Rural Japan GuidesHidden Japan, made reachable

Nagano Onsen Without a Car: Where to Bathe and How to Get There

Three onsen areas you can reach from Nagano Station by train and bus, with the day baths that take visitors, from official pages checked on October 22 and 24, 2026.

Researched & written byRural Japan GuidesHow I researchSources14 sourceslisted at the endLast checkedDetails can change — check the official site before you travel.Read5 min
A stone-paved lane in Shibu Onsen at night, lit by street lamps, with wooden buildings and pine trees on the left

A lane in Shibu Onsen at night. Photo: Yiannis Theologos Michellis / Wikimedia Commons / CC0

The short answer
  • Yudanaka and Shibu Onsen are on the Nagano Electric Railway: about 45 minutes by limited express, with a day bath at Yudanaka Station and Shibu Odayu for day visitors.
  • Nozawa Onsen has 13 free public baths open to anyone, kept by the villagers; you are asked to leave a small donation and to wash before you get in.
  • To reach Nozawa, take the Hakutaka Shinkansen from Nagano to Iiyama (11 minutes) and the Nozawa Onsen Liner bus from there (about 25 minutes, ¥600).
My pick

For one onsen day from Nagano, go to Yudanaka or Nozawa.

Yudanaka is the easy one: one train from Nagano, and the day bath Kaede-no-Yu is at the station.

Nozawa takes a Shinkansen and a bus, but its 13 public baths are free and spread through the village.

  1. 1Yudanaka and ShibuTrain about 45 min; ¥1,660 + ¥100
  2. 2Nozawa OnsenShinkansen 11 min + bus about 25 min
  3. 3Togura-KamiyamadaShinano Railway; bath details not confirmed

Three onsen areas are an easy trip from Nagano Station by train and bus: Yudanaka and Shibu Onsen to the northeast, Nozawa Onsen to the north, and Togura-Kamiyamada to the south. This page lists the baths in each that take day visitors, with hours, fees and how to get there.

Everything below comes from the official pages of the towns, the baths and the railways, checked on October 22 and 24, 2026. For the wider region without a car, see my guide to the Japanese Alps without a car.

Nagano onsen at a glance

Yudanaka and Shibu Nozawa Onsen Togura-Kamiyamada
From Nagano Train about 45 min Shinkansen 11 min + bus about 25 min Shinano Railway
Day baths Kaede-no-Yu, Shibu Odayu 13 public baths, 2 day spas 7 public baths (day use not confirmed)
Free option Foot bath at Yudanaka Station The 13 public baths Foot bath

Yudanaka and Shibu Onsen: one train from Nagano

The Nagano Electric Railway runs from Nagano to Yudanaka. The limited express takes 44 to 45 minutes in the spring 2026 timetable, and the fare is ¥1,660 plus a ¥100 limited express charge; local trains take about 1 hour 15 minutes. From Yudanaka Station, a local bus to the Snow Monkey Park stop takes about 10 minutes (¥390).

  • Kaede-no-Yu, at Yudanaka Station: an onsen with indoor and outdoor baths, open 10:00–21:00 (last entry 20:30). It closes on the first Tuesday of each month, or the next day if that is a holiday. The town's page does not give the entry fee.
  • Foot bath: free, outside Kaede-no-Yu, 7:30–22:00.
  • Shibu Odayu, in Shibu Onsen: the ninth of Shibu's nine public baths, and the only one open to day visitors. It is open 10:00–17:00, at ¥800 for adults and ¥500 for children, with occasional closures.

If you stay overnight in Shibu Onsen, you can use the other eight public baths for free: your ryokan lends you the key, and they are open 6:00–22:00 except during cleaning. The public baths have no showers, shampoo or body soap.

LuggageLeave big bags in Nagano

Yudanaka Station's left-luggage service has been suspended since January 12, 2023. Nagano Station has coin lockers at the Zenkoji Exit (230, first floor) and the East Exit (189, second floor), open 24 hours, at ¥400, ¥600 or ¥700 by size.

Nozawa Onsen: 13 free public baths

Nozawa Onsen is a ski village with 13 public baths, or soto-yu, spread along its streets. The tourism office says they are looked after by the villagers through a system called yu-nakama, and that anyone visiting the village can use them.

  • Price: free. There is an offering box, and visitors are asked to leave a small donation for the villagers who keep the baths.
  • Hours: most are open 5:00–23:00 from April to November and 6:00–23:00 from December to March. A few close earlier, so check each bath on the tourism office's page.
  • Rules: wash before you get in, keep your towel out of the water, and turn off the cold water once the bath is cool enough. You cannot bathe late at night.

If you would rather pay for a full bathhouse, Nozawa also has two day spas:

  • Furusato-no-Yu, in Asagama Onsen Park: adults ¥700, elementary school age and under ¥500. Open 10:00–19:00 from April to mid-December and 11:00–20:00 from mid-December to March; last entry is 30 minutes before closing. Closed on Thursdays, unless it is a public holiday.
  • Sparena: the operator lists the onsen as open 14:00–20:30 (last entry 20:00); the tourism bureau lists 12:00–20:30 and says hours differ in July and August and from December to March, so check the notices before you go. Entry is ¥900 for junior high school age and up and ¥700 for ages 3 to elementary school. It closes on Wednesdays, except in the ski season and while the outdoor pool is open, and for about two weeks each spring and autumn for maintenance.

Getting to Nozawa Onsen

Shinkansen and bus — Nagano → Iiyama → Nozawa Onsen

  1. Hokuriku Shinkansen from Nagano to Iiyama: 11 minutes on a Hakutaka train in the November 2026 timetable.
  2. Nozawa Onsen Liner bus from Iiyama Station: about 25 minutes, ¥600 for an adult and ¥300 for a child.
  3. From March 30 to November 30, 2026, the bus leaves Iiyama Station 10 times a day, from 8:45 to 21:20.
Watch outthe bus does not connect with every train, and the winter timetable was not posted when I checked.

The tourism office also notes that there is no public transport to Nozawa Onsen from Kamisakai or Togari-Nozawaonsen stations on the JR Iiyama Line, despite the names.

Togura-Kamiyamada Onsen: south of Nagano

Togura-Kamiyamada is reached from Togura Station on the Shinano Railway, south of Nagano. The railway's area guide says the town has seven public baths and a free foot bath.

I could not find the hours and fees of the public baths on an official page, so they are not listed here. Ask at your hotel or the tourism office before you go.

Tattoos

None of the official pages I read for these baths states a tattoo policy. Rules can differ from one bath to the next, so call the bath or ask your hotel before you go.

Which one to choose

  • Short on time: Yudanaka. One train, and the bath is at the station.
  • Want the most baths for the least money: Nozawa Onsen and its 13 free public baths.
  • Also seeing the snow monkeys: stay in Yudanaka or Shibu; the local bus from Yudanaka Station reaches the Snow Monkey Park stop in about 10 minutes.

For a multi-day trip in the region by train and bus, see my Japanese Alps itinerary without a car. For a ski trip, see Hakuba without a car.

What I could not confirm yet
  • The entry fee at Kaede-no-Yu
  • Hours and fees of the public baths in Togura-Kamiyamada, and the Shinano Railway fare to Togura
  • The Shinkansen fare from Nagano to Iiyama
  • The winter 2026–27 timetables for the Nozawa Onsen Liner and the Nagano Electric Railway
  • The last trains and buses back to Nagano from Yudanaka and from Nozawa Onsen
  • Day baths in Matsushiro, in Nagano City (the hotel's page could not be opened)

How I checked this

  1. Read the tourism office, village and operator pages for Nozawa Onsen's public baths, Furusato-no-Yu, Sparena and the Nozawa Onsen Liner.
  2. Read Yamanouchi Town's page for Kaede-no-Yu, the Shibu Onsen Ryokan Association's day-use page, and the Nagano Electric Railway's fare table, timetable and station page.
  3. Took the Iiyama–Nagano time from JR East's November 2026 timetable, and matched every number to a dated official page; anything I could not confirm is listed above.
Nozawa Onsen Mountain Resort Tourism BureauNozawaonsen VillageNozawa Onsen Ski ResortJR EastYamanouchi TownShibu Onsen Ryokan AssociationNagano Electric RailwayNagaden BusShinano Railway

Frequently asked questions

Which onsen can I reach from Nagano without a car?

Yudanaka is one train from Nagano, about 45 minutes by limited express, and has a day bath at the station. Nozawa Onsen takes a Shinkansen to Iiyama and a bus, but its 13 public baths are free for anyone.

Are the public baths in Nozawa Onsen free?

Yes. The tourism office says anyone visiting the village can use the 13 public baths. They are run by the villagers, and visitors are asked to leave a small donation in the offering box.

Can day visitors use the baths in Shibu Onsen?

Only one. Day visitors can use Shibu Odayu, 10:00–17:00, for ¥800 an adult. The other eight public baths are for guests staying in Shibu Onsen.

Can I go to an onsen in Nagano with tattoos?

None of the official pages I read for these baths states a tattoo policy. Call the bath before you go.

How do I get from Nagano Station to Nozawa Onsen?

Take the Hakutaka Shinkansen from Nagano to Iiyama (11 minutes), then the Nozawa Onsen Liner bus, about 25 minutes and ¥600 for an adult. The tourism office warns that the bus does not connect with every train.

Keep planning

Japanese Alps without a carThe Japanese Alps by bus and train: Kanazawa, Shirakawa-go, Takayama, Kamikochi, Matsumoto and Hakuba, with fares, reservations and winter closures.Hakuba without a carHakuba without a car: trains and the Nagano bus, winter reservations, shuttles and taxis, where to stay, snow and seasons, from official pages.Japanese Alps itineraryDay-by-day 5- and 7-day Japanese Alps itineraries by bus and train: where to sleep, where your luggage goes and estimated transport costs by season.

Sources

  1. Nozawa Onsen public baths guide — Nozawa Onsen Mountain Resort Tourism Bureau
  2. Access to Nozawa Onsen — Nozawa Onsen Mountain Resort Tourism Bureau
  3. Asagama Onsen Park Furusato-no-Yu — Nozawaonsen Village
  4. Nozawa Onsen Sparena — Nozawa Onsen Ski Resort
  5. Hakutaka 551 stops and times, November 2026 (in Japanese) — JR East
  6. Kaede-no-Yu at Yudanaka Station (in Japanese) — Yamanouchi Town
  7. Day-use bathing at Shibu Onsen — Shibu Onsen Ryokan Association
  8. Local bus fare changes from March 1, 2025 — Nagaden Bus
  9. Shibu Onsen's nine public baths (in Japanese) — Shibu Onsen Ryokan Association
  10. Rail fares from December 1, 2025 — Nagano Electric Railway
  11. Timetable, spring 2026 — Nagano Electric Railway
  12. Yudanaka Station — Nagano Electric Railway
  13. Togura area guide (in Japanese) — Shinano Railway
  14. Coin lockers at Nagano Station (in Japanese) — JR East

Researched and checked by Rio, based in Japan. I read Japanese timetables, operator PDFs and prefecture notices, cross-check them and date every fact. Published . Updated . How I research →