Akakura Onsen Open-Air Bath Takinoyu

Takinoyu is a day-use open-air bath in Akakura Onsen, Myoko City, Niigata Prefecture. Akakura Onsen opened in 1816 on the slopes of Mount Myoko, and Takinoyu is regarded as the symbol of the hot spring town. Its signature feature is a broad outdoor bath surrounded by piled boulders, where water pours in like a waterfall.

The spring rises naturally at Kita-Jigokudani at about 51.5 C, with a pH of 6.6 and a flow of roughly 3,400 liters per minute. The water is a calcium-sodium-magnesium sulfate-bicarbonate spring (hypotonic, neutral, high-temperature), clear and colorless, and known locally as a beautifying bath. The water falls like a waterfall into the bath.

Takinoyu operates seasonally from late April to early November and is closed in winter. Hours are 10:00 to 16:00 (until 17:00 on Saturdays and Sundays, and 15:30 on Thursdays). Admission is 600 yen for adults and 400 yen for children. A swimsuit-only hot spring pool opens in summer, and free parking and towel rental are available.