Nyūtō Onsen (乳頭温泉郷) is a rural hot spring resort in Akita Prefecture (秋田県) that consists of six ryokans and one hotel, each having its history, style, and spring quality. Listed as one of the 100 Japan Hidden Scenic Spots (日本の秘境100選), the resort is quietly nestled deep in the mountain at the base of Mt. Nyūtō.
It is literally the best spot for those who enjoy bathing. With the seven onsen facilities that are scattered within a 20-minute walking distance (apart from Tsuru-no-Yu), it is possible to try out the onsen across all seven places in one day (although we would recommend that you should at least stay overnight there).
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How to Get to Nyūtō Onsen
By Train and Bus
To get to Nyūtō Onsen by train, the fastest way is to take the bullet train/Shinkansen “Komachi (こまち)” to get to JR Tazawako Station (田沢湖駅). From JR Tazawako Station, change for Ugoku Kotsu’s (羽後交通) Nyūtō Line (乳頭線). It takes around 40 minutes to get to the onsen resort. This may sound like a long time to some of you, but time will really fly when you continue to gaze at the beautiful scenery from the window!
By Shinkansen to Tazawako Station:
- From Tokyo Station (東京駅): approx. 3 hours
- From Sendai Station (仙台駅): approx. an hour and 15 mins
- From Akita Station (秋田駅): approx. an hour
By Airplane
You can also catch a flight to Akita Airport, and from there, there are reservation-based shared taxi services that will bring you straight to Nyūtō Onsen. Although it is more expensive, it is a more convenient way. For more information about the price and timetable and to make a booking, please refer to the Akita Airportliner’s English website HERE.
- Note reservation through the internet must be made by 5 pm 2 days in advance. If you are booking through a phone call, please do so by 5 pm the day before
Tips:
→ If you don’t plan on staying overnight at Nyūtō Onsen resort, it is best to bring your towels and shower set because not all of them supply these for free.
→ If you plan to stay at one of the ryokans and also want to try out the onsen in the other six ryokans, purchase a Yumeguri-chō (湯めぐり帖) for 2,500 yen. It is basically an admission ticket that allows you to enter all the onsen pools in Nyūtō Onsen. For more information, please click HERE.
→ It may be easier to use THIS WEBSITE to book your stay at Nyūtō Onsen as it is in English.
Nyūtō Onsen’s Fall Foliage Season
Nyūtō Onsen’s fall foliage season usually peaks between mid to late October. From early October, the mountains are slowly dyed with yellow and orange.
- The autumn leaves around Kyūkamura Nyūtō Onsenkyō and Kuroyu Onsen is around the 20th of October.
- Around Tsuru no Yu, the colors usually peak in early November.
Trekking at Nyūtō Onsen
And if you are bored of the onsen, you can take a short stroll into the beautiful forest that surrounds Nyūtō Onsen resort (=ﾟωﾟ)ﾉ. HERE is a map with trekking and hiking routes you can follow (although in Japanese). The total length and approximate time required for each course are marked in the circle next to each route. The shoe icons indicate the difficulty of each route. The more shoes that are colored, the harder the course is. If you need assistance reading the map, you can contact us HERE with your inquiries, and we will get back to you.
- Route numbers 1 to 5 are trekking courses around Nyūtō Onsen resort
- Routes 6 to 8 are hiking courses to the summit of Mt. Nyūtō (乳頭山頂) that can be done in half a day
- Route 9, being the hardest hiking route that is only recommended for hikers with a lot of experience, will lead you all the way up to the top of Mount Akita-Komagatake (秋田駒ヶ岳).
As indicated on the map, the season for hiking is from June to early October every year. From mid to late October till late May, the mountains surrounding Nyūtō Onsen are covered in thick snow deemed too dangerous for hiking.
The Six Ryokans Plus One Hotel at Nyūtō Onsen Resort
- Tsuru-no-Yu (鶴之湯) – open from 10 am to 3 pm for day visitors: the oldest facility in Nyūtō Onsen with a milky color onsen. You will be bathing in thatched-roof terraced houses
- On Mondays, only the outdoor pool is closed for day-trip tourists for cleaning. If Monday is a public holiday, the cleaning will take place on the next business day
- The cost is
- 700 yen for adults
- 300 yen for elementary school students and younger
- 200 for towels
- Tae-no-Yu (妙乃湯) – open from 10:30 am to 3 pm for day visitors: is best known for its modern Japanese-style interior and outdoor bath pools along a mountain stream
- The last admission for day-trip tourists is at 2 pm.
- The cost is
- 1,000 yen for adults
- 500 yen for elementary school students and younger
- 3,300 yen per hour to rent the private hot spring tub for day visitors.
- Ryokan guests are free to utilize the private onsen tub.
- Kuroyu Onsen (黑湯溫泉) – open from 9 am to 4:30 pm from Thursday to Tuesday for day visitors: has a great mountain view
- The last admission for day-trip tourists is at 4 pm.
- On Wednesdays, it opens to day-trip visitors from 9 am to 11 am. The last admission is at 10:30 am.
- The cost is
- 800 yen for adults
- 400 yen for elementary school students
- 2,200 yen per 30 minutes to rent the private hot spring tub.
- Ganiba Onsen (蟹場溫泉) – open from 9 am to 4 pm from Thursday to Tuesday for day visitors: its outdoor bath pools are surrounded by virgin beech forest
- The cost is 800 yen
- A face towel costs 300 yen
- A bath towel costs 1,500 yen
- Magoroku Onsen (孫六溫泉) – open from 9 am to 4 pm for day visitors: its onsen pools draw hot spring water from four different natural sources
- The cost is 600 yen.
- Ōkama Onsen (大釜溫泉) – open from 9 am to 4:30 pm for day visitors: was renovated from a school
- The cost is
- 600 yen for adults
- 300 yen for elementary school students and younger
- A face towel costs 300 yen
- The cost is
- Kyūkamura Resort (渡假村 乳頭溫泉鄉) – open from 11 am to 5 pm for day visitors: is the most modern facility in Nyūtō Onsen
- The last admission is at 3 pm
- The cost is
- 800 yen for adults
- 400 yen for children from four years old to elementary school students
Important: Unless you enjoy the onsen in a mixed-gender bathing facility (in which you are allowed to cover yourself with a bath towel), you aren’t allowed to enter the onsen pool with a towel (yes, that means you have to be naked).
Click HERE to skip to Nyūtō Onsen Resort’s access information.
Tsuru-no-Yu (鶴之湯)
Tsuru-no-Yu’s history is traced back to 1638. It is the oldest ryokan in town and was once a spa for the lords of the Akita domain. Thus, besides the guestrooms and public baths, a thatched-roofed tenement house where the lord’s guards stayed remained! In winter, snow domes are built around the ryokan, creating a magical experience for the visitors.
For more information, refer to our article on Tsuru no Yu!
Click HERE to return to Nyūtō Onsen Resort’s accommodations list.
Tae-no-Yu (妙乃湯)
Tae-no-Yu is a luxurious ryokan. Soon after you enter this ryokan, you should be able to smell a strong woody aroma from its wooden interior decoration, making it popular amongst female guests. In addition, Tae-no-Yu provide special bath towels for female guests to use, which will put your mind at ease during your bath time (^_-)-☆.
For more information, refer to our article on Tae no Yu!
Click HERE to return to Nyūtō Onsen Resort’s accommodations list.
Kuroyu Onsen (黑湯溫泉)
Kuroyu Onsen is also a ryokan with a long history that can be traced back to the Edo period (1603 – 1868). Just like Tsuru-no-Yu, the ryokan is known for its thatched roof. The most special thing about Kuroyu Onsen is its Hanare (離れ), a hatched-roof cottage located on high ground around 100 meters from ryokan’s main building.
Also, out of all the other onsen facilities at Nyūtō Onsen, Kuroyu Onsen offers its customers a choice to cook for themselves. This option is particularly attractive to those with a limited travel budget. You will need to bring your own ingredients to cook (pre-made meals or bento boxes might be the easiest option as there will be a microwave for you to use (^_-)-☆).
The Kuroyu Onsen’s outdoor onsen pools, whether it is mixed-gender or not, all have spectacular views of the mountains in the distance and are even more stunning during the autumn season! If you do decide to drop by and use the Kuroyu Onsen, your skin will still be as smooth as a baby’s afterwards (≧▽≦)!
In addition, you can rent Kuroyu Onsen’s private onsen tub. It will cost you 2,200 yen for 30 minutes.
As Kuroyu Onsen is buried deep in the mountain, it only opens from mid-April to early November each year. Booking can be made through Kuroyu Onsen’s website HERE.
How to Get to Kuroyu Onsen
Please take Ugoku Kōtsū’s (羽後交通) Nyūtō Line (乳頭線) from JR Tazawako Station (田沢湖駅前) or Lake Tazawa (田沢湖畔) and get off at Nyūtō Onsen-kyō (乳頭温泉郷).
- The current one-way bus fare is 840 yen.
- There is no English timetable available. Please refer back to the Japanese bus stop name when you read the Japanese timetable HERE and click “乳頭線”.
- Instead of matching the Japanese name of the bus stops on the timetable, you can also use one of Japan’s Transport Apps.
Tip: If you plan on staying overnight at Kuroyu Onsen, book with the ryokan in advance to be picked up and dropped off at the Nyūtō Onsen bus stop!
Click HERE to return to Nyūtō Onsen Resort’s accommodations list.
Klook.comGaniba Onsen (蟹場溫泉)
Ganiba Onsen is another ryokan that we love. Although the exterior of the ryokan may look relatively simple and plain, what matters is always the interior, right?
They have two gorgeously built indoor onsen pools, one made of wood and one made of stones. With the scenery viewed from the big window, each scenery gives you a completely different but relaxing vibe.
Kaniba Onsen’s mixed-gender pool is 50 meters from the nearby beech forest. Located just along the river, the whole onsen pool blends in perfectly with nature (*´ω｀).
Tip: To all ladies reading this article, Kaniba Onsen allocates an hour each day for the mixed-gender pool to female guests from 7:30 pm to 8:30 pm (^_-)-☆.
Click HERE to check out more photos of their onsen pools on Kaniba Onsen’s website and for more information about the ryokan!
Tip: For those with special dietary requirements like us, ensure you let the ryokan know in advance so they can cater to your request!
How to Get to Ganiba Onsen
Please take Ugoku Kōtsū’s (羽後交通) Nyūtō Line (乳頭線) from JR Tazawako Station (田沢湖駅前) or Lake Tazawa (田沢湖畔) and get off at Nyūtō Onsen-kyō (乳頭温泉郷).
- The current one-way bus fare is 840 yen.
- There is no English timetable available. Please refer back to the Japanese bus stop name when you read the Japanese timetable HERE and click “乳頭線”.
- Instead of matching the Japanese name of the bus stops on the timetable, you can also use one of Japan’s Transport Apps.
Click HERE to return to Nyūtō Onsen Resort’s accommodations list.
Magoroku Onsen (孫六溫泉)
Important: Magoroku Onsen is currently closed for renovation.
Magoroku Onsen is known for its hot spring of strong curative effect. The locals would call their onsen “Yama-no-Yakutō (山の薬湯), which means medical onsen in the mountain.
It is also a ryokan that is popular amongst hikers as it is located at one of the trailheads of the hiking track to the top of Mt. Nyūtō. If you plan to hike Mt. Nyūtō, let the ryokan know your plan in advance, and they will accommodate your schedule for you to have dinner earlier.
With different onsen pools containing different sources of spring water, the one pool that you won’t want to miss out on is their Karako-no-Yu (唐子の湯). The radium mineral hot spring can only be found there!
Although they don’t have private onsen pools available, they have single-gendered pools, even open-aired ones. But one thing to note is that the changing room is connected to both a female-only outdoor pool and a mixed-gender indoor pool. So please read the sign carefully before you open the door!
Tip: For those with special dietary requirements like us, let the ryokan know in advance. They will try their best to cater to your request!
How to Get to Magoroku Onsen
Please take Ugoku Kōtsū’s (羽後交通) Nyuto Line (乳頭線) from JR Tazawako Station (田沢湖駅前) or Lake Tazawa (田沢湖畔) and get off at Nyuto Onsen (乳頭温泉着) stop. There is no English timetable available at the moment, so please refer back to the Japanese bus stop name when you read the Japanese timetable HERE. The current one-way bus fare is 800 yen.
Tip: If you plan on staying overnight at Magoroku Onsen, book with the ryokan in advance to be picked up and dropped off at the Nyuto Onsen bus stop!
And check out their access information page HERE. We love their hand-drawing Nyūtō Onsen resort map!
Click HERE to return to Nyūtō Onsen Resort’s accommodations list.
Ōkama Onsen (大釜溫泉)
Fancy taking a bath inside a Japanese school? Come to Ōkama Onsen!
But actually, the ryokan wasn’t renovated from a closed-down school. Instead, it was rebuilt by using the building material of a school close by in 1977 after the original ryokan was burnt down.
As the building material was from a school, the exterior of the ryokan resonates with the primary schools back in the good old days!
From April to October, foot spa at the front gate is open for anyone who wants to rejuvenate themselves from all that traveling (=ﾟωﾟ)ﾉ.
Hot Spring at Ōkama Onsen
The onsen here is strongly acidic as it contains iron and sulfur. This may not be suitable for those with sensitive skin.
People who have tasted the water described the spring water as being sour. But because of these acidic characteristics, the onsen will help get rid of old/dead skin and tighten your pores at the same time!
What is even better is that the spring water contains many natural moisturizing elements that will keep your skin smooth and soft (^_-)-☆.
Tip: For those who are vegetarians like us, make sure you let the ryokan know in advance so that they can cater to your dietary requirements!
How to Get to Ōkama Onsen
Please take Ugoku Kōtsū’s (羽後交通) Nyūtō Line (乳頭線) from JR Tazawako Station (田沢湖駅前) or Lake Tazawa (田沢湖畔) and get off at Nyūtō Onsen-kyō (乳頭温泉郷).
- The current one-way bus fare is 840 yen.
- There is no English timetable available. Please refer back to the Japanese bus stop name when you read the Japanese timetable HERE and click “乳頭線”.
- Instead of matching the Japanese name of the bus stops on the timetable, you can also use one of Japan’s Transport Apps.
Tip: If you are staying overnight at Ōkama Onsen but have trouble reaching the ryokan due to situations outside of your control, such as poor weather conditions or you have missed the last bus bound for Nyūtō Onsen resort, please give them a call, and they should be able to arrange a pick-up service for you.
Click HERE to return to Nyūtō Onsen Resort’s accommodations list.
Kyūkamura Nyūtō Onsenkyō (渡假村 乳頭溫泉鄉)
Kyūkamura is one of the 37 hotels owned by the National Park Resort Chain. Although the hotel itself doesn’t have the secrecy element like the other six ryokans, the facilities in Kyūkamura are suitable for families or the elderly due to its level of service, modern facilities, and location.
For more information, refer to our article on Kyūkamura Nyūtō Onsenkyō!
Click HERE to get back to Nyūtō Onsen Resort’s accommodations list.
Yumeguri-chō (湯めぐり帖)
Yumeguri-chō (湯めぐり帖) is the pass that you will want to get if you are staying overnight at one of the seven accommodations in Nyūtō Onsen resort or want to use the onsen pools in at least three other ryokans/hotel. With 2,500 yen, you get to visit all seven onsen facilities (once only) and board the Nyuto Onsen loop bus – Yumeguri-go (湯めぐり号) free of charge.
Unfortunately, if you don’t plan on staying overnight at Nyūtō Onsen resort, you won’t be able to purchase the Yumeguri-chō pass. You can, however, still purchase a Yumerugi Map (湯めぐりマップ) for 1,000 yen, which is an unlimited one-day bus pass that will allow you to board the Yumeguri-go.
Explore the Stunning Lake Tazawa Close by
Whether you are transmitting at Lake Tazawa to get to Nyūtō Onsen or self-driving, visiting Lake Tazawa is a must when you come to this part of Akita prefecture!
On top of the beautiful scenery, there are a couple of interesting attractions to visit around the lake.
For more information, please refer to our article on Lake Tazawa!
