[Wakoto Onsen in Teshikaga] Day Trip Onsen and Sense of Openness Can Be Enjoyed Secret Onsen and Natural Onsen around Lake Kussharo

Wakoto Open-air Bath

Wakoto Open-air Bath (和琴露天風呂) is a natural open-air bath maneged by local poeple at the root of Wakoto Peninsula. Speaking of the Wakoto Onsen, a lot of people often mean this onsen, and it is the most famous onsen in the Wakoto Onsen. An entrance fee to the bath facility is free of charge. There is 1 mixed bathing open-air bath on the lakeshore. The crescent-shaped bath surrounded by rocks is the size that about 10 people can take a bath, and uses 100% natural free flowing hot springs.

An old man took a bath when I visited here in the early morning. After asking him, He replied "Because my back was televised on a lot of television programmings, I do not care that you photograph my back". He is 89 years old at the time. He seems to take a bath every morning. He said a secret of his health, and took out his glass, and begun to drink the hot springs. It seems to be effective for constipation, and he seems to drink the hot springs every morning. I went home not to disturb his relax time without taking a bath. I hope he will live long.

I visited here, and took a bath another day. Water depth is about 40 cm, and algae grow and easy to slip, so watch your step! The bottom of the bath is covered with small pebbles and sand, and the hot springs are gushing out from the bottom. The water temperature is suitable. In addition, the pebbles stimulated my soles, and my soles really hurted. By the way, a lot of visitors came, so I was embarrassed to take a naked bath. There is a dressing room beside the Wakoto Open-air Bath, and the bathers can change clothes. The bathers can take a bath in wearing their swimsuits or in wrapping body with their bath towels.

The hot springs are simple hot spring, and are clear and colorless and have neither taste nor smell. The sum total of the hot spring ingredients are 0.726 g/kg. The meta-silicic acid content is 243.7 mg/kg. It is said that the hot springs including the meta-silicic acid with over 200 mg/kg is effective for beautiful skin. Unfortunately, hot springs are not drinkable because a health center does not give permission. But local people says "Large hot springs gush out at the upper open-air bath, and the hot springs are drinkable". Bathers will need to take full responsibility for drinking the hot springs. By the way, a use of shampoo and soap is prohibited because water of the lake is polluted.

Atmosphere of Wakoto Open-air Bath Can Be Watched on Youtube

Movie of Wakoto Open-air Bath

Public Bath

Public Bath is a communal bath that is a little away from the Wakoto Open-air Bath. A shack is built on the lake coast if visitors walk along a path, and it is easy to find the public bath. Local people manages it, too. The shack has a dressing room and a bathroom, and has an atomosphere such a Japanese school pool. Bathers can take a bath in wearing their swimsuits or in wrapping body with their bath towels, too. A use of shampoo and soap is prohibited because water of the lake is polluted. Please take a bath after pouring the hot springs on yourself to wash off the sweat and the dirt. An entrance fee to the bath facility is free of charge.

There are 1 mixed bathing indoor bath at a public bathroom. The wooden bathroom has a window, and the Lake Kussharo can be seen through the window. Sand is on the concrete floor, so a sense of cleanliness may not be felt. The hot springs are clear and colorless and have neither taste nor smell. Because there is not a hot spring analysis book, I do not know details, but I think that this hot springs are same types of the hot springs of the Wakoto Open-air Bath.

The concrete indoor bath is the size that about 8 people can take a bath. Mud is deposited on the bottom of the bath, and pretty hot springs are gushing out from the bottom. The bath uses 100% natural free flowing hot springs. 2 drainboards are put on the bottom of the bath in the mud, and the bathers must take a bath while sitting on those, and in fact only 2 people take a bath. In addition, the hot springs are very hot and a handmade rabble is provided, too. The bathers will stir the hot springs with the rabble to regulate water temperature. But the hot springs were too hot, so I took a bath only for 5 minutes.

Atmosphere of Public Bath Can Be Watched on Youtube

Movie of Public Bath

Oku-no-Yu

Oku-no-Yu (奥の湯) is a natural open-air bath on the shore of the Lake Kussharo, and is called "Gekkei-no-Yu" (桂月の湯), too, and is about 200 m away from the Public Bath, and is reached along a path like an animal trail. An entrance fee to the bath facility is free of charge. The bathers can take a bath in wearing swimsuits or with a bath towel covering body, too. A use of shampoo and soap is prohibited because water of the lake is polluted. By the way, horseflies or black flies may prevent you from relaxing in a summer.

There is 1 natural open-air bath surrounded by rocks in the Lake Kussharo. The handmade bath under the root of a tree is the size that about 2-3 people can take a bath. The bathers must go down a small precipice with about 2 m in height. Hot springs gush out from clefts in a rock, and flow to the bath. When I visited here, the water depth of the natural bath was about 5 cm, so I could not take a bath. The hot springs mixed with water can be enjoyed, if lake water is large. Human can not go against nature, it is up to luck whether a bather can take a bath comfortably. But a bather will have a valuable experience because the genuine nature hot springs can be taken a bath.

Atmosphere of Oku-no-Yu Can Be Watched on Youtube

Movie of Oku-no-Yu

Onsen Ryokan Koshin-so

Onsen Ryokan Koshin-so is a hot spring facility for day trip onsen near a public parking lot in the Wakoto Peninsula. A building is surrounded by trees. An entrance fee to the bath facility is JPY 400. They run the Wakoto Hanto Kohan Campsite, and a staying is possible at a bungalow, too. Visitors can not stay at the main building. They close a business in a winter season (from mid October to mid April). There is 1 indoor bath at a public bathroom. The tiled bathroom is not large. The tiled indoor bath is the size that about 4 people can take a bath, and uses natural free flowing hot springs. The hot springs are simple hot spring, and are clear and colorless and have neither taste nor smell. Shampoos and body soaps are provided at the bathroom. A shower is not provided at wash places.