Shiraito no Yu (Matsumoto, Nagano)

 bathhouse, hot spring, onsen

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Utsukushigahara Hot Spring
美ヶ原温泉 - 白糸の湯 (里山辺 - 湯の原)

ＴＥＬ：０２６３－３５－９０７６

welcome.city.matsumoto.nagano.jp/contents04+index.id+7....
www.asahi-net.or.jp/~ue3t-cb/spa/siraito/siraito.htm (Japanese)

Rebuilt fairly recently, this little place caters to the local community. As a result it has a regular clientelle & can give you ‘local’ feel. There’s a sign on the door saying ‘no drunks’ - actually good advice as a hot bath with a skinful can seriously damage your health! More of a sento than an onsen, but clean & cheerful, as well as cheap. Perhaps best to avoid local ‘rush hour’ - early evening.

Your first challenge is to decode the vending machine that sells tickets just inside the door - tickets which you then hand over to the lady sitting 4 feet away watching you.

Water One medium size pool indoor, and a semi-outdoor pool too. Water is not reheated, which means not so hot but 100% natural.

Access: Easy to get to on the local bus - about 15 mins & Y330 on Utsugushgahara Onsen line bus - last stop - just around the corner. Also a taxi stand right outside. (Japanese Map)

Price: Adults Y300, kids Y150, (toddlers free). Kaisuken = x12 for Y3,000

Hours: April - Sept = 6am - 10pm (doors close 9.30pm)
Oct - Mar = 6.30am - 10pm (doors close 9.30pm)
Weekends/holidays open from 6am
Closed Every 1st/3rd Tuesday

Bring your own soap & shampoo, or buy at front desk.

Not much space to sit around afterwards.

Nearby: the large building at the other end of the car park (massive) has a swimming pool.

If you are feeling energetic, you can walk along the base of the hill to Asama, which'd take about half an hour. You'd be treated with fresh air, a rash of love hotels half way including one with a large scale-model of Matsumoto castle teetering off a ledge! You'd also pass the Velodrome & the city's baseball stadium.