Only You in Minamiashigara: Is the Women’s Barrel Sauna Right for You?

Modern Touji Only You is a day-use hot-spring facility in the wooded hills of Minamiashigara, not a station-side sento. Its women’s outdoor bathing area gained a barrel sauna in June 2026. That is a new option, not a requirement: the women’s indoor bath also has a VIHTA sauna, while the forest-facing outdoor pools include a gentler bath listed at about 38°C and a warmer one around 42°C. If you are new to sauna, the lower-temperature bath gives you a way to enjoy the visit without forcing a heat-and-cold routine.

The women’s bathing options

The baths are separated by gender. The women’s outdoor area now has a barrel sauna; the men’s outdoor area has a RUSKA sauna. Both indoor sides have a VIHTA sauna, with hanging bundles made from oak grown on the grounds. The facility says its new women’s barrel sauna has been operating since 18 June 2026.

The outdoor forest bath has two pools: a warm pool at about 38°C and a hot-spring pool at about 42°C. The spring is classified as a simple hot spring from a geological layer around 15 million years old, with a published pH of 9.5. Those are bath temperatures, not the source temperature.

After a sauna, the facility recommends cooling with its showers or cold bath, both supplied by “Kinran water,” which it says is drawn from about 200 metres underground in the Hakone water system. You can choose the shower instead of the cold bath and take a break outdoors. The point is to choose a level that suits you; there is no need to copy someone else’s sauna routine.

What a day visit costs in September 2026

The facility’s new rate card took effect in September 2026. These are the listed standard, non-member prices; the same poster also shows member rates and separate overnight-use charges.

The general day-use ticket includes indoor clothing, a face towel, a bath towel and the listed amenities. A cheaper late ticket leaves less time for the forest pools, meals and rest areas: the 6:30 p.m. ticket gives you only about 90 minutes before the 8 p.m. closing time. For a first visit, the standard daytime entry is easier to enjoy at an unhurried pace. Choose an evening rate when you mainly want a short soak or a sauna round.

Day-use bathing normally runs from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., with last entry at 7:30 p.m. The facility says no reservation is needed for ordinary day bathing. Its FAQ and rate page can lag behind a new price image, so use the September 2026 poster linked below and check the official site again before your visit. Special periods such as Golden Week, Obon and New Year may run until 9 p.m.; confirm the date-specific notice rather than assuming the longer hours.

Access takes a little planning without a car

Only You lists its address as 1520-1 Hiro-machi, Minamiashigara. From the Oi-Matsuda Interchange or from Odawara, the facility estimates about 30 minutes by car. The site describes the property as roughly 250 metres above sea level, in a forested setting near hiking routes and Daiyuzan Saijoji Temple.

The free shuttle requires a reservation. Give the facility your date, preferred time and station, name, party size and a reachable phone number at least an hour before pickup. For the first trips—9:25 a.m. from Kaisei Station and 9:40 a.m. from Daiyuzan Station—call the previous day. The office closes at 8 p.m., so early pickups cannot be arranged that morning.

The access page does not present every shuttle time as searchable text. Confirm the return ride and the full timetable by phone or from the current official schedule before building a train connection around it. If you miss a bus, the last leg can take longer than the map suggests; this is not a useful choice for a tight station transfer.

Sauna and entry rules to check first

Women can use the indoor VIHTA sauna and outdoor barrel sauna; bathing and sauna areas remain gender-separated. The facility advises beginners to keep sessions short and avoid sauna after drinking or a heavy meal.

It cautions against prolonged heat for people with high blood pressure and alternating hot and cold baths for people with heart disease, diabetes or a history of stroke. Its FAQ asks pregnant guests and people with sensitive skin to consult a physician before bathing. Drink water and leave if you feel unwell.

The tattoo policy is conditional rather than a blanket ban. The facility says guests may enter if up to two of its cover seals, ¥330 each, completely conceal the tattoo. It warns that guests who decline the seals, cannot cover the tattoo fully, or remove a seal after entering may be refused or asked to leave. One official FAQ page gives two different dimensions for the seal in separate answers, so anyone near the size limit should confirm the current product with the facility before travelling.

Other practical restrictions:

• Guests who are intoxicated or have a skin or contagious disease are refused entry.

• Guests who are menstruating are asked not to use the bath tubs.

• Children who still wear diapers cannot use the large-bath pools; the facility provides a baby bath. Children aged seven or older, and younger children at least 120 cm tall, may not bathe with an adult of another gender.

• Wheelchair users and older guests who need assistance should bathe with a same-gender attendant. The facility does not provide barrier-free bathing assistance; ask about routes and available support.

• The quiet “Kakurezā” rest room is not open to children.

There is no regular reservable private or family bath for day visitors. The FAQ says a room with a private bath may sometimes be offered on the day if an overnight room is vacant, between 2 and 7 p.m.; that is not a guaranteed day-use service. If bathing together in one private pool is essential, choose a facility that sells a confirmed private-bath session instead.

Who should choose a different kind of spa day?

Only You is a good match when you want forest surroundings, a long soak or the option to try two women’s sauna styles. It is less convenient if you have only an hour, need a private shared bath, or cannot reserve the shuttle around your train. For a more central urban bath with a shorter transfer, compare the Tokyo modern sento guide. For help distinguishing bath temperature from spring-source temperature, see the onsen water temperature guide.

Official Only You prices, bathing and access sources

Checked 28 September 2026. The day-use rate card is dated September 2026; confirm later changes, special opening hours and shuttle details with the facility. - [Modern Touji Only You: day-use prices](https://www.ashigara-only-you.com/page-3016/) — September 2026 rate-card image, standard and evening day-use prices, member information and child-use notes. - [Modern Touji Only You: public baths and sauna](https://www.ashigara-only-you.com/page-2473/) — forest bath temperatures, spring description, pH, sauna layout and the 2026 women’s barrel sauna. - [Modern Touji Only You: Q&A](https://www.ashigara-only-you.com/qa/) — day-use hours and reservations, tattoo cover seals, pregnancy guidance, children, private-bath availability and accessibility notes. - [Modern Touji Only You: access and shuttle reservations](https://www.ashigara-only-you.com/136-2/) — reservation lead time, first shuttle departures, driving estimates and special-period hours. - [Modern Touji Only You: September 2026 rate revision notice](https://www.ashigara-only-you.com/2026/08/26/post-8229/) — dated notice accompanying the new rate card. - [Modern Touji Only You: official homepage](https://www.ashigara-only-you.com/) — current notices and facility updates.

Last verified: 2026-09-28