Is Ofunade no Yu in Hyuga Open? Current Status and a Nearby Alternative
Ofunade no Yu has been closed since 2020. Check the latest Hyuga Sun Park notices and compare nearby natural-spring baths at Kadogawa Onsen.
Do not make a detour to Hyuga Sun Park expecting to bathe at Ofunade no Yu. The onsen closed on September 30, 2020. Hyuga City’s 2026 report describes the Sun Park company’s current work as managing the roadside station, auto-camping area and sports facilities; it does not announce a reopened onsen. The park itself remains a destination, but that does not mean its former bathhouse is operating.
An old bus-stop name adds to the confusion. Hyuga’s community-bus rules still use “Hyuga Sun Park Onsen” as a destination name. That is a location label, not evidence that the bath is open. Old listings that show Ofunade no Yu’s former ¥500 admission or 10:00 a.m.–10:00 p.m. hours describe its pre-closure service, not a current offer.
The closest practical spring option: Kokoro no Mori
For a public bath on the Hyuga–Kadogawa stretch, Kadogawa Onsen Kokoro no Mori is a workable replacement. It is a natural sodium-chloride spring with an indoor bath, open-air bath, medicinal bath, jet bath, electric bath and sauna. There is no private family bath, and visitors with tattoos are refused.
| Detail | Current listing |
|---|---|
| High-school students and adults | ¥600 |
| Junior-high students and eligible visitors with disabilities | ¥310 |
| Children aged four through elementary school | ¥200 |
| Bathing tax | Included for visitors aged junior high and above |
| Hours | 10 a.m.–9 p.m. |
| Regular monthly closure | Third Thursday; holidays or notices may change the calendar |
The bath closed for maintenance from September 1 to 11, 2026. A notice dated September 12 says the facility was operating again. That resolves the September closure, but not any later repair or calendar change, so check the operator’s current news before travelling. After the maintenance closure, bar soap is no longer stocked in the bath area; body wash remains available. Bring your own soap if you rely on bar soap.
The facility is in Kadogawa’s Iori district. The operator lists the nearest expressway access as Kadogawa IC or Kadogawa-minami Smart IC, about five minutes away by car. Its address is 1942 Iori, Kadogawa, and the phone number is 0982-63-7780. It is easier by car than as a spontaneous stop on foot from the rail line.
Sauna type depends on the day
Kokoro no Mori changes the bath areas on Mondays and Thursdays, and the dry and mist sauna assignments differ by gender and weekday. Men have the mist sauna on Mondays and Thursdays and the dry sauna on other days. Women have the dry sauna on Mondays and Thursdays, with the mist sauna on the other days. If one type is the reason for your visit, check the weekly schedule before choosing a day.
The operator lists a restaurant in the same complex, serving lunch from 11:00 a.m.–2:00 p.m. and dinner from 5:00–9:00 p.m., with last orders at 8:30. That gives drivers a place to eat around a bath visit, though the restaurant’s schedule may not match the bath’s monthly closure calendar.
How to plan around the closed Hyuga bath
If Ofunade no Yu was the only reason to visit Sun Park, remove the bath stop from the itinerary. The roadside station, campground and park are separate facilities and may still be useful, but none is a substitute for the onsen itself. To bathe on the same trip, check Kokoro no Mori’s notices and hours; if its calendar does not fit, choose a currently operating facility elsewhere rather than relying on old Ofunade listings.
For a city-side alternative, see Day-use onsen in Miyazaki City. It compares three baths by location, hours and how each uses its spring water.
Sources
- [Hyuga City: 2026 third-sector evaluation for Hyuga Sun Park](https://www.hyugacity.jp/sp/tempimg/20260330154701.pdf) - [Hyuga City: reform plan covering the onsen closure and efforts to find a private operator](https://www.hyugacity.jp/sp/tempimg/20240304113618.pdf) - [Hyuga City: community-bus rules retaining the “Hyuga Sun Park Onsen” stop name](https://www.hyugacity.jp/reiki_new/reiki_honbun/q607RG00001234.html) - [Kadogawa Onsen Kokoro no Mori: bath facilities, admission and sauna schedule](https://kadogawa-kokoronomori.com/reserve/?tab=no1) - [Kadogawa Onsen Kokoro no Mori: current hours and closure calendar](https://kadogawa-kokoronomori.com/access/) - [Kadogawa Onsen Kokoro no Mori: September 2026 maintenance notice and reopening updates](https://kadogawa-kokoronomori.com/news/) - [Kadogawa Onsen Kokoro no Mori: notice on bar soap and body wash](https://kadogawa-kokoronomori.com/news/1066/) - [Images: Kadogawa Onsen Kokoro no Mori](https://kadogawa-kokoronomori.com/) Checked: 2026-09-27Tags: Hyuga onsen, Ofunade no Yu closure, Kadogawa Onsen Kokoro no Mori, Miyazaki day-use hot spring
