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Voykit pocket guide · Japan
Yunotsu
温泉津
Half a day or one night: soak in the two public baths, walk the main street, then move on. Not a base.
Yunotsu is a one-street onsen town that looks like 1920s Japan, with two beautiful old public bath houses and a handful of inns. The main activity is bathing. Most visitors come for a few hours or stay one night at a ryokan, then continue to Iwami Ginzan or the coast.
- Country
- Japan
- Local name
- 温泉津
- Best months
- Mar–May, Oct–Nov
- Avoid
- Jul–Aug (hot and humid), Jan–Feb (cold, some closures)
- Stay
- 1 night
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- JPY
- Money
- Cities are increasingly cashless; temples, small restaurants and some lodging taxes still want cash.
- Daily spend
- Budget ¥6,000–9,000 excl. bed · Mid ¥12,000–18,000 excl. bed · High ¥20,000+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- Data-only eSIMs are the easy route: buy before you fly; voice SIMs need a residence card.
- Emergency
- Police 110 · Fire and ambulance 119 · Japan Visitor Hotline (24 h, English) 050-3816-2787
- Plugs
- Types A, B · 100 V · 50 Hz east (Tokyo), 60 Hz west (Osaka) · Most sockets are two flat pins without earth; European and UK plugs need an adapter. Phone and laptop chargers handle 100 V.
- Tipping
- Restaurants and bars: No tip; staff will chase you to return money left on the table.; Taxis: No tip; pay the meter.; Ryokan: Optional: ¥1,000–3,000 in an envelope for the room attendant; never loose cash.; Private guide: Not expected; a small gift or a thank-you meal is more usual.; Hotel porter: No tip.
- Water
- Safe from the tap everywhere; stations and parks have fountains.
- Toilets
- Free, clean public toilets in stations, parks and konbini; paper goes in the toilet. Rural and old stations may have squat toilets.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Public bath entry (Yakushiyu or Senyakuto) | ¥300 |
| Ryokan with two meals, per person | ¥8,500–20,000 |
| Sake (local Kaishun brand, 300 ml) | ¥800–1,200 |
| Coffee at a café | ¥400–600 |
| Simple lunch (soba or udon) | ¥800–1,200 |
| Taxi from JR Yunotsu station to onsen street | ¥1,000–1,500 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- IZO · Izumo Enmusubi Airport
- About 1 h 15 min by car or bus + train; limited flights from Tokyo (Haneda).
- HIJ · Hiroshima Airport
- About 2.5 h by bus and train via Hamada.
Typical fares
- JR Yunotsu → Hamada
- about ¥500, 30 min (check)
- JR Yunotsu → Izumo-shi
- about ¥1,500, 1 h (check)
- Taxi from station to onsen street
- ¥1,000–1,500
Show 7 more sections and the pocket cardHideGet around, See and do, Sleep, Phrase card, Etiquette, safety and scams, One and two days, Sources, Pocket card
Get around
Walk. The onsen street is about 1 km (0.6 mi) from JR Yunotsu station. A limited bus runs between station and town; ask your ryokan for a pickup if you have a reservation.Walk. The onsen street is about 0.6 mi (1 km) from JR Yunotsu station. A limited bus runs between station and town; ask your ryokan for a pickup if you have a reservation.
See and do
Known for
- Yakushiyu (Meiji-era public bath)
- Senyakuto (original bath house)
- Kaishun sake brewery
- Classic wooden streetscape
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Iwami Ginzan Silver Mine | Car or taxi, about 30 min; limited bus | About 40 min |
| Hamada | JR Sanin line, about 30 min | About 50 min |
| Izumo Taisha | JR Sanin line to Izumo-shi, then bus, about 1.5 h | About 2 h |
| Tsuwano | JR Sanin line, about 1 h 10 min | About 1.5 h |
Sleep
- Main street (onsen area)
- All ryokan and minshuku are within a 5-minute walk of the baths. Quieter than the station area.
- JR Yunotsu station area
- A few simple lodgings; 1 km (0.6 mi) walk or short bus ride from the onsen street.A few simple lodgings; 0.6 mi (1 km) walk or short bus ride from the onsen street.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Excuse me / Sorry | すみませんsumimasen |
| Thank you | ありがとうございますarigatō gozaimasu |
| How much? | いくらですか？ikura desu ka |
| Where is the bath? | お風呂はどこですか？ofuro wa doko desu ka |
| Can I pay by card? | カードで払えますか？kādo de haraemasu ka |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: A small bow; a handshake if the other person offers; avoid: Hugs, back slaps, loud greetings
- Names: Family name plus -san; avoid: First names unless invited; adding -san to your own name
- Paying: Put money in the tray at the register; avoid: Tipping, or leaving loose cash for staff
- Trains: Queue at the floor marks, phone on silent, ask before reclining on the Shinkansen; avoid: Phone calls, eating on crowded commuter trains, blocking doors with bags
- Escalators: Stand on the side locals use — left in Tokyo, right in Osaka; stations now ask people to stand still on both; avoid: Stopping at the top or bottom
- Shoes: Off at the step-up entrance; toilet slippers only inside the toilet; avoid: Stepping on tatami in shoes or slippers
- Shrines: Rinse hands at the basin; bow twice, clap twice, bow once; avoid: Walking down the centre of the approach, which is for the deity
- Gifts: Offer and receive with both hands; bring a small omiyage for hosts; avoid: Sets of four; cash outside an envelope
Scams and watch-outs
- Last trains on the Sanin line are early; check the timetable if you are day-tripping.
- Senyakuto has no washing taps — just scoop water from the pools.
- Yakushiyu closes at 21:00; arrive by 20:30 to have time to soak.
- Most shops and eateries close by 18:00 or earlier.
Very safe. The main risks are slippery tiles in the bath houses and the early closing of shops and trains.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Yunotsu yet. Suggested stay: 1 night. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Yakushiyu (Meiji-era public bath)
- Senyakuto (original bath house)
- Kaishun sake brewery
- Classic wooden streetscape
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Yakushiyu official website: www.yunotsu.com/
- Wikivoyage: Yunotsu, revision 5240828 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5240828
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Yunotsu温泉津
ここまでお願いします
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
- Police110
- Fire and ambulance119
- Japan Visitor Hotline (24 h, English)050-3816-2787
Yunotsu is small; most transactions are cash-only.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/yunotsu). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.