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Kanazawa's own hot-spring village
Kanazawa · Yuwaku

Yuwaku Onsen湯涌温泉

A hot-spring village in a wooded valley at the head of the Asano River: a public bath, a museum for the painter Takehisa Yumeji and a handful of small ryokan, 20 minutes by taxi from the city.

Bus ¥630 · 50–55 min Public bath ¥490 Ryokan from ¥15,000
Checked 27 Oct 2026 6 min read
In brief

Yuwaku Onsen (湯涌温泉) is Kanazawa's own hot-spring village: 50–55 minutes by bus (¥630, from East Exit stop 6) or about 20 minutes by taxi from the station. Day visitors have the Shirasagi-no-Yu public bath (¥490, 7:00–22:00) and the Yumeji-kan museum (¥310, closed Tuesdays). Around nine small ryokan serve dinner and breakfast from ¥15,000 per person; stay a night to see the village after the day visitors leave.

At a glance

Yuwaku Onsen in numbers

QuestionAnswer
What it isA hot-spring village in a green valley near the source of the Asano River, about 30 minutes by car from central Kanazawa.
The waterSodium-calcium-chloride spring, 28.6°C at the source (heated for the baths), about 113 litres a minute. Not for drinking.
Public bathShirasagi-no-Yu (白鷺の湯): adults (junior high and over) ¥490, elementary school ¥130, infants ¥50. 7:00–22:00, last reception 21:30. Closed the third Thursday of each month. Check the posted price, as listings differ by a few tens of yen.
Foot bathShirasagi foot bath (足湯), free, 9:00–21:00.
Yumeji-kanKanazawa Yuwaku Yumeji-kan: ¥310 (65+ ¥210, high school and under free), 9:00–17:30, last entry 17:00. Closed Tuesdays (the next weekday after a holiday). Phone 076-235-1112.
Edo MuraYuwaku Edo Mura open-air museum: ¥310, 9:00–17:30, closed Tuesdays. Phone 076-235-1267 before a winter visit.
BusHokutetsu bus from Kanazawa Station East Exit stop 6, to the last stop, about 50–55 minutes, ¥630 one way. Timetable from 15 March 2026 on the village association site.
TaxiAbout 20 minutes. From the station roughly ¥7,500; from Kenrokuen-shita roughly ¥4,000.
RyokanAbout nine small inns. Dinner and breakfast included, from about ¥15,000 per person.
ContactYuwaku Onsen Tourist Association, 076-235-1040.

Prices and hours checked 27 Oct 2026 against the village association, museum listings and Kanazawa tourism. Bus times were not read from the timetable; check the current one before you go.

What to do

Soak, then see the painter's village

Half a day without a hotel, or a night.

01

The public bath and the inns総湯 白鷺の湯

Village centre · Shirasagi-no-Yu 7:00–22:00

Shirasagi-no-Yu is the village's public bath: ¥490 for adults, open from 7:00 to 22:00, closed the third Thursday of the month. Next to it, the foot bath is free from 9:00 to 21:00. No reservation is needed.

The water is a sodium-calcium-chloride spring at 28.6°C at the source, warmed for the baths. A few ryokan also take day visitors; one listing gives ¥800 for a bath at 14:00–16:00 by reservation, so ask the inn.

Bath
¥490
Open
7:00–22:00
Foot bath
Free
02

Yumeji-kan金沢湯涌夢二館

4 min walk from the bus stop · 9:00–17:30, closed Tuesdays

The painter and poet Takehisa Yumeji stayed in Yuwaku with Hiko, which put the village on the map. The museum shows his paintings, poems and related materials; the current special exhibition, "Out of Mingei: Yumeji, Yukemuri, Utopia", runs 8 July–13 December 2026.

Admission is ¥310 (65+ ¥210, high school and under free); the last entry is 17:00.

Cost
¥310
Open
9:00–17:30
Closed
Tuesdays
Getting there

From Kanazawa Station

One bus line, one taxi route.

Cheapest
巴

Hokutetsu bus

50–55 min · ¥630

From East Exit stop 6 to the last stop, Yuwaku Onsen. Check the timetable and the last bus back before you go: the village association publishes it (valid from 15 March 2026).

車

Taxi

about 20 min · ¥7,500

From Kanazawa Station about ¥7,500; from Kenrokuen-shita about ¥4,000. Worth it if you miss the last bus.

道

Car

about 30 min

About 30 minutes from Kanazawa-Nishi IC and 35 from Kanazawa-Higashi IC. The Fukumitsu–Yuwaku route is closed in winter.

Yuwaku is on the same bus line as the Yumeji-kan stop; walk 4 minutes from "Yuwaku Onsen" to the museum.

Practical tips

Before you go

Five things that decide whether the trip works.

  1. 01
    Check the last bus. Buses are sparse, and a missed one means a taxi of about ¥7,500. If you stay the night the question goes away.
  2. 02
    Mind the closing days. Yumeji-kan and Edo Mura close on Tuesdays, and Shirasagi-no-Yu on the third Thursday of the month.
  3. 03
    Arrive by mid-afternoon if you are staying. Ryokan dinner is part of the room price and served at a set time.
  4. 04
    Plan the evening, not the day. The village is quietest after the day visitors leave. In January and February it has snow on the ryokan street.
  5. 05
    Do not count on a lakeside walk. Gyokusen Lake has been closed since 7 September 2026 for weed control; check with the association (076-235-1040).
Where to stay

Stay in the village

Two inns in the valley, and a city option if you would rather soak in town.

Yuwaku ryokan

Kanazawa Yuwaku Onsen Hyakurakuso

Yuwaku Onsen · 20 min by taxi

One of the ryokan on the official Yuwaku Onsen list: hot-spring baths, a kaiseki dinner and a quiet valley night.

from ¥20,000 pp with 2 mealsOur notes →
Check rates ↗
Smaller inn

Yunode

Yuwaku Onsen

A smaller inn in the same valley and a simpler, cheaper way to spend a night at Kanazawa's own hot spring.

from ¥15,000 pp with 2 mealsOur notes →
Check rates ↗
Hot spring in town

Kanazawa Hakuchoro Hotel Sanraku

Beside Kanazawa Castle Park

If you want a natural hot spring without leaving the centre: a premium hotel at the edge of the castle park, with kaiseki. A hotel, not a ryokan.

from ¥35,000 per roomOur notes →
Check rates ↗
See full Kanazawa hotels guide →
FAQ

Yuwaku Onsen questions, answered

How do I get to Yuwaku Onsen from Kanazawa Station?

Take the Hokutetsu bus from East Exit stop 6 to the last stop, Yuwaku Onsen: about 50 to 55 minutes and ¥630 one way. A taxi takes about 20 minutes and costs roughly ¥7,500 from the station.

Can I visit Yuwaku Onsen as a day trip?

Yes. You can use the Shirasagi-no-Yu public bath (¥490, 7:00–22:00) and visit the Yumeji-kan museum (¥310, closed Tuesdays). Buses are infrequent, so check the last bus back or plan a taxi.

How much is the public bath at Yuwaku Onsen?

Shirasagi-no-Yu costs ¥490 for adults (junior high school and over), ¥130 for elementary school children and ¥50 for infants. It is open 7:00–22:00 and closed on the third Thursday of each month. The foot bath next to it is free from 9:00 to 21:00.

What is the water like at Yuwaku Onsen?

A sodium-calcium-chloride spring at 28.6°C at the source, so the baths are heated, flowing at about 113 litres a minute. It is not for drinking.

How much does a ryokan at Yuwaku Onsen cost?

About ¥15,000 to ¥20,000 per person with dinner and breakfast at the two inns we list, Yunode and Hyakurakuso. Prices rise on weekends and peak dates.

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