A 100% free-flowing indoor bath in Nagano,
and how to visit it for the day

If you choose an onsen by whether the water is recirculated or free-flowing, the indoor bath at MATSUKAWAKAN is filled entirely with free-flowing spring water.

The water at Yamada Onsen runs on the hot side. To handle it, MATSUKAWAKAN keeps a wooden paddle that cools the water without diluting it.

The two public bathhouses within a short walk draw the same Yamada Onsen source. This journal explains how the water is handled and how to bathe in it.

The indoor bath is free-flowing, not recirculated

At MATSUKAWAKAN the indoor bath is filled entirely with free-flowing spring water. Water spills over the edge and simply flows away.

Because it is free-flowing, the water is never recirculated, and fresh spring water keeps pouring in. That is how it stays fresh.

Both staying guests and day visitors can use this bath. The baths as a whole are covered in About our onsen.

Why the water runs hot

The water at Yamada Onsen runs on the hot side. On a first visit, it can feel quite hot.

The indoor bath and the public baths share this heat, which is part of Yamada Onsen. So it helps to bathe in short spells, and to rest often.

If the heat concerns you, there is a way to cool the water down. MATSUKAWAKAN keeps a tool on hand for exactly this.

A paddle that cools without diluting

When the water feels too hot, MATSUKAWAKAN has a wooden paddle ready. You stir the water with it, and the temperature comes down.

Instead of adding cold water, you use the paddle. That way the spring water is not diluted, and only its temperature drops.

How hot the water feels differs from person to person. You can adjust it, little by little, to a temperature that suits you.

Warm up, rest, then bathe again

Because the water runs hot, there is no need to soak for a long time all at once. MATSUKAWAKAN suggests a cycle of warming up, resting in the open air, and going back in.

You slip into the hot water, and once you are warm, you step out for a while. You cool off in the open air, and then you bathe again.

Even hot water is easy to enjoy this way, with rest in between. For the full method, see How to use the onsen.

Oyu and Takinoyu share the source

A short walk from MATSUKAWAKAN there are two public bathhouses. They are Oyu and Takinoyu, and both draw the same Yamada Onsen source.

Oyu has been the central bathhouse of Yamada Onsen since the Edo period. It is a minute on foot from MATSUKAWAKAN, with three water temperatures to choose from.

Takinoyu is the local bathhouse, thirty seconds away, and it runs hot, so people usually add cold water. For how to move between the baths, see How to use the public bathhouses and Yamada Onsen and Takayama Village.

The spring analysis is checked on site

The detailed spring analysis for Yamada Onsen is not published on the MATSUKAWAKAN website. If you want the exact figures, ask at the bathhouse notice board or at the ryokan.

The water itself, indoor and outdoor, is the same Yamada Onsen source. The easiest way to know it is to bathe in it on a day visit.

Day-use bathing needs no reservation and costs 650 yen per person. Prices are subject to change; please check before you visit. For the times and the rest room, see Day-use onsen (650 yen, no reservation).

Frequently asked questions