Traditionally, visitors would slip into a yukata and wander from bath to bath after dinner, following a kind of slow, lantern-lit circuit through the village. It is said that if you were to visit all 9 baths, then you would be rewarded with good luck.

Prior to visiting, my expectations were that Shibu Onsen would be absolutely packed with tourists, just like the rest of Japan. We were there on a long holiday weekend in November. We were pleasantly surprised to find that this was not the case at all. While there were still other tourists around, the streets were not jam packed, allowing us to take our time wandering through to explore the shops, temples and hidden alleyways.

The Nine Public Baths

Healing Effects

Each bath is associated with a specific “healing effect”. How much you want to believe is up to you, but I enjoyed thinking there were healing properties to the hot springs. As a person who has struggled with gastrointestinal issues, I wondered if the frequent onsen visits had a positive effect on my health. A recent study has been done on the effects of bathing in different hot spring types on Japanese gut microbiota, which showed that hot spring bathing can actually increase probiotics in your gut. How interesting is that!

As part of your visit to Shibu Onsen, it is recommended to visit all nine baths to get all the healing properties and good luck. There is a special junyoku stamp towel in which you can collect a stamp at each bath house that you visit. If you’re short on time and can’t make it to all nine baths, here is what each bath is said to help heal.

How To Use the Public Baths

You are only able to access the baths if you are staying at one of the local ryokans in Shibu Onsen. They will give you a master key that will allow you access to all nine baths in Shibu Onsen. In addition, they will also supply a yukata, hanten (coat to wear on top of the yukata), tabi socks, geta (wooden sandals worn with a yukata outdoors) and towel as you onsen hop around town. Your ryokan will also provide you with a map so you can easily locate the onsens around town.

If this is your first time using a public onsen in Japan, it’s important to know that there are many rules and protocols for how to use the baths. Every hotel/ryokan/inn that we stayed at made sure to have the rules clearly displayed for tourists, so don’t be stressed if you can’t remember all of the rules before you go.

Mini Guide to Onsen use in Japan

• Always remove your shoes before entering the onsen or locker area.
• In the locker room, completely undress and put your items in a locker. Yes, you must be completely naked. No, they do not allow bathing suits.
• The only thing you can take with you into the actual onsen is a small towel. No phones or cameras are allowed.
• Before entering the hot spring, you need to wash yourself first. You will typically find a washing area with shower heads, buckets and small stools to sit on while you wash.
• Once washed, you are ready to enter the hot spring.
• Your hair must be tied up and cannot touch the water.
• Your towel must remain with you and cannot touch the water. You can fold it up and place it on your head while you’re in the baths.
• Be very careful as you enter the baths as the water can be extremely hot. Start by dipping a toe to test. Many onsens will have taps of cold water than you can run to make the water temperature more comfortable if needed.
• Talking is permitted in the baths, but keep your voice low to show respect to the other people.
• Once done bathing, you can either rinse off (or not, your choice) and dry off completely before heading back to the locker room to get changed and leave.

In Shibu Onsen specifically, the public baths are very small – can only fit 1-3 people comfortably at a time. If you are nervous about being naked in front of others, you can either wait for the person to be done before entering the bath, or go to another bath in the meantime. They are typically not that busy and you will often have the entire bath to yourself.

Kokuya Ryokan Shibu Onsen

Staying at Kokuya Ryokan was an incredible experience because it gave us the opportunity to go back in time and imagine what it would have been like for a Japanese traveler stopping at a traditional ryokan for the night. The Ryokan has a lot of history, and during our stay, they were celebrating 400 years of being in business! Established in 1625, it is currently being overseen by the 16th generation of owners, making it one of the oldest hotels in Japan.

If the history alone wasn’t enough reason to book, we were drawn to the fact that the ryokan owns six different hot spring sources, has nine indoor baths and a total of 16 tubs. That means we were able to enjoy the different sources of spring water in the comfort of a private bath within the hotel. If you’re nervous about public onsen use, this is a great alternative.

We stayed in the Kagaribi room that had its own open air bath. It was located in the annex of the building so it was a bit of a trek to get there from the main entrance, but it was quiet which was nice.

As part of the traditional ryokan experience, we got to eat a kaiseki dinner each night in a private tatami dining room. If you’re not familiar with kaiseki, it’s a beautifully presented, seasonal tasting menu made up of small, carefully prepared dishes that highlight local ingredients. The food here was excellent and a highlight of our trip.

If you come to spend a few nights in Shibu Onsen, it’s a must to visit the Japanese snow monkeys of Jigokudani Monkey Park. Everything you need to know, plus how to get to Shibu Onsen is detailed in Visiting the Snow Monkeys of Jigokudani Monkey Park: A Complete Guide.