Onsen OniOnsen Oni

Aomori Onsen-do

A year-long hot-spring stamp rally across Aomori, the prefecture with the most public baths per resident in Japan. Clear a region's onsen to be certified a Yukko Meijin, and all 53 to master the whole prefecture.

0 facilities

Earn these badges

Aomori Onsen-do (青森温泉道, "the way of Aomori's hot springs") is a year-long hot-spring stamp rally run by the Aomori no Yukko Association (青森の湯っこ協会), a group of local onsen fans that grew out of the "Dosa-Yu Club" (どさ湯さ部) community. Aomori has the highest number of public bathhouses per resident of any Japanese prefecture, and this rally is the enthusiasts' celebration of that: a single stamp book that walks you across the whole prefecture, one bath at a time.

The 2026 round runs from February 6, 2026 to February 5, 2027, timed to the once-in-a-millennium "Year of the Bath" pun (お風呂 = 026).

How it works

  1. Buy the stamp book. At your first participating facility, buy the Aomori Onsen-do stamp book (¥100) and write your name in it. The book is valid only for the named person.
  2. Bathe, then stamp. At each facility, actually take a bath, then ask staff for that facility's stamp. Bathing is the condition for a stamp; a discount ticket, a season pass, or a private (family) bath all count. You may collect only one stamp per facility per book.
  3. Apply for your rank and claim the prize. Once you have completed a region, apply to be certified a 湯っこ名人 (Yukko Meijin, "hot-spring master") and exchange your book for the prize.

The rally is compatible with other stamp rallies, so a single bath can count toward more than one.

The three master ranks

  • Tsugaru Yukko Meijin (津軽の湯っこ名人) — collect all 41 Tsugaru facilities. Application fee ¥500; prize is an original 12 cm master sticker.
  • Nanbu Yukko Meijin (南部の湯っこ名人) — collect all 12 Nanbu facilities. Application fee ¥500; prize is an original 12 cm master sticker.
  • Aomori Yukko Meijin (青森の湯っこ名人) — earn both regional ranks (all 53 facilities). Application fee ¥1,000; prize is the master stickers (large and small) plus a certificate.

Where to apply and redeem (by February 6, 2027): Aburakawa Onsen (Aomori City) and Furuoppe Onsen (Hirakawa City) for Tsugaru, Fukuda Onsen (Nanbu Town) for Nanbu, and any of the three for the all-prefecture rank.

Good to know

  • Yamano-yu Tairadate Furofushi Onsen (Sotogahama) is temporarily exempt from its stamp while its pipes are under repair; completion credit is granted without it. (Normally its stamp is given only with an overnight stay.)
  • Admission fees vary by facility, from a few hundred yen at a neighbourhood bath to around ¥1,000 at a ryokan day-use; many sit near the ¥480 Aomori bathhouse price.
  • Observe normal bathing etiquette: rinse off before getting in, keep long hair tied up, no photography in the bath, and rest between soaks rather than bathing repeatedly without a break.

Earn the badge

Onsen Oni mirrors all three ranks as repeatable badges: Tsugaru Yukko Meijin, Nanbu Yukko Meijin, and the apex Aomori Yukko Meijin. Complete a region (or the whole prefecture) and claim the matching badge here.

The member facilities

The list on this page is matched to Onsen Oni's own catalog, so each facility links through to its full page with map, hours, and details. Hours come from each facility's public listing and can change seasonally; the official campaign site has the most current participation details.

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