Shuzenji Onsen

What to expect

Shuzenji Onsen is a small spa town in the middle of the Izu Peninsula, in Izu City, Shizuoka. It is often called the oldest hot spring on Izu. Ryokan, cafés and souvenir shops line both banks of the Shuzenji River (locally called the Katsura River), with red bridges, a bamboo-lined footpath and the temple that gave the town its name at one end.

The town’s founding legend sits right in the river. Kobo Daishi (Kukai), the monk said to have founded Shuzenji temple, saw a boy washing his sick father in the cold water, struck a rock with his tokko (a Buddhist ritual implement) and brought hot water bubbling up. That spot, Tokko-no-yu, is now a small stone basin under a wooden roof in the middle of the river and the town’s symbol.

Here is the thing to know before you go: you cannot bathe at Tokko-no-yu. The tourist association says it is not a licensed bath, and that it cannot be used as a foot bath either. Older guidebooks, and some websites, still describe it as a free foot bath. Use the two free foot baths beside it instead, and do your proper bathing at Hakoyu or in a ryokan.

The water is an alkaline simple spring. Because unregulated pumping once lowered the water table and let sea water seep in, the town’s hot water has been piped from a centrally managed supply since June 1981. The operators do not say whether Hakoyu’s water is heated, circulated or chlorinated.

The public baths

Hakoyu is the public bath (sotoyu) most day visitors use, a short walk from Tokko-no-yu. Shuzenji once had seven public baths along the river, but by the late 1940s only Tokko-no-yu was left, and the remaining baths were for locals. Hakoyu opened in 2002 to bring back bath-hopping for visitors. It is named after a legendary bath said to have been used by Minamoto no Yoriie, the second Kamakura shogun, who was confined and killed at Shuzenji.

Hakoyu is simple: indoor baths only, split by gender, in a building finished with cypress, cedar and pine, with a skylight that lets in the sun on clear days. It closed on August 22, 2025 for a major renovation and reopened on November 7 with stone tubs and new washing areas. Body soap, shampoo and conditioner are provided.

Gyōkūrō (仰空楼), the 12 m wooden lookout tower beside Hakoyu, is free to enter. It takes its name from a Chinese-style poem by the novelist Natsume Soseki, who was fond of Shuzenji.

Kawara-yu is a free foot bath in the pocket park in front of Tokko-no-yu, named after a communal bath that once stood nearby. It takes six people.

River Terrace Sugi-no-yu is a newer free foot bath on a modern Japanese-style terrace in Tokko-no-yu Park, with tables, room for ten and views of Tokko-no-yu and the temple. It is lit at night.

Many ryokan also take day bathers. Terms vary, so the tourist association asks you to contact each inn.

Prices and booking

Hakoyu prices from the tourist association in 2026:

Ticket	Price
Adults (junior high and up)	¥700
Elementary school children	¥400
Izu city residents and workers (with proof)	¥350
Guests of member inns (Shuzenji Onsen Ryokan Cooperative or the tourist association)	¥350
Book of 14 tickets (from January 1, 2026)	¥7,000
Towel in a bag	¥200

Hours are 10:00 to 21:00, with the last entry at 20:30. On the second Thursday of each month except August, the water is shut off for maintenance and Hakoyu opens at 15:00. It has irregular closing days and may open late or close without notice. No booking is taken or needed. The foot baths are free.

Onsen etiquette

Hakoyu follows the standard rules of a Japanese public bath. Wash and rinse at the taps before you get in, bathe naked (no swimsuits), keep towels out of the water and tie up long hair. Phones and cameras stay in the locker. The tourist association does not publish a tattoo policy for Hakoyu, so call ahead if this matters to you. At the foot baths, roll up your trousers, dry your feet before walking off and do not wash anything in the water.

Getting there

• By train: from Tokyo, take the Tokaido Shinkansen to Mishima, change to the Izuhakone Railway Sunzu Line and ride about 32 minutes to Shuzenji Station, the end of the line. Buses bound for Shuzenji Onsen take about 10 minutes to the terminus in the spa district. A taxi takes about 10 minutes.
• By car: from Numazu IC (Tomei) or Nagaizumi-Numazu IC (Shin-Tomei), take the Izu-Jukan Expressway, the Izu-Chuo Road (toll) and the Shuzenji Road (toll), about 30 minutes. The old route via Route 1 and Route 136 takes about 50 minutes. Parts of the spa district are one-way, and large vehicles other than buses are restricted.
• Parking: Hakoyu has no car park. Koyama car park charges ¥300 for the first 3 hours, then ¥100 an hour (maximum ¥500 for 24 hours), and Hakoyu gives a ¥300 parking voucher to bathers who show a Koyama ticket. Other lots include Tokko-no-yu-mae (¥600 a day, 9:30 to 18:00) and the Chikurin no Komichi lot (¥500 for 24 hours).

One tip from the tourist association: the temple is written 修禅寺 and the town 修善寺, both read “Shuzenji”. People who search for the temple sometimes end up at the Shuzenji Sogo Kaikan community hall instead; the temple is about a 10-minute walk from there.

When to go

Shuzenji is open all year. Autumn is the busiest time, when the maples along the river and around the temple turn red and the town runs a momiji walking event. The temple festival for Kobo Daishi is held every year on August 20 and 21, with stalls and fireworks. Day-trippers fill the riverside lanes on weekends; the town is quieter in the evening, when the bamboo path is lit.

Where to stay nearby

The Shuzenji Onsen Ryokan Cooperative (0558-72-0271) lists the inns, from old wooden ryokan on the river to modern hotels. Staying at a member inn halves the Hakoyu fee. For other hot spring towns within reach, Atami Onsen is on the coast north of Izu, and Hakone’s Hakone Yuryo is about an hour’s drive away.

Safety notes

• Riverbank: the stones around Tokko-no-yu and the riverside paths are slippery when wet. Do not climb down to the spring itself.
• Heat: keep soaks at Hakoyu short and drink water afterwards, especially after a long walk.
• Floods: the Katsura River can rise fast in typhoons. A typhoon flooded the spa district in October 2004, so check the forecast in late summer and autumn.
• Roads: the lanes are narrow and shared by walkers, buses and cars.