What are the operating hours of Okame Hot Spring?

The facility operates from 11:00 AM to 9:00 PM (last admission at 8:00 PM) from April 1 to November 30, and from 11:00 AM to 8:30 PM (last admission at 7:30 PM) from December 1 to March 31. The facility is closed on Wednesdays, and if a national holiday falls on Wednesday, the subsequent Thursday becomes the closing day.

Do the bath areas rotate between men and women?

Yes, the facility features two distinct bath areas that alternate weekly. The Stone Bathroom and Wood Bathroom are provided for male or female customers alternately on a weekly basis. This rotation system ensures all guests can experience both the highland views from the Stone Bathroom and the mountain panoramas from the Wood Bathroom during their visits.

Are towels and toiletries provided at the facility?

The facility is equipped with complete amenities including 2-in-1 shampoo and conditioner, body soap, and towels, allowing visitors to enjoy the hot spring experience without bringing their own bathing supplies.

Is there a restaurant on-site, and what type of food is served?

Yes, there is a restaurant within the facility. Visitors can eat local cuisine of Soni Village inside the building. Guests buy tickets just outside the restaurant and hand them to the waitress, and the seating features low tables with holes underneath for comfortable sitting. The restaurant is part of the larger Soni Kogen Farm Garden complex, which also includes a bakery and craft brewery.

Can I drive to Okame Hot Spring, and is parking available?

Yes, visitors can reach the hot spring by car, with the journey taking approximately 1.5 hours from Nara. Paid parking is available at the nearby Soni Kogen Farm Garden complex where the hot spring is located. The facility's address is 830 Taroji, Soni, Uda District, making it accessible for those traveling by private vehicle.

Nara

Okame no Yu, Nara

4.4 (3009)SaunaPublic BathTourist AttractionJapanese RestaurantRestaurantFoodSpaPoint Of InterestHealthEstablishment

Last updated Aug 21, 2026

Sonikogenonsen Okame Hot Spring, also known as Okame-no-yu, is a day-trip bathing facility located in the scenic Soni Highland area of Nara Prefecture. The facility opened in 2004 and has since earned recognition for its exceptional spring water quality. The spring quality was ranked number one in Western Japan, featuring sodium-hydrogencarbonate water that makes the skin moist, which has earned it a reputation as a beauty spring among visitors.

The hot spring is positioned within walking distance of Soni Highland's famous pampas grass fields, making it an ideal retreat after hiking the plateau trails. The facility sits at 830 Taroji, Soni, Uda District, adjacent to the Soni Kogen Farm Garden complex where visitors can also find dining options and local craft beer.

The bathing experience centers around two distinct bath areas that alternate weekly between male and female guests. The Stone Bathroom offers views of the Soni Highland grasslands from its outdoor bath, while the Wood Bathroom features panoramic vistas of Mount Kabuto and Mount Yoroi from its open-air section. Both areas provide indoor and outdoor bathing options, allowing guests to soak while surrounded by mountain scenery. The facility includes an on-site restaurant serving local Soni Village cuisine, and visitors can purchase regional products at the entrance shop.

Admission costs ¥900 for adults (junior high school students and older) and ¥500 for children (ages 3 to elementary school age). Access requires traveling to Nabari Station via Kintetsu Railway, then taking a Mie Kotsu bus bound for Yamagasu-Nishi. The bus journey takes approximately 45 minutes to Soni Kogen Farm Garden station. During October and November, direct bus services to Soni Highland operate from Nabari Station. By car, the journey takes roughly 1.5 hours from Nara, with paid parking available at the nearby Farm Garden.

Hours

Sunday: 11:00 AM – 9:00 PM

Monday: 11:00 AM – 9:00 PM

Tuesday: 11:00 AM – 9:00 PM

Thursday: 11:00 AM – 9:00 PM

Friday: 11:00 AM – 9:00 PM

Saturday: 11:00 AM – 9:00 PM

Phone

+81 745-98-2615

Website

www.soni-kogen.com

Overview

Address

830 Taroji, Soni, Uda District, Nara 633-1202, Japan

Hours

Sunday: 11:00 AM – 9:00 PM

Monday: 11:00 AM – 9:00 PM

Tuesday: 11:00 AM – 9:00 PM

Thursday: 11:00 AM – 9:00 PM

Friday: 11:00 AM – 9:00 PM

Saturday: 11:00 AM – 9:00 PM

Traveler reviews

NOT tattoo friendly. Despite that one of my tattoos was visible when I arrived, I was able to enter with no problems and enjoy the bath for a short time before a staff member came to test the water’s PH level, noticed me, and told me to leave. None of the other customers had any issues with my tattoos; in fact, I exchanged greetings and smiles with some of them. The water was very soft, a comfortable temperature, and the outdoor bath had beautiful views and a great vibe - until I was kicked out, of course. In over 4 years living in Japan, this is my very first time being asked to leave an onsen because of my tattoos - and on my birthday, too. As I was leaving, I finally noticed a sign mentioning that tattoos are not allowed, INSIDE the women’s changing room. Why not put a sign in front of the building, or near where you pay to enter? I feel bad that I bought a commemorative towel, but I had forgotten to bring my own, so it couldn’t be helped.

Sophie Nevel

Jun 8, 2026

The place has a restaurant and good parking spot. The Onsen is clean and friendly. It has hot & cold pool, shower, sauna, as well as an outdoor Onsen. If you are in Soni village, it is a place to stop by. The only downside is they don't provide English instruction so it would be a bit difficult to understand if you don't read Kanji, but you can always ask as the staffs are very friendly.

R296

Jun 21, 2025

Wonderful onsen to visit on the way back from Soni Highlands! ¥900/adult and ¥500/child The shower area has shampoo, conditioner and body wash and you can rent a towel. It has an outdoors bath (rotemburo) where you can soak in hot spring water watching the mountains and trees and cool down on a bench or chair. There are 2 baths inside, a sauna and an icy cold water bath if you are too hot and want a mini heart attack :) You can travel between those baths freely and soak as much as you want. The outdoors bath water has a suds feel so the skin becomes very smooth after that. There’s a restaurant and an udon shop right next to it as well as a veggie stand (butter squash and nano cucumbers, tsukemono, rice flour pancake mix etc). Beautiful place. ありがとうございました。

Big Bee

Aug 25, 2024

Visited here from the sonikogen highlands, I was kinda rushing to leave cause my friend needs to take the bullet train back to Tokyo later from Shin-Osaka but since it's very close so we gave it a try and I feel lucky that we did it. It's more than my expectations. Good points: 1. The baths and facilities are nice. 2. The water temperature is nice and friendly with people are not used with most of Japanese onsen (but for most people who loves onsen it will be not hot enough, but for me it's perfect) 3. The views are very cool, especially the outside rock bath. Bad points: 1. Really hard to visit (I wonder if there is a bus or something) 2. Pretty far from Osaka, not recommend for new driver cause it's mountains roads 3. The price (900¥/person) is a little bit high if compare with most onsen. Even more expensive than arima onsen 4. The water maybe not have enough minerals ( I'm sorry that i don't know how to explain but I think usually Japanese people consider it's a good onsen water if it has their own standards with the water and I feel like the water here is just water) Overall, it's a really good onsen and you really should visit if you can. I even like it more than arima onsen.

Thiên Đỗ Hoàng

Sep 16, 2024

Authentic Japanese hot spring experience. One amazing outdoor bath with pretty view (although can mostly only enjoy view while standing up, not while sitting in the bath). Two indoor baths, one sauna.