Day-Use Sauna in Nagano:
Hours and Reservations

The TOJI.ba MATSUKAWAKAN in Nagano has two day-use saunas: the Forest Sauna and the Tenku Sauna. This guide covers when you can go, and whether you need to book ahead.

The Forest Sauna runs in four two-hour slots, from 9:20 in the morning until the evening. The Tenku Sauna is booked one group at a time, for 120 minutes.

The day-use bath and lunch need no reservation, but the saunas must be booked in advance. This guide also shows how to plan your day around the slots.

Saunas need booking; the bath does not

The day-use saunas are by advance booking only. Slots are fixed, so once your date is set, booking early is best.

The day-use bath and lunch, on the other hand, need no reservation. Saunas and the bath differ on whether a booking is required.

The private Tenku Sauna has few slots, so early booking is especially advised. For everything on the saunas, see Day-use sauna.

Forest Sauna: four two-hour slots

The Forest Sauna runs from 9:20 in the morning to 17:50, in four two-hour slots. Day use is 2,300 yen (tax included) per person.

Each slot holds up to ten people. The times are as follows.

The rest space is open from 9:20 to 17:50, where you can lie down or read. For the sauna itself, see The Forest Sauna.

Tenku Sauna: private, 120 minutes

The Tenku Sauna sits 1,000m up and is fully private. One group books it for 120 minutes; day use is 9,800 yen (tax included) for one to four people, at the same rate.

From the open-air rest space you look over the sun setting into the Matsukawa Gorge. At night there is a sky ranked third in the world, and in autumn a view chosen among Japan's 100 best autumn landscapes.

The room is lined with hinoki cypress and heated by a Harvia tower stove with radiant heat from stone, and the cold bath uses water from Takayama Village. For details and booking, see The Tenku Sauna.

Day-use bath: from 11:00, no booking

The day-use bath is open from 11:00 to 20:00. Last entry is 19:30, it costs 650 yen (tax included) per person, and no reservation is needed.

Day-use bathers can use a semi-private rest room from 11:00 to 16:00. Guests having lunch have priority.

Guests with tattoos are welcome in all of the baths at MATSUKAWAKAN. For entry and rates, see Day-use onsen (650 yen, no reservation).

Swimsuits are worn; rent on the day

Swimsuits are worn in the saunas. Swimsuits and ponchos can be rented on the day.

A sauna poncho rents for 680 yen and a swimsuit for 500 yen. A face towel is 150 yen and a bath towel 200 yen, and face towels are free for staying guests.

So you can arrive empty-handed and still enjoy the sauna, with everything rented on the day.

40 minutes from Nagano; free parking

MATSUKAWAKAN is about 40 minutes by car from Nagano Station. A free shuttle bus runs between the station and the ryokan.

If you drive, you can use the free village car park at Yamada Onsen. From there it is a short walk to MATSUKAWAKAN.

For access and common questions, see Frequently asked questions. If anything is unclear, please feel free to ask.

Frequently asked questions