Zao Onsen Sunoko-no-yu Kawaraya

蔵王温泉すのこの湯かわらやざおうおんせんすのこのゆかわらや

A day-use bath built right over its own hot spring

Mark it and it goes on your passport, with 20 drops. What's the passport?

Can I go?

Day visit ·

Yes

10:00–19:00

¥600

A ticket bundled with a beer and a snack costs 1200 yen, and a 12-visit ticket book costs 6000 yen.

About

A small day-use bathhouse in Zao Onsen with one small indoor tub each for men and women, built right over its own spring: the tub floor is slatted wood, and the hot water wells up straight through it, reaching bathers before it has touched the air. The spring is a strong sulfur water, acidic enough that the changing room skips lockers and keeps valuables at the front desk instead. Families from around Yamagata come in summer for heat rash, and locals say the bath is not too hot, so even children can soak easily. Past the bath there is a small soba and drinks counter, a souvenir corner, and two paid resting rooms for those who want to stay longer.

The baths

What's here

Yes
OnsenUses natural hot spring water
No
Outdoor BathOpen-air outdoor bath
Yes
Indoor Bath. Enclosed indoor bathing area
No
Mixed BathingShared bathing area for all genders

Also here

Kids✓ Yes
Dining✓ Yes
Washing· ✓ Yes
Rest Area· ✓ Yes
Parking✓ Yes

Not known yet: Sauna, Cold Bath, Private bath to book, Tattoo, and Towels. Been there? Tell us.

Programs2

Yamagata Onsen-do
A prefecture-wide onsen stamp rally across 86 baths in Yamagata, launched in 2026. Collect stamps in all four areas, Murayama, Mogami, Shonai and Okitama, and climb the ranks toward Onsen Master.
Area
Murayama
No.
13
View program
Yuchelin
Onsen certified by Yuchelin (Yushuran, 湯シュラン), a rating of the water as it reaches the tub: its character, freshness and delivery, rarity, safety and hygiene, and the landscape and culture around it.
Stars
⭐⭐⭐ Three stars
View program