I Looked Into Shiobara Akatsuki no Yu

As part of my "hokans detour" series, I've been steadily looking into not just campsites but also day-use hot spring facilities. I've honestly lost count of how many I've covered by now.

This time I looked into "Shiobara Akatsuki no Yu." I had originally planned to research a different facility, but as I dug into it, I found out that place had switched over to being a dog-friendly lodging facility. So instead, I decided to check out this day-use hot spring facility, which is in the same Shiobara Onsen area.

The Short Version

This seems to be a fairly unusual type of day-use hot spring facility, offering not only a fully flowing pH 9.2 alkaline simple hot spring, but also an onsen-fed bathing pool on site.
The Rakuten Mobile signal rating came out as a "C."

I'll go into the details below.

What Kind of Place Is Shiobara Akatsuki no Yu?

It's apparently a day-use hot spring facility located in the Shiobara Onsen area of Nasushiobara City, Tochigi Prefecture. It seems to be open from 10:00 AM to 10:00 PM (last admission at 9:00 PM), and closed on the third Wednesday of every month (or the following day if that falls on a public holiday). No reservation seems to be needed for day-use bathing, so it looks like the kind of place you can just drop into.

The pricing appears to be set up as follows.

Adults: 800 yen on weekdays / 1,000 yen on weekends and holidays
Elementary school age and under: 400 yen on weekdays / 500 yen on weekends and holidays (free for age 3 and under)
Evening rate after 5:00 PM: adults 700 yen on weekdays / 1,000 yen on weekends and holidays; elementary school age and under 350 yen on weekdays / 500 yen on weekends and holidays
Monthly pass: 15,000 yen (I wasn't able to confirm the detailed terms of use)
Private resting rooms: starting at 3,000 yen per hour (reservation required)

There's apparently also a stamp card system where collecting 10 stamps gets you one free admission. That could be a nice perk for anyone who visits day-use hot springs frequently.

Komorin

That stamp card system is quietly intriguing to me. It might actually suit someone like me who tends to repeatedly visit places close to home.

The Water Quality and Bathing Pool Are What Catch My Attention

The water quality is apparently a pH 9.2 alkaline simple hot spring, drawn from 1,500 meters underground. It reportedly contains 79.4 mg of metasilicic acid, a natural moisturizing component, which might be interesting information for anyone choosing a hot spring with skin benefits in mind. The flow rate is said to be 250 liters per minute, and since the source temperature is a hot 68.4°C, every bath in the facility apparently uses fresh, continuously flowing water. Both the outdoor and indoor baths seem to be separated by gender, though the official site didn't specify the number of tubs, so I wasn't able to confirm that.

What personally caught my attention was the onsen-fed bathing pool. It's apparently an indoor pool where you can do walking exercises and water exercises, and there are even aqua lessons available with a specialized instructor. It seems like a facility that offers a slightly different way to spend your time compared to a typical hot spring.

There's also a dining area, apparently open from 11:00 AM to 2:00 PM and 5:00 PM to 8:00 PM on weekdays, and continuously from 11:00 AM to 8:00 PM on weekends and holidays. There's parking for 150 vehicles, including large vehicles, so it sounds convenient if you're visiting by car.

Rakuten Mobile Signal Conditions

When I checked this facility's location using the official "My Area Connectivity Simulation" tool, the overall rating came out as "C."

I don't have details on the exact signal strength, but depending on where you are, it might be worth checking the connectivity beforehand. If you're a Rakuten Mobile user planning to visit Shiobara Akatsuki no Yu, it might be reassuring to check the surrounding conditions with the official tool before you head out.

Komorin

Since it came out as a C rating, I'll admit I feel a bit hesitant writing this kind of result. But sharing both the good and the bad honestly is my style, so there you have it.

See Rakuten Mobile Details

Wrapping Up

To sum it all up, Shiobara Akatsuki no Yu struck me as a somewhat unique day-use hot spring facility where you can enjoy both a fully flowing alkaline simple hot spring and an onsen-fed bathing pool at the same time. On top of the water quality, being able to try water exercises and aqua lessons seems like it would suit both people who want to relax and people who want to move their bodies a bit.

The Rakuten Mobile signal rating came out as a C. If you're planning a visit and connectivity is a concern, it might be reassuring to check an address near your destination with the official tool beforehand.

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