Kamo-yu or Yamashiro Onsen? Two Kyoto Sento for Late Nights and Weekend Mornings
Compare two Kyoto sento: Kamo-yu stays open later, while Yamashiro has weekend mornings and an outdoor bath. Both charge ¥550 for adult entry.
Choose by the time you need a bath. Kamo-yu (also called Kamo Onsen) opens at 3 p.m. and closes at 2 a.m. on most operating days; Thursday, Friday and Saturday run until 3 a.m. Yamashiro Onsen opens at 3 p.m. on weekdays and 8 a.m. on Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays, closing at 1 a.m. Its operator and the Kyoto Public Bath Association currently list no regular closing day.
Both are neighborhood sento, not legally documented natural hot springs in the current listings. Each has a sauna, cold bath and medicinal bath. Yamashiro adds an outdoor bath; Kamo-yu’s distinctive features are a steam sauna and an unusually cold bath where the association says ice drops into the water.
| What matters today | Better fit | Why |
|---|---|---|
| A very late soak Thursday, Friday or Saturday | Kamo-yu | Listed until 3 a.m. on those days; 2 a.m. on other operating days. |
| A Saturday or Sunday morning bath | Yamashiro Onsen | Opens at 8 a.m. on weekends and public holidays. |
| Outdoor bath | Yamashiro Onsen | The association lists an outdoor bath at Yamashiro, not at Kamo-yu. |
| Steam sauna and ice-drop cold bath | Kamo-yu | These are the features called out by the association. |
| Kitano Tenmangu or Enmachi plans | Yamashiro Onsen | It is about a seven-minute walk from Kitano-Hakubaicho Station and ten minutes from Enmachi Station, according to the operator. |
| Kitaoji area or a late return | Kamo-yu | Its location suits the Kita Ward side; the association lists five parking spaces. |
Kamo-yu: the closing time depends on the day
Kamo-yu is at 45 Koyama Nishimoto-cho in Kita Ward. The current association listing gives hours of 3 p.m.–2 a.m., extending to 3 a.m. on Thursday, Friday and Saturday. It closes on Wednesdays and on the second and fourth Tuesdays of each month.
The same association page has a short promotional line about staying open until 3 a.m., which can be mistaken for a daily schedule. Use the detailed hours field instead. The listing does not provide a last-entry time; closing at 3 a.m. is not a promise that you can arrive at 2:59.
Inside, the association lists shallow and deep pools, jet and electric baths, a medicinal bath, a sauna and a cold bath. It describes the sauna as steam-based and mentions ice dropping into the cold bath. These are useful descriptions of the setup, not a fixed water-temperature specification.
Yamashiro Onsen: weekend opening, outdoor bathing and a local herb bath
Yamashiro Onsen is in Kamigyo Ward, near the Kitano Tenmangu and Enmachi area. The operator’s current information page gives weekday hours of 3 p.m.–1 a.m. and weekend hours beginning at 8 a.m.; the Kyoto Public Bath Association also includes public holidays in its morning schedule. The operator says there is no regular closing day. Special closures are still possible, so check before setting out.
Its association listing includes a sauna, very cold bath, medicinal bath and outdoor bath. The operator says its medicinal bath uses herbs gathered on Mount Hiei. The word “Onsen” in the name is not proof of a legal natural hot spring: the public information checked here does not provide a source analysis or spring temperature.
There is a small discrepancy in the current parking information: the operator lists eight free spaces, while the association lists twelve. Both confirm parking is available; neither count should be treated as guaranteed capacity. By rail, the operator gives a seven-minute walk from Kitano-Hakubaicho Station or ten minutes from Enmachi Station.
The ¥550 admission is the same; the trip is not
The adult regulated admission price for Kyoto public baths is ¥550. That means the deciding cost is often the journey home rather than a difference in the basic ticket. Kamo-yu is more practical when you are already in northern Kyoto and need a late closing. Yamashiro makes more sense alongside Kitano Tenmangu, the Taishogun shopping street or a weekend morning itinerary.
Neither current facility listing makes a clear branch-specific tattoo rule available. Confirm directly if that would determine whether you can enter. If you are specifically searching for natural spring water, the Kyoto guide to checking natural hot springs at sento separates documented springs from baths whose names or water reputation can be misleading.
For Kamo-yu’s full facility profile, see Kamo Onsen in Kita Ward. To compare other baths by opening time, use the Kyoto late-night sento guide, the Kyoto morning sento guide or the full sento directory.
Sources
- Kyoto Public Bath Association: Kamo-yu
- Kyoto Public Bath Association: Yamashiro Onsen
- Yamashiro Onsen: current hours, prices and access
- Kyoto Prefecture: regulated public-bath admission prices
Checked: September 28, 2026. Both bathhouses can change schedules or close for maintenance; verify on the day if your plan depends on an early or late visit.
