Yawatahamakuroyu Onsen Yawatahama Kuroyu Onsen Minato-yu

Located in the port town of Yawatahama City, Ehime Prefecture, this public bathhouse offers the first ever moor spring (kuroyu / black water) experience in the Chugoku and Shikoku regions. Drawn from approximately 950 meters underground, the spring water is rich in plant-derived organic matter, providing excellent moisturizing and heat-retention effects, earning it the nickname Beauty Bath for the silky smooth skin it leaves behind. The water is classified as Iron(II)-bearing sodium-bicarbonate cold mineral spring (hypotonic, alkaline, cold mineral spring) and features a distinctive amber color resembling black tea. Renovated in 2018, the facility is the only hot spring bathhouse in Yawatahama and is beloved by locals and tourists alike. The bathhouse features a spacious indoor bath, an outdoor cypress bath and rock bath using salt water for skin tightening effects, a tiered far-infrared sauna, and a cold water bath using groundwater, making it highly rated among sauna enthusiasts.