Public bathhouse · Open
Tsuboyu
- Day-use bathing
- Yes
- Fee
- ¥800checked 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)Sulfur-bearing sodium bicarbonate spring
- Source temperature
- 92°C
- pH
- 7
- Flow rate
- 30 L/min
- Radon
- Unconfirmed
Appearance & feel
Water colour · Feel
ClearChanges colourYunohana (mineral flakes) · Yes
Colour and feel are listed only where a source states them. They vary by day and by bath.
What makes it special
You can bathe in a World Heritage site, thirty minutes at a time. The Tsuboyu, a pool hollowed from rock, is where Kumano pilgrims purified themselves.
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
Yunomine public bathhouse
- Day-use bathing
- Yes
- Fee
- ¥400checked 2026-10-09
- Hours
- 6:00–21:00checked 2026-10-09
Baths3
| Type | Gender | Source | Bath temperature | Free-flowing | Added water | Heated | Recirculated | Disinfected |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Indoor bath | Separate | Yunomine | Unconfirmed | Unconfirmed[2] | Unconfirmed[2] | Unconfirmed[2] | Unconfirmed[2] | Unconfirmed[2] |
| Indoor bath | Separate | Yunomine | Unconfirmed | Unconfirmed[2] | No[2] | Unconfirmed[2] | Unconfirmed[2] | Unconfirmed[2] |
| Private bath | Mixed | Yunomine | Unconfirmed | Unconfirmed[2] | Unconfirmed[2] | Unconfirmed[2] | Unconfirmed[2] | Unconfirmed[2] |
Hotel · Open
J-Hoppers Kumano Yunomine Guesthouse
- Day-use bathing
- Unconfirmed
- Fee
- Unconfirmedno check date
- Hours
- Unconfirmedchecked 2026-10-09
Getting there
Reachable by public transport
From JR Kii-Tanabe Station take the Ryujin Bus Kumano Hongu line to 'Yunomine Onsen' (about 2 hours). From JR Shingu Station the Kumano Gobo Nankai bus takes about an hour. Local buses link Hongu Taisha, Yunomine and Kawayu.
- Getting there
- Kii-Tanabe Station · 120
- Getting there
- A handful a day from Kii-Tanabe; see the Ryujin Bus timetable
- Checked
- 2026-10-09
About the water
A sulfur- and bicarbonate-bearing spring; the association's notice lists it as colourless, with the source at 92°C. The Tsuboyu is said to change colour seven times a day, turning milky or bluish, which is understood to come from sulfur forming fine particles that scatter light as temperature and air contact change; yunohana flakes also form. The public bathhouse offers an undiluted 'kusuri-yu' (medicine bath) alongside the regular bath. Indications are quoted only as posted.
Indications (as posted on the analysis)
Neuralgia, diabetes, skin conditions, rheumatism, stomach complaints, etc. (as listed by the tourism bureau)
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yunomine (public bathhouse notice) | 92 | Unconfirmed | Unconfirmed | no check date |
Three things not to miss
Photo information
Tsuboyu
A hut in the Yunotani stream A natural rock pool for two or three. Thirty-minute slots, 800 yen (400 under 12); collect a numbered tag at the public bathhouse counter and wait your turn.
Inscribed in 2004 as part of the Sacred Sites and Pilgrimage Routes in the Kii Mountain Range, the only World Heritage bath you can enter. Said to change colour seven times a day.[2][6][8]
Boiling eggs in the Yuzutsu
Source by the stream At the Yuzutsu, where water rises at about 90°C, visitors boil eggs and vegetables. 6:00–21:00; eggs and vegetables are sold at the shops.
The gap between a 92°C source and a bath cooled for soaking is right in front of you.[1][2]
The bath that revived Oguri Hangan
Tsuboyu and nearby sites The legend of Oguri Hangan, poisoned and brought to Kumano as a living corpse, restored after 49 days of bathing in the Tsuboyu by Princess Terute. The 'cart mound' and 'strength stones' survive.
A place where the idea of toji, long-stay therapeutic bathing, is told as a story.[4][1]
The story
The purification bath
Yunomine is said to have been found in the 4th century, and the association calls it Japan's oldest spring. In the medieval Kumano pilgrimage, travellers performed yugori, a purifying bath, here before entering Hongu. An hour's walk over the Dainichi-goe trail reaches Hongu Taisha; the bath was part of the devotion.[1][6][8]
A story of resurrection
Oguri Hangan was poisoned; the king of hell sent him back to the world as a wasted 'hungry ghost', and people hauled him to Kumano in an earthen cart. Princess Terute bathed him in the Tsuboyu for 49 days until he was restored. The mound where the cart was buried and the stones he lifted to test his recovery remain, part of why Kumano is called a land of rebirth.[4]
Bathing in a World Heritage site
In 2004 the Tsuboyu was included, as part of the pilgrimage route, in the World Heritage listing of the Kii Mountain Range, making it the only such site one can bathe in. It holds only two or three people, so entry is in 30-minute slots with numbered tags. The water is said to change colour seven times a day.[2][8]
92°C and the Yuzutsu
The source is 92°C. At the Yuzutsu by the stream people boil eggs and vegetables; the bathhouse keeps an undiluted 'medicine bath' beside its regular one. About thirteen small inns line the valley, many advertising free-flowing source water. How to cool a very hot source for use is the daily business of this little valley.[1][2][8]
Going solo
Easy for solo travellersYes
Weekend / peak restrictionsUnconfirmed
Where to eat dinnerVery few eateries; eat at your inn or self-cater
Private bathYes
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.
Mar · Apr · May · Oct · Nov — Good walking weather on the Kumano Kodo; expect a wait for the Tsuboyu
Jul · Aug — Hot, but the valley is shaded. Camping and cooking in the car park are banned
Jan · Feb — Cold; the Yuzutsu steams thickly
Food, culture & experiences
Kumano Hongu Taisha
One of the three Kumano grand shrines; about an hour's walk from Yunomine over the Dainichi-goe[1][8]
About 1 hour on foot, or by busOguri Hangan sites (cart mound, strength stones)
By the road between Hongu and Yunomine, and in the hamlet[4]
In and around the hamletEggs boiled in the Yuzutsu
6:00–21:00; eggs from the souvenir shops[1]
In the hamletKawayu Onsen
The river you dig your own bath in; the Sennin-buro in winter[1]
About 10 min by busEditors' guide
Collect a Tsuboyu tag at the bathhouse early and boil eggs in the Yuzutsu while you wait. After the Tsuboyu warm up in the kusuri-yu, then, if you have the legs, walk the Dainichi-goe to Hongu Taisha. Buses are few, so decide whether you come from Kii-Tanabe or Shingu and check the timetable first.
The "editors' guide" above is written by the editors from sources; it is not a visitor's opinion.
Photo gallery
Visitor reviews
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Overview
Yunomine Onsen is a hot spring system and resort town in Tanabe, near Hongu Town in southern Wakayama Prefecture, Japan. The Tsuboyu bath is located there, a UNESCO World Heritage site.
This overview is based on the lead section of the English Wikipedia article (CC BY-SA 4.0). View original page
Onsen areas nearby
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Unconfirmed & notes
- Source pH and mineral content not confirmed; analysis sheet not read
- Bus frequency and times follow the association and Wikipedia; check current timetables
- Day-use and solo terms at ryokan not confirmed
Sources
- 熊野本宮観光協会 湯の峰温泉熊野本宮観光協会 · 2026-10-09
- つぼ湯・湯の峰温泉公衆浴場(料金・時間)熊野本宮観光協会 · 2026-10-09
- 湯の峰温泉の宿熊野本宮観光協会 · 2026-10-09
- 小栗判官伝説熊野本宮観光協会 · 2026-10-09
- 交通案内(道路状況・バス)熊野本宮観光協会 · 2026-10-09
- 田辺市熊野ツーリズムビューロー 湯の峰温泉田辺市熊野ツーリズムビューロー · 2026-10-09
- 龍神バス 熊野本宮線龍神自動車 · 2026-10-09
- 湯の峰温泉 - WikipediaWikipedia · 2026-10-09
Register sources
- 湯の峰温泉 - Wikipedia(日本語版)Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0 · 2026-10-09
- Wikidata Q11563414Wikidata · CC0 · 2026-10-09
Data status
Name & locationPublishedCoordinatesPublishedSpring typePublishedPhotosPublishedFacilitiesPublishedVisiting info (dated)PublishedEditorial articlePublished
Updated 2026-10-09
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