Nyuto Onsen

Wonderful rustic hot spring resort
•••Best of Japan
★★★★★
4.7 (85)
#2 of 8 most visited in Hachimantai
Tsurunoyu Onsen

Nyuto Onsen (乳頭温泉, Nyūtō Onsen) is a collection of onsen ryokan in the mountains of eastern Akita Prefecture. The area is known for the hot spring baths found at its eight ryokan, some of which are quite traditional and rustic. With a history of over 300 years, Tsurunoyu is Nyuto Onsen's oldest and most famous inn.

The name Nyuto Onsen means "nipple hot spring" and comes from the suggestive shape of nearby Mount Nyuto rather than the milky/cloudy appearance of the area's hot spring water. All the hot spring baths in Nyuto Onsen belong to ryokan, and are not only available to staying guests, but also to day trippers during certain hours and against an admission fee. Many of the ryokan feature not only gender-segregated but also mixed-gender pools.

Part of the Towada-Hachimantai National Park, Nyuto Onsen is a 30 minute bus ride into the mountains above the picturesque caldera lake Tazawako, the deepest lake in Japan.

  • Tsurunoyu Onsen•••
    Daytrip hours: 10:00 to 15:00 (open air bath closed on Mondays)
    Daytrip admission: 700 yen
    Overnight stay: 10,000 to 20,000 yen per person including 2 meals; reservations can be made from the first of the month, 6 months in advance
    Tsurunoyu is the oldest operating ryokan of Nyuto Onsen. Some of its rooms date to the Edo Period (1603-1868) and offer a rustic and authentic stay with an irori fireplace. The large, mixed gender outdoor bath is iconic of the region, and there are single gender indoor baths available, as well.
  • Tsurunoyu Onsen - Yamanoyado•
    Overnight stay: 18,000 to 23,000 yen per person including 2 meals
    A more recent addition to Tsurunoyu, Yamanoyado is located along the road to the original inn and includes all the comforts of a modern ryokan. Yamanoyado's baths use water from the same source as Tsurunoyu, and guests additionally have free access to the original inn's famous baths 1.5 kilometers away.
  • Kuroyu Onsen•
    Daytrip hours: 9:00 to 16:30 (until 11:00 on Wed), closed during winter
    Daytrip admission: 800 yen
    Overnight stay: around 24,000 to 34,000 yen per person including 2 meals
    Another rustic ryokan, Kuroyu offers multiple indoor and outdoor baths including a mixed gender outdoor bath. Accommodation varies from small spartan tatami rooms with shared bathrooms, to a converted farmhouse located off from the main buildings.
  • Taenoyu Onsen•
    Daytrip hours: 10:30 to 15:00 (entry until 14:00)
    Daytrip admission: 1000 yen
    Overnight stay: 18,000 to 29,000 yen per person including 2 meals
    Taenoyu Onsen is a modern, well equipped ryokan that sits beside the Sendatsu River. It features a mixed gender outdoor bath overlooking a waterfall, as well as single gender indoor baths.
  • Ganiba Onsen
    Daytrip hours: 9:00 to 16:00 (closed on Wednesdays)
    Daytrip admission: 800 yen
    Overnight stay: 13,000 to 15,000 yen per person including 2 meals
    Ganiba Onsen is a modern ryokan with a large, secluded, mixed gender, outdoor bath located a short walk from the main buildings. Additional single gender indoor baths are available as well.
  • Ogama Onsen
    Daytrip hours: 9:00 to 16:30 (closed on Thursdays)
    Daytrip admission: 600 yen
    Overnight stay: 11,000 to 13,000 yen per person including 2 meals
    The main building of Ogama Onsen is a relocated wooden schoolhouse that has been converted into a modern ryokan. It has gender separated baths, and both the men and women's areas include an indoor bath and an outdoor bath. There is also an ashiyu (foot bath) at its front.
  • Magoroku Onsen
    Daytrip hours: 11:00 to 15:00 (closed on Fridays)
    Daytrip admission: 700 yen (one indoor bath), 3000 yen (all baths)
    Overnight stay: 45,000 to 60,000 yen per person including 2 meals
    Magoroku Onsen underwent renovation and reopened in 2025 with a modern interior (the photo dates back to before the renovation). It is located off the main road between Ogama and Kuroyu Onsen and requires a short hike to get to. There are gender separated and mixed indoor baths, a mixed outdoor bath, and a sauna.
  • Kyukamura Nyuto Onsenkyo
    Daytrip hours: 11:00 to 15:00
    Daytrip admission: 800 yen
    Overnight stay: 16,000 to 30,000 yen per person including 2 meals
    This modern hotel style ryokan is one of the newer facilities in Nyuto Onsen. It has large indoor baths and covered outdoor baths that are separated by gender. The ryokan is just across the street from a park with nature trails.

Ratings:    best of the best    best of Japan    outstanding

Getting there and around

How to get to Nyuto Onsen

Take a bus from Tazawako Station to Nyuto Onsen (50 minutes, 950 yen, hourly departures), which makes stops near most ryokan except for Tsurunoyu, Kuroyu and Magorokuyu.

To access Tsurunoyu, get off at "Tsurunoyu Onsen Iriguchi" bus stop, from where it is a 45 minute walk to the old inn. Staying guests should get off at the Arupa Komakusa bus stop instead (35 minutes, 750 yen) to be picked up by the ryokan (arrangements must be made beforehand). If you arrive by car, free parking is available in front of both inns.

To access Magoroku and Kuroyu Onsen, take the bus to the "Nyuto Onsen" bus stop, from where it is a 10 to 15 minute walk to each ryokan respectively. Kuroyu Onsen will pick up staying guests from Nyuto Onsen bus stop if arrangements are made beforehand. If you arrive by car, free parking lots are available in the proximity of each ryokan.

How to get around Nyuto Onsen

All of the ryokan except Tsurunoyu are within relatively easy walking distance of each other. A shuttle bus, called Yumeguri-go, runs between all the ryokan about once every two hours. A one-day pass costs 1,000 yen. Alternatively, overnight guests can purchase the Yumeguri Pass for 2,500 yen at their ryokan which covers the shuttle bus and admission to the baths of all seven ryokan in Nyuto Onsen.

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