Local Guide
Visiting hidden hot springs, 5 one-day hot springs within a 40-minute drive from Hirosaki

Hirakawa City, adjacent to Hirosaki City, is a peaceful town dotted with numerous famous hot springs. From day-trip hot springs where you can enjoy table tennis and massages, to quiet mountain inns and residential hot springs in well-known residential areas, you can enjoy a tour of the unique hot springs here.

Enjoy the "hot water for beautiful skin" that feels soft on the skin

Various types of baths line the indoor baths.
Various types of baths line the indoor baths.

A popular hot spring Property that attracts many visitors from neighboring towns. The 100% free-flowing hot-spring water is an alkaline simple spring that feels thick on the skin and is effective for beautifying the skin. The indoor baths include a 39°C tepid bath, a 43°C hot bath, a souce-of-spring mist sauna, and a "souce-of-spring bedrock bath" where guests lie on a bed of ore stones heated moderately by the source. The outdoor hot spring boasts a hiba (cypress) bathtub, and there is also a half-open-air outdoor hot spring.

Local Guide Comment
It leaves your skin moist and smooth. Visitors can also choose from a variety of plans to suit their enjoyment.

A hot spring Property where you can spend your time like in a theme park

Fire-viewing stilts and lanterns create a Japanese atmosphere.
Fire-viewing stilts and lanterns create a Japanese atmosphere.

The first thing that catches your eye as you enter the building is the large fire-viewing stove and the ping-pong table placed in front of the candy counter. The retro space filled with a fun atmosphere was designed to recall the good old days when public bathhouses were the town's social gathering places. Visitors can enjoy thinking of various ways to spend their time, such as playing ping-pong with beer after taking a bath, looking for souvenirs at the store, taking a nap at the rest area, or getting a massage at the massage parlor. In the Dining Area, the "Bikkuri Kitsune Udon" using extra-large fried tofu from a long-established local tofu store is a popular dish.

Tsugaru Onoe Hot Spring One Day Inn Fukuya
  • Address 35-2, Michinoshita, Shinya-cho, Hirakawa-shi, Aomori MAP
  • Direction 20 minutes drive from JR Hirosaki Station
    Approx. 6 min. walk from Kashiwa-no Koko-mae Station of Konan Railway
  • Hours of Operation 5:00-22:00
  • Closed Closed on weekends and holidays
  • Admission fee Adults 420 yen (8:00-22:00)
    Morning bath (5:00-8:00) 300 yen
  • TEL 0172-55-0200
  • Parking Free of charge

Relax and forget about time in a secluded hot spring in the mountains

Seasonal scenery spreads out behind the white steam.
Seasonal scenery spreads out behind the white steam.

A one-house inn located in the mountains of Toobu-zawa. Despite the fact that cell phone service is not available in the mountains, hot spring lovers come from far and wide to enjoy the charm of this hot spring. The natural hot spring water, which is free-flowing from the source, has a very slight brownish color and a smooth texture. Above all, it boasts an abundant 500 liters of hot spring water per minute. The bathtub, made entirely of cypress, is filled with an endless flow of hot water, which spreads the warm water to every corner of the floor. The fresh mountain scenery and luxurious hot water can be easily enjoyed on a one-day trip.

Enjoy "todo sleeping" with all five senses

Lying on the floor and bathing in the hot water,
Lying on the floor and bathing in the hot water, "todo-nagomi" is popular.

One of the customary activities of regular visitors is to lie down on the floor of the bathtub and feel the hot water overflowing from the bathtub with their whole body. The name "Steller's sea lion" comes from the way they lie on the floor, looking like a sea lion, and many of them spend more than an hour in the bath, unable to get out of the water because it feels so good. Many people spend more than an hour in the baths, unable to get out of the baths because they feel so good.

Local Guide Comment
The amount of hot water is so great that it flows like a river. It is true that this makes you want to sleep!
Furutobe Hot Spring
  • Address 1-467 West Ikarigaseki-yama, Ikarigaseki, Hirakawa-shi, Aomori-ken MAP
  • Direction 15 min. by car from JR Tsugaru Yunosawa Station *Pick-up service available (reservation required)
  • Hours of Operation 9:00-20:30
  • Closed No holidays
  • Admission fee Adults 400 yen, elementary school students 100 yen, infants free
  • TEL 0172-46-2533
  • Parking Free of charge

Repeaters keep coming back! A small famous hot spring only the size of a tatami mat

The red hot water in the open-air bath has a reputation for warming the body.
The red hot water in the open-air bath has a reputation for warming the body.

Ainori hot spring, located near the border with Akita Prefecture, is one of the best-known hot springs among those in the know. The clear natural hot spring that bubbles out of the ground turns reddish brown when exposed to the air, giving it the name "akayu. The bathtub is about the size of a tatami mat and fills up with two people, but the water is always fresh. The water has a strong iron aroma and is smooth to the touch. The water contains carbon dioxide, so you can feel small, fluffy bubbles on your skin. The sound of the spring water spurting out from the source echoes in the background, and a leisurely soak in the hot water will warm you from the core to the skin.

Local Guide Comment
The red hot water is filled with bubbles of carbon dioxide gas. The water heats up well and retains its warmth for a long time.

Enjoy the individuality of the three baths

Outdoor hot spring is a simple spring with a smooth texture.
Outdoor hot spring is a simple spring with a smooth texture.

Near the akayu is an outdoor hot spring with no hot spring water flowing from the source. This is a simple hot spring, different in quality from the akayu, and has a clear, dry feel. It feels a little lukewarm, but it is the perfect temperature to alternate with the akayu. The view of the surrounding forest is wonderful and relaxing for body and soul. The indoor hot spring has the same spring quality as the Outdoor hot spring, but the water is hotter than the Outdoor hot spring at 41°C. The three baths are drained and cleaned carefully every day, so you can enjoy fresh natural hot spring water at any time.

Hashu Road Inn Ainori
  • Address 185 West Ikarigaseki Mountain, Ikarigaseki, Hirakawa City, Aomori Prefecture MAP
  • Direction 5 minutes from the Ikarigaseki IC on the Tohoku Expressway.
    Approx. 15 min. from JR Ikarigaseki Station by car *Pick-up service available from Ikarigaseki Station (reservation required)
  • Hours of Operation 6:00 - 20:00
  • Closed No holidays
  • Admission fee Adults 350 yen, elementary school students 100 yen, infants 100 yen
    Adults 350 yen, elementary school students and under 150 yen
  • TEL 0172-49-5005
  • Parking Free of charge

Mysterious hot water that changes color from moment to moment

The color of the water changes every time someone enters.
The color of the water changes every time someone enters.

Located in Araya, Hirakawa City, where rice paddies and residential areas are spread out, this hot spring features emerald-colored water. There are only a few green hot springs in Japan, but Araya Hot Spring is known as a very rare hot spring that changes its color from white to blue, green, dark green, yellowish green, and clear in the course of a day. The color used to change every few days, but in recent years it has changed several times within a day. The color of the hot water changes slightly each time someone enters, and the men's baths have more drastic color changes than the women's baths; the unpredictability of the hot springs is a wonder of nature.

Local Guide Comment
It has a unique smell and feel, and is popular with women who are seeking a cure for neuralgia, skin diseases, and other conditions, as well as with women who are looking for a skin beautifying effect.

The secret of its popularity is the pleasant feeling of the hot water and its many beneficial effects.

Emerald-colored water is often seen at night
Emerald-colored water is often seen at night

The water, which is rich in sulfur, salt, sulfate, and carbon dioxide, is gentle to the touch and feels thick, like lotion. The small bubbles of carbon dioxide gas are pleasant to the skin, and the water temperature is just right at 40.5°C, making you want to soak forever. The warm water is said to be effective against skin problems as well. Many visitors bring their own bottles of hot spring water, which they can drink or take home with them.

Araya hot spring
  • Address 84-14 Niiya Hirano, Hirakawa-shi, Aomori-ken MAP
  • Direction Approx. 15 min. by car from Owani Hirosaki IC on Tohoku Expressway
    7 min. drive from Hiraga Station of Konan Railway
  • Hours of Operation 7:30-21:30 (morning bath: 5:30-7:30)
  • Closed No holidays
  • Admission fee Adults 350 yen, elementary school students 150 yen, infants 60 yen
    Morning bath (April-November): Adult 200 yen, elementary school student 100 yen, toddler free
    Rest area (9:00-21:00) 600 yen (including bathing fee)
  • TEL 0172-44-8767
  • Parking Free of charge

Take a hot spring bath at a roadside station during a road trip.

A family bath boasting a hiba (Japanese cypress) bathtub
A family bath boasting a hiba (Japanese cypress) bathtub

The hot spring property is located at Michi-no-Eki Ikarigaseki. As soon as it opens, it is crowded all day long with regular local customers as well as tourists who stop by for a rest. The pride of the facility is the large bathtub made of Aomori hiba (cypress). The bathtub is not only freshly fragrant, but also has a bay window that opens out into the open air, creating a feeling of freedom. The private baths, which can be used by up to six people, also have their own rest area where you can relax in comfort.

Local Guide Comment
Both the washing area and bathtub are spacious and open. The hot spring water is thick and gentle on the skin.

Be sure to check out the famous "marumelo" soft-serve ice cream from Ikarigaseki!

Soft-serve ice cream of Japanese yam (on the left) and marmelo (a type of quince) ice cream (on the right), each priced at 300 yen.
Soft-serve ice cream of Japanese yam (on the left) and marmelo (a type of quince) ice cream (on the right), each priced at 300 yen.

In addition to the hot spring facilities, the spacious property also includes an agricultural produce stand, a store selling local specialties, a "Sekisho Shiryokan" (barrier station museum), which is a reconstruction of the Edo Period barrier station on the border with Akita Prefecture, a swimming pool, training facilities, and more. The cafeteria and store offer a variety of sweets and foods made from local specialties such as marmelo (a type of quince) and jinenjyo (a type of Japanese yam). In particular, the refreshingly sour and slightly sweet Marmelo soft-serve ice cream has become Ikarigaseki's signature product.

Roadside Station Ikarigaseki Tsugaru Sekinonosho
  • Address 13-1 Ikarigaseki Ikariishi, Hirakawa City, Aomori Prefecture MAP
  • Direction 3 min. walk from JR Ikarigaseki Station
  • Hours of Operation 9:00-20:00
  • Regular holidays New Year's Eve (Dec. 31, Jan. 1)
  • Admission fee Adults 350 yen, children 100 yen
    Private bath: 1,500 yen per hour (up to 6 persons, 500 yen per 30-minute extension)
  • TEL 0172-46-9355
  • Parking Free of charge
The information in this article is current as of the date of the update. Please check before visiting as they are subject to change.