泉(看板・庵の湯)地域観光資源の多言語解説文データベース観光庁 · 2026-10-09
- 十津川温泉郷 解説文(多言語解説文データベース)観光庁 · 2026-10-09
- 奈良県 十津川温泉郷:心も体も癒やされる源泉掛け流しの湯nippon.com · 2026-10-09
- 日本最長169.8kmの路線バス「八木新宮線」今だからできる楽しみ方乗りものニュース · 2026-10-09
- 十津川温泉 - WikipediaWikipedia · 2026-10-09
Register sources
- 十津川温泉 - Wikipedia(日本語版)Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0 · 2026-10-09
- Wikidata Q11405133Wikidata · CC0 · 2026-10-09
Data status
Name & locationPublishedCoordinatesPublishedSpring typePublishedPhotosPublishedFacilitiesPublishedVisiting info (dated)PublishedEditorial articlePublished
Updated 2026-10-09
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