I tried 4 public Onsens in Unzen and this one was my favourite. It was the biggest, had some nice extrernal pool (although very small) and there were two big vases where you can take a bath and set the temperature yourself using the tap.
I'm giving this place 5 stars because the hot spring is open for day use until 9pm. Awesome!
The bathing area is simple and not large. The hot spring water is good. You can tell it's coming from volcanically active ground.
Also, if you are camping at the nearby campground, this place is perfect for a hot spring dip. It's a 5 minute walk from the campground.
ONSEN review: entrance ¥450 for the public onsen (free if you stay at the hotel), ¥1100 for the private one (one hour, price per room), shampoos provided in the private, soap provided in the public, you need to bring your own towel. Operating hours: 09:00 - 21:00, there is parking.
*Public onsen: large changing room with free lockers and hairdryer, toilet, two wash basins with mirrors, fan and aircon. There is 3 tubs, one indoor and two outdoor. You enter the bathing area at the indoor tub, quite spacious with five places to wash up with a stool, mirror and shower heads. The floor and the walls are made of tiles. The tub is medium size, rectangular shape, situated at the top right corner of the room and made of tiles. Half the room has windows instead of walls which allow plenty of natural light in. The water was hazy, smelled of sulfur and had some sulfur particles in. The outdoor area has two tubs, a small sized square shape and a medium-small sized rectangular shape, both made of tiles. The floor is half made of tiles and half of stones. The outer area is not that big, has some flowers and is overlooking a nice green slope with trees.
*Private onsen: small changing area with free hairdryer. The bathing area has one place to wash up with a stool and a shower head. The tub is small size, rectangular shape, situated on the corner of the room, made of tiles. Floor and bottom half the walls are made of tiles (upper part of walls have wood). The water was the same as in the public one, hazy, smelled of sulfur and had some sulfur particles in. One of the rooms (bathed a couple of times) had also a big window.
Facilities were well maintained and clean. There is common place to relax afterwards or private place (¥1100 for one hour, ¥500 per hour afterwards). Plus a little shop selling beverages and snacks.
Simple sulfur spring, acidic, source temperature 52.4°C, pH 2.3, water flow 86.8 lt/min, metasilicic acid 308.9mg, gensen kakenagashi.
**Lovely onsen hotel, spent a few nights while exploring onsen. Very friendly service! Spacious room, floor and walls all made of wood, fridge, microwave and a fully equipped kitchen to cook (just bring your own spices, oil etc.). They also rent e-bikes.
硫磺臭するの露天温泉です♨
400 yen for one person
You may buy something to eat and stay in the public resting room after going onzen～it's quite small but you'll view a natural scenery. There is not a must-go place in Unzen, but it's surely good for u to take a rest and enjoy an ordinary Japanese life
They have 2 private baths which make it easy to enjoy onsen with the family. If you want to do a day trip and want to use a onsen outside the 12-3pm time frame when all the other hotels stop accepting day tripper, this shop is a good choice for you.
