Nyuto Onsenkyo Taenoyu

What to expect

Taenoyu is one of the seven inns of Nyūtō Onsenkyō, the group of onsen inns at the foot of Mt. Nyūtō in Semboku, Akita Prefecture. It sits on the bank of the Sendatsu River in the beech forest of Towada-Hachimantai National Park, and its open-air baths look straight onto the rushing stream. Where Tsurunoyu is thatched and rustic, Taenoyu is a tidier, more modern Japanese inn, with renovated rooms and a reputation for service. The local union’s own description calls it popular with women.

This page covers Taenoyu only. For the whole valley, the Yumeguri-chō pass and the shuttle bus, see our Nyuto Onsenkyo listing. The lodge next door has its own page, Kyukamura Nyuto Onsenkyo.

The water

Taenoyu has two springs of its own, and it names them gold and silver:

• Kin-no-yu (gold): a magnesium-calcium sulfate spring. It is usually cloudy, and its colour shifts with the weather and oxidation. The inn describes it as acidic, with a crisp feel on the skin and small amounts of iron and sulfur.
• Gin-no-yu (silver): a simple spring, clear and colourless, neutral and soft. The inn suggests it for small children, people with sensitive skin and anyone who finds strong springs too much.

Both springs flow out of the ground naturally, and the inn says they run into its eight tubs on a free-flowing basis, without recirculation. A few tubs cannot be used in winter.

The baths

The inn lists these bathing areas:

• Indoor baths, one for men and one for women, with shower booths. Body soap, shampoo and conditioner are provided.
• Open-air baths for men and women: a rock bath, a lying-down bath and one called Mori no Kagayaki (Glow of the Forest).
• Two mixed open-air baths, Myōken-no-yu and Gin-no-yu, by the river. The inn sets women-only hours for them.
• Yawaragi-no-yu, a private open-air bath filled with the silver spring.

The indoor and open-air baths switch between men and women at set times, so the side you use in the afternoon may not be the one you get the next morning. The English site sums it up as two indoor baths, three outdoor baths and two mixed open-air baths, open 24 hours for overnight guests.

Prices and booking

Prices are from the inn’s site in October 2026.

Option	Price	Times
Day bathing, adults	¥1,000	10:30-15:00, last entry 14:00
Day bathing, children (elementary school and under)	¥500	same
Private open-air bath (day visitors)	¥3,300 per group per hour plus ¥1,000 per person	starts 11:00, 12:00, 13:00, 14:00
Private rest room	¥5,500 per room	10:30-14:00, booking required
Face towel (to keep) / bath towel (rental)	¥330 / ¥550

Day bathing is closed every Tuesday, and the English page says the baths are shut from 10:00 to 15:30 that day for maintenance. Holiday weeks can change the pattern. The day fee includes the river-view lounge.

For the private bath, email the inn with your name, the date, the start time, the number of people and a contact phone number, or call 0187-46-2740. Walk-ins are fine if it is free. Each group gets one hour, starting on the hour.

The inn also serves lunch to walk-in visitors from 11:30 to 14:00 (last order). The 2026 menu lists Inaniwa udon sets, hot at ¥2,200 or cold at ¥2,420, and a daily lunch tray of grilled fish and sashimi at ¥4,400. Seats cannot be reserved.

Rooms book only through the inn’s own website, up to six months ahead including the current month. Use the English booking page if your address is outside Japan. The Nyūtō union lists rooms from ¥18,000 including consumption tax, plus a ¥150 bathing tax. Check-in is 15:00 and check-out 10:00. Cards accepted are Visa, Mastercard, JCB and Amex.

Onsen etiquette

• Wash at the indoor showers before soaking.
• Bathe naked in the men’s and women’s baths. In the mixed baths you may wrap a bath towel around you.
• Respect the women-only hours in the mixed baths.
• The whole building is non-smoking, with a smoking spot near the entrance.
• If you are touring the valley, the union warns against yuatari, the fatigue that comes from too many strong soaks in one day.

Getting there

Taenoyu is at 2-1 Komagatake, Obonai, Tazawako, Semboku.

• Train and bus: take the Akita Shinkansen Komachi to JR Tazawako Station, about 2 hours 50 minutes from Tokyo. From the station, the Ugo Kōtsū Nyūtō line bus stops at Taenoyu Onsen-mae, one minute from the door. The ride takes about 45 to 50 minutes and costs ¥820, and buses run about hourly.
• Taxi: about 30 minutes from Tazawako Station, around ¥7,000 by small taxi.
• From Akita Airport: the Akita Airport Liner Nyūtō service takes about 120 minutes, must be reserved, runs four times a day and costs ¥6,000 one way.
• By car: about 80 minutes from the Morioka IC on the Tohoku Expressway, via Route 46 and Route 341. Free parking holds 17 cars.

There is no free shuttle from the station. Inside the valley, Ōgama is a 2-minute walk, Ganiba about 5 and Kyukamura about 5, and the Yumeguri-gō shuttle runs to the rest.

When to go

The inn is open all year. Autumn colour along the river, usually from late September through October, and snow season in January and February are the peak times. Arrive close to 10:30 for day bathing, since entry stops at 14:00 and other inns close their day baths in the afternoon too. Avoid Tuesdays. In winter the shuttle no longer reaches Kuroyu or Magoroku, and some of Taenoyu’s tubs are closed.

Where to stay nearby

Staying at Taenoyu means 24-hour bathing and the chance to buy the ¥2,500 Yumeguri-chō pass for the other six inns. The inn’s sister inn, Natsuse Onsen Miyakowasure, is run by the same company if you want a second, separate stay. Within a few minutes’ walk you have Kyukamura Nyuto Onsenkyo, a lodge with a campground, and Ganiba. Tsurunoyu is a short shuttle ride away. Tazawako Kōgen and the Lake Tazawa hotels are on the bus route back to the station.

Safety notes

• Stairs and steps: the inn says there are stairs and level changes throughout. Ask staff for help if you need it.
• River and footing: the open-air baths sit right by the river on wet stone. Walk carefully, especially in snow.
• Acidic water: the gold spring is acidic. Rinse off after a soak if your skin is sensitive.
• Winter roads: snow tyres are essential from late autumn to spring on the road up from Tazawako.