Japan Travel: Shibu Onsen 100 % pure spring water in nature, Nagano, Japan
【★022★Nagano Yamanouchi Shibu Onsen】
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Shibu Onsen is a historic and attractive hot spring town in Yamanouchi, which has retained a historic ambience. Nestled in a small valley, Shibu Onsen is spread out on a gentle slope along Yokoyugawa River, with Yudanaka Onsen located below and Jigokudani Monkey Park above.
During its long history, a lot of visitors poured in the area to enjoy its hot spring water, including priests, samurai and poets. Some of the ryokan (Japanese style inns) lined along Shibu’s narrow streets, date back over 400 years, adding greatly to Shibu’s atmosphere. It should be an interesting experience to take a stroll around town in the traditional onsen clothing of yukata robes and geta sandals, if staying at the ryokan.
Walking around the town, you may feel like making use of the public bath houses, of which there are nine. The public baths are locked and, except for one, only accessible to locals and overnight guests, who are provided with a master key by their ryokan. The bath houses are small buildings, divided into a women’s side and a men’s side, and the baths themselves are quite simple. The bath houses are numbered, but also have special names and cure different ailments.
It is said that good fortune comes to those who do the entire bath house tour by visiting all nine. Special cloths are sold for collecting stamps from each bath house and make nice souvenirs. The stamps are found in front of each bath house. Although the bath house tour can only be done by overnight guests, the ninth and largest of the bath houses, the “Oyu” bath house, is also open to day trippers. The Oyu is located in the center of the town, and its waters are quite hot.
As passing through Shibu, people are often seen walking in the streets wearing their yukata, likely traveling between public baths. There are also sometimes other, uninvited guests roaming the streets who wear nothing at all. Rarely observing proper onsen etiquette, monkeys from the neighboring forests occasionally descend into the town in search of food. It is unlikely to encounter the monkeys in the bath houses though, as they seem to prefer their own bath at the nearby Jigokudani Monkey Park.
Information on Oyu public bath (for daytrip visitors)
Hours: 10:00 to 16:00
Closed: Irregular closure for cleaning
Admission: 500 yen (pay at the tourist information center)
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