Kawara-no-yu

四万温泉河原の湯 · Shima Onsen

Policy not published (day visit)

Can you bathe here with a tattoo?

This is the question we built the site around, so we answer it per situation.

Visiting for the day

They have not said

The tattoo policy is not stated publicly. Please contact the facility.

How it scores

Every onsen on this site is scored on the same five things.

Rated from research

Water3.5

Comfort3

Setting4

Access3

×Somewhere to sit — Bathe and leave

△Anything else nearby — Nearby, but off to one side

A stone box of a bath at the meeting of two rivers, free and open to anyone who turns up before 15:00 - the cheapest way to get into Shima water. No washing area, no seating, and the short hours mean it is easy to miss. The riverside setting and the park above it are the appeal.

Scored from official photos, maps and transport information — not from a visit.

The baths

Indoor bath

A free communal bath at the foot of the Hagi Bridge, where the Shima River and the Arayu River meet. The outside, the inner walls and the tub are all stone, which gives it the feel of a cave bath. Above the bathhouse is a small park, a good place to cool off afterwards.

Open to day visitors

Practical details

Day visits: Yes — you can bathe without staying overnight.
9:00-15:00, open every day
Day visit price: Not confirmed
Free, but note the short window - it closes at 15:00. It is a kyodo-yokujo run for residents: no attendant, no soap, no lockers. Bring your own towel and leave valuables behind.
Staying overnight: No
Getting there: Near the terminus of the bus route into Shima Onsen, at the foot of the Hagi Bridge. From JR Nakanojo Station take the Kan-Etsu Kotsu bus about 40 minutes to the Shima Onsen terminus.
Official website: nakanojo-kanko.jp/shima/hotsprings/kawaranoyu

Visit the official website ↗

Staying nearby

Where to stay in Shima OnsenBooking.com ↗

What we have not confirmed

We would rather show a gap than guess.

The tattoo policy for day visits is not stated on the official website.