Official classification
Official spring-type name (as recorded)Simple hot spring (hypotonic, weakly alkaline, high temperature) per the tourist association; Wikipedia gives sodium–calcium sulfate spring
Appearance & feel
Colour and feel are listed only where a source states them. They vary by day and by bath.
What makes it special
In the gorge town where Basho praised a scent of hot water that needed no chrysanthemums, the Kiku-no-yu public bath still sits at the town's navel.
Facilities come from the register (Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, official sites). Those marked "natural spring unconfirmed" are listed on the basis of their name only.
| Type | Gender | Source | Bath temperature | Free-flowing | Added water | Heated | Recirculated | Disinfected |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Indoor bath | Men only | Yamanaka Onsen | Unconfirmed | Unconfirmed[2] | Unconfirmed[2] | Unconfirmed[2] | Unconfirmed[2] | Unconfirmed[2] |
| Indoor bath | Women only | Yamanaka Onsen | Unconfirmed | Unconfirmed[2] | Unconfirmed[2] | Unconfirmed[2] | Unconfirmed[2] | Unconfirmed[2] |
From Kaga-Onsen Station on the Hokuriku Shinkansen take the Kaga Onsen Bus 'Onsen Yamanaka line' about 30 minutes (430 yen) to Yamanaka Onsen. From Komatsu Airport a taxi takes about 35 minutes.
Yamanaka's water is colourless and clear, a gentle weakly alkaline bath. The tourist association posts it as a 'simple hot spring (hypotonic, weakly alkaline, high temperature)' at 45.2 °C, while Wikipedia gives sodium–calcium sulfate spring, 48.3 °C, pH 8.57 and a flow of 773 litres a minute. The difference likely reflects different sources or analysis dates; we have not seen the analysis sheet itself. The association lists more than 13 indications including neuralgia and joint pain, and says the water may be drunk, but no medical claims are made here.
Neuralgia, muscle and joint pain and others (as posted by the tourist association); for drinking, gallstones and chronic constipation
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yamanaka Onsen (Kiku-no-yu) | 45.2 | Unconfirmed | Unconfirmed | no check date |
| Yamanaka Onsen (Wikipedia figures) | 48.3 | 8.57 | Unconfirmed | no check date |
Centre of town, next to Yamanaka-za hall A communal bath whose men's and women's halls stand as separate buildings across the street. 500 yen for adults, open 7:00–22:00, closed the 2nd and 4th Tuesday; half price for guests staying in town.
In the Kaga spa towns the 'soyu' communal bath sits at the heart of town and inn guests and locals share the same water. Nowhere shows that arrangement more clearly.[2]
Along the Daishoji River, east side of town A 1.3 km riverside path from the all-cypress Korogi Bridge (the fourth, finished October 2019) past the 94.7 m S-shaped Ayatori Bridge designed by ikebana master Hiroshi Teshigahara, down to Kurotani Bridge.
A few steps down from the town and you are walking inside a gorge; best in fresh green and autumn colour.[2][3]
Beside Kiku-no-yu A hall opened in 2002 with a coffered ceiling finished in Yamanaka lacquer and gold maki-e. 'Yamanaka-bushi Dances of the Four Seasons' is performed every Saturday, Sunday and holiday. Open 8:30–22:00 (to 20:00 in winter).
Two local arts, the folk song sung since the Genroku era and the town's lacquerware, can be taken in straight after a bath.[2][3]
The tourist association begins Yamanaka's story some 1,300 years ago, when the Nara-period monk Gyoki is said to have found the spring guided by the Buddha of healing. In the 1180s the warrior Hasebe Nobutsura revived it after watching a white heron bathe a wounded leg. In 1689 Matsuo Basho stayed nine days on his Narrow Road journey and wrote that at Yamanaka one need not pluck chrysanthemums, the scent of the water itself being enough for a long life.[2][4][3]
The Kaga spa towns (Yamashiro, Yamanaka, Katayamazu, Awazu) share the custom of a 'soyu', a communal bath, at the centre of town. Yamanaka's Kiku-no-yu has a men's hall under a great Tempyo-style roof and a women's hall with a curving roof, facing each other across the street, with the lacquer-ceilinged Yamanaka-za hall beside them. The association's history counts 12 inns in the Edo period; Wikipedia counts 26 today. Even inn guests traditionally walk to the soyu, and still pay half price there.[2][4][3]
Yamanaka is also a town of wood-turners, and its lacquerware is as much a signature as the water. Yamanaka-bushi, a folk song sung since the Genroku era, is performed as dance at Yamanaka-za every weekend. The Daishoji River cuts the Kakusenkei gorge along the east of town: a 1.3 km path runs from the all-cypress Korogi Bridge (the fourth version, completed 2019) to the 94.7 m steel S-curve of Ayatori Bridge, designed by ikebana master Hiroshi Teshigahara.[2][3]
checked 2026-10-09
"Recommended" and "open" are recorded separately. Check the season for seasonal springs.
Sep — Koikoi Festival (19–20 Sept in 2026): bathhouse-maid and lacquer-bowl floats and circle dancing to Yamanaka-bushi
Oct — Yamanaka Halloween parade (25 Oct 2026)
Nov — Autumn colour in the Kakusenkei gorge
Roasted-stem tea and sweets on a deck over the river; dates and prices should be checked with the tourist association (0761-78-0330)[1]
About 5 minutes' walk from Kiku-no-yuA museum in a former inn built in 1905; 9:00–17:00, closed Wednesdays, 300 yen (350 yen from April 2026). The small Basho Hall stands by Kurotani Bridge in the gorge[2]
A few minutes' walk from Kiku-no-yuA town of wood-turners; lacquer shops line Yuge-kaido and pieces can be seen at Mugen-an (11:00–15:30, closed Tuesdays, 500 yen). The lathe workshop at Rokuro-no-sato is suspended from October 2026 for now[2][6]
In town1 Oct–3 Nov 2026, 39 participating bars and restaurants; 3,000 yen for a book of 6 tickets[6]
In townArriving by bus from Kaga-Onsen, walk the gorge first from Korogi Bridge down to Ayatori Bridge, then climb back for a soak at Kiku-no-yu. On a weekend or holiday catch the Yamanaka-bushi dances next door at Yamanaka-za. Browse the lacquer shops on Yuge-kaido before checking in; inn guests pay half at the public bath, so go back for a morning bath.
The "editors' guide" above is written by the editors from sources; it is not a visitor's opinion.
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Yamanaka Onsen (山中温泉, yamanaka onsen) is a hot spring resort in the city of Kaga, Ishikawa Prefecture, Japan. As its name implies, it is in a mountainous region. The Daishoji River runs through the resort. It is a popular tourist spot for Japanese and foreign travelers. This hot spring has one hotel and 20 ryokan.
This overview is based on the lead section of the English Wikipedia article (CC BY-SA 4.0). View original page
Updated 2026-10-09
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