I Looked Into Shika-no-yu Hot Spring

On this blog, I'm gradually researching a series of day-use hot springs that could work as a hotel-plus-spa ('hokansu') option for those days when, even though I've got camping plans, I end up thinking 'actually, I just want to relax indoors today.'

This time, I looked into Shika-no-yu, located in Nasu Town, Tochigi Prefecture. Hearing that it's a hot spring with over 1,300 years of history, said to have even been visited by the poet Matsuo Basho, made me want to organize what I found about it.

A 1,300-Year History, Said to Have Been Visited by Matsuo Basho

According to the history page on the official website, Shika-no-yu is said to have been discovered around 1,300 years ago, during the reign of Emperor Jomei in the early 7th century. Apparently the name comes from an episode where a hunter named Kano Saburo Yukihiro found an injured deer healing its wounds in the hot spring.

Apparently, records of the Nasu hot springs already existed in the Shosoin documents from 738 CE, and there are also records showing that feudal lords used the springs for therapeutic bathing during the Edo period. The poet Matsuo Basho is also said to have stopped by during his travels for 'The Narrow Road to the Deep North,' so this could be a pretty interesting spot for anyone into history. The current wooden building itself appears to have been rebuilt in 1941.

Checking Out the Unique 'Kaburi-yu' Bathing Custom

One thing that caught my attention as a feature unique to Shika-no-yu was the 'kaburi-yu' bathing custom. It involves scooping up hot water with a ladle and pouring it over your head before bathing, with a guideline of around 200 times for adults and around 100 times for children. It's said to help prevent dizziness, headaches, and stiff shoulders. There's also apparently a free hourglass rental available, so it seems the intended style is to soak slowly while keeping an eye on the time.

The water quality is apparently a simple acidic sulfur spring (hydrogen sulfide type), characterized by milky, cloudy water and a fairly strong sulfur smell. Because it's strongly acidic, soap and shampoo are prohibited, and it's recommended not to rinse off the mineral components after bathing (though it also noted that people with sensitive skin and young children should rinse off or wipe themselves down). Each soak is meant to last around 15 minutes, with a guideline of up to about 4 baths per day.

The bathing areas are separated by gender, with the men's bath apparently having six tubs ranging from 41 to 48 degrees Celsius, and the women's bath having five tubs, excluding the 48-degree one. I also came across some information suggesting the wooden tubs are about 1 meter deep, but I wasn't able to confirm an exact figure for that on the official website.

Basic Information Worth Knowing

• Hours: 8:00 AM to 6:00 PM (last entry at 5:30 PM)
• Closed days: Apparently open year-round, though it seems there can be irregular closures for facility maintenance and the like
• Admission: 500 yen for adults, 300 yen for children (elementary school age), free for infants. A half-day therapeutic bathing pass is apparently 1,200 yen on weekdays and 1,500 yen on weekends and holidays
• Coupon tickets: A book of 7 tickets for 2,800 yen (apparently changed as of October 2025)
• Payment: Cash only; credit cards apparently cannot be used
• Reservations: Since it's a day-use bathing facility, reservations don't appear to be necessary
• Parking: Apparently free, with space for about 50 cars
• Lockers: Paid lockers, apparently 200 yen for large and 100 yen for small

The location is in the Nasu-Yumoto Onsen area of Nasu Town, Nasu District, Tochigi Prefecture. For access by train, the official website introduces a route taking the Tohoku Shinkansen to Nasu-Shiobara, then transferring to the Utsunomiya Line and a bus. By highway bus, the Nasu Resort Express from Shinjuku or Oji costs around 3,300 yen one way, and by car it's about 15 minutes from the Nasu Interchange. As for whether there's a sauna or private baths, I couldn't confirm this since I didn't find any explanation on the official website.

Komorin

Doing kaburi-yu 200 times really stuck with me, but with the hourglass to keep track of time, it feels like a bathing style well suited to a day when you want to take things slow.

Rakuten Mobile Signal Conditions

When I tried checking the location of Shika-no-yu using the official "My Area Connectivity Simulation" tool, no result was shown, and instead it displayed a message saying something like 'currently under temporary maintenance.' I got the same result when I tried again, so this time I'm treating the signal condition as unknown.

Since this is in the mountainous area of Nasu Highland, there could be cases where signal doesn't reach well depending on the facility. I won't force a judgment here, and I'll just leave it noted as something I wasn't able to confirm.

Komorin

This is the first time I've had no result come up, and I think in cases like this, it's better not to force a conclusion and just write it as 'couldn't confirm,' as-is.

Wrapping Up

Organizing everything again, my impression is that Shika-no-yu is a representative day-use hot spring of Nasu-Yumoto Onsen, characterized by over 1,300 years of history and the unique 'kaburi-yu' bathing custom. Between the milky-white sulfur water and the anecdotes tied to the Edo period and Matsuo Basho, I feel like this is a place with a lot of intriguing elements, including its history.

On the other hand, regarding the Rakuten Mobile signal conditions, I wasn't able to confirm a result even with the official tool, so the outcome came out as unknown. If this is something you're concerned about, it might be a good idea to check the official tool again before heading out.

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Related Links

• Official Site