Lamp no Yado Aoni Onsen

What to expect

Aoni Onsen is a one-inn hot spring at the end of a narrow valley in the mountains east of Kuroishi, in Aomori Prefecture. The inn, Lamp no Yado (the lamp inn), sits beside the Aoni stream and is known for one thing above everything else: it still lights its rooms, corridors and baths with oil lamps. More than 100 old lamps come on at dusk. The building does have power, but only for cooking and emergency exit signs. There are no TVs, no radios, no outlets in the rooms and no mobile signal.

The spring was first developed in 1929, when a tanka poet from a family of innkeepers at nearby Itadome Onsen built a hut here and settled in. The setting has not changed much since: steep forested slopes, the sound of water, and a cluster of dark wooden buildings joined by covered walkways.

Day visitors can come in for a bath, but many people treat the place as an overnight stay. The lamps matter most after dark, and the last bus out leaves well before then.

The baths

There are four baths, spread across the buildings:

• Kenroku no Yu is a separate bathhouse built of Aomori hiba (a local cypress) next to the stream, with men’s and women’s sides and wide windows onto the forest. It is lit by a couple of lamps.
• Uchi no Yu is the small indoor bath in the main building, with a strong hiba smell.
• Takimi no Yu is the newest, in its own building of stone and wood, with indoor and small outdoor tubs and, in daylight, a view of a tall waterfall on the hillside opposite.
• The rotenburo is a rock pool outdoors with two smaller tubs beside it. It is mixed-gender, with women-only slots during the day.

The water is an alkaline simple spring, colourless and clear. The inn says every bath runs on 100% spring water, flowing through rather than recirculated, and Wikipedia gives a source temperature of 113-140°F45-60°C. The inn does not say whether water is added to cool it. It also asks people not to drink it. Soap is provided; shampoo, conditioner and hair dryers are not, at least for overnight guests, so bring your own.

Getting there

The inn is in Okiura, Kuroishi City, at 1-7 Takinoue, Aonisawa. The turnoff is from Route 102, which runs from Kuroishi toward Lake Towada.

• By car (April to November): from the Kuroishi IC on the Tohoku Expressway, follow Route 102 east. Listings give 30 to 40 minutes. The final stretch from the main road is steep and narrow, partly unpaved, and drops into the valley. Parking at the inn is free (Rurubu lists 28 spaces).
• By train and bus: take the Konan Railway to Kuroishi Station, then the Konan Bus toward Niji-no-Ko (about 45 minutes) and get off at the Niji-no-Ko stop. The inn’s shuttle picks up there, about 15 minutes more, with advance notice.
• In winter (December 1 to March 31): the road to the inn is closed to ordinary vehicles. Drive or ride the bus to Michi-no-Eki Niji-no-Ko, park in the lot (it stays open while the roadside station is closed), and take the shuttle. It runs only for people who have booked, and if you miss it you do not get in that day. The 2026 winter timetable has shuttles toward the inn at 9:00, 10:00, 11:00, 14:00, 15:00 and 16:00, and back to the road at 8:20, 9:20, 10:30, 13:20 and 14:20. A shuttle also leaves Kuroishi Station at 14:30 for staying guests. The summer timetable is shorter, with four runs each way.

Check the timetable when you book. A day trip in winter means fitting your soak between one shuttle in and one out.

When to go

The inn is open all year. Winter is the season people photograph: deep snow on the roofs and lamps glowing in the windows. It is also the hardest time to visit, with booked shuttles only and day bathing closed on Wednesdays and Thursdays from January to March. Autumn brings colour to the forested valley. Summer is the easiest season to drive in.

For the lamplight, you need to be there at dusk, which effectively means staying the night. Day bathing ends at 15:00.

Prices and booking

• Day bathing: ¥1,000 adults, ¥300 elementary school children, free for preschoolers, 10:00 to 15:00 (Rurubu’s 2026 listing; an older listing shows ¥520, so confirm by phone). A towel set rents for ¥550. A private rest room costs ¥1,000 per person.
• Booking: day bathing needs a reservation from December to March because of the shuttle. At other times you can turn up.
• Overnight: the inn has around 31 to 35 rooms and serves dinner in a large hall. Futons are self-service. Rates vary by plan and season, so book through the inn by phone (0172-54-8588) or a travel site, several weeks ahead for weekends and winter.
• Payment: cash only. Credit cards and e-money are not accepted.
• Pets are not allowed, and the whole building has been non-smoking since December 2019.

Onsen etiquette

Standard rules apply. Wash at the taps before you get in, keep towels out of the water, and tie up long hair. The indoor baths are separate for men and women and you bathe without a swimsuit. For the mixed outdoor pool, the inn sets women-only times during the day but does not publish them online, and it does not state a rule on bathing wear. One English travel report says swimsuits are expected there; ask at the desk when you arrive. Lamps hang near the baths, so keep splashing down and do not touch them.

No tattoo policy is published. Call ahead if this matters to you.

Where to stay nearby

Staying at the inn is the point for most visitors. If it is full, Kuroishi Onsenkyo, the group of small hot spring areas along Route 102 between Kuroishi and Aoni, has other inns, including Okiura Onsen about 4 km (2.5 miles) west and Itadome Onsen. Hirosaki, reached by the Konan Railway, has the most hotels. If you are touring Aomori’s mountain baths, Sukayu Onsen and Tsuta Onsen are both in the Hakkoda area to the north.

Safety notes

• Darkness: corridors and baths are dim by design. Move slowly on wet wood and stone, and carry a small torch between buildings at night.
• No signal: there is no mobile coverage at the inn. Tell someone your plans, and keep the inn’s number written down for the shuttle.
• Winter roads: Route 102 and the roads around Niji-no-Ko get heavy snow. Use winter tyres, and leave time to reach the shuttle stop.
• Open flame: the lamps are real oil lamps. Keep clothing, towels and children’s hands away from them.
• Heat: the water is hot. Short soaks, water between baths, and no bathing after drinking alcohol.