Sanbe Onsen Kame-no-Yu

Sanbe Onsen Kame-no-Yu is a historic communal bathhouse located at the southern foot of Mount Sanbe, a national park, in Shigaku, Sanbecho, Oda City, Shimane Prefecture. Formerly known as Shigaku Onsen, this hot spring area served as a therapeutic bathing destination for miners of the Iwami Ginzan Silver Mine during the Edo period and was also frequented by Imperial Army soldiers stationed at the nearby military training grounds during the Meiji era. In 1959, it was designated as a National Health Resort Hot Spring by the Ministry of Health and Welfare and renamed Sanbe Onsen. The Kame-no-Yu building is over 120 years old and is carefully maintained through daily cleaning by a local management cooperative.

The spring water is classified as an iron-containing (II, III) sodium chloride spring (hypotonic, weakly acidic hot spring), with a source temperature of approximately 37.6 degrees Celsius. The total discharge of Sanbe Onsen reaches approximately 3,000 liters per minute, one of the largest in the Chugoku region. At Kame-no-Yu, abundant hot spring water flows generously, constantly overflowing from the bathtub. The iron-rich, brownish water is served as a free-flowing natural source spring.

During the daytime, bathers can enjoy the lukewarm source water as it is, while the water is heated from the evening onward. This is an unmanned communal bathhouse where bathers deposit their fees into a collection box. There are no showers, shampoo, or other amenities, preserving the rustic atmosphere of a traditional therapeutic bathing facility. Admission is 400 yen for adults, 200 yen for elementary school students, and free for younger children. Open year-round from approximately 8:30 to 20:30.