Yurara no Yu Oshikuma: Natural-Spring Baths North of Nara
Check Yurara no Yu Oshikuma’s natural-spring baths, ¥850 weekday or ¥910 weekend admission, opening times and bus approaches from Nara City.
Checked: September 27, 2026
Oshikuma is a different trip from the Yurara branch south of central Nara. Its two outdoor bathing areas rotate between men and women by week, there is parking for 250 cars, and the published guide lists card, transit-card and QR-code payments. It suits a longer stop around north Nara or southern Kyoto better than a quick walk from the station.
Hours and admission
| Item | Weekdays | Weekends and public holidays |
|---|---|---|
| Adult, junior high school and older | ¥850 | ¥910 |
| Child, age 4 and older | ¥390 | ¥450 |
| Under 3 | Free | Free |
| Opening hours | 9 a.m.–midnight | 7 a.m.–midnight |
| Last admission | 11:30 p.m. | 11:30 p.m. |
A bath-towel and face-towel rental set costs ¥200. Shampoo, conditioner and body wash are provided. The guide lists cash, major credit cards, transit IC cards, WAON, iD, nanaco, PayPay, Rakuten Pay and d-barai. Monthly discount days may shift, so check the current calendar instead of treating an advertised coupon as a standing admission rate.
The September 2026 promotions are date- and eligibility-specific:
| Offer | Conditions |
|---|---|
| ¥500 admission | September 7–11; party must include someone aged 65 or older |
| ¥600 adult admission | Saturdays, 7 a.m.–noon, except September 26 |
| ¥700 adult admission | Weekdays after 9 p.m., except September 16 |
| ¥1,300 for two, including towel sets | App offer through September 30 |
Some app users under 40 also have a designated weekend-night coupon. These offers do not set the regular admission price.
Spring water runs through the indoor and outdoor baths
The operator describes all of the baths at Oshikuma as using natural spring water, including the indoor pools. The outdoor area has two distinct settings: a Japanese-style garden inspired by the landscapes of Totsukawa, and a Bali-style space with tropical details and waterfalls. They switch between men and women each week, so the day’s layout determines which one you use.
The indoor lineup includes a carbonated bath, bubble and jet pools, and other feature baths. “Natural spring water” describes the water source; it does not mean each tub is a separate spring or that every pool is untreated source water. The operator’s general bath page describes overflow circulation, but does not establish that every bath is supplied as 100% free-flowing water.
The sauna area includes a far-infrared sauna, a mist sauna and a salt sauna with self-service löyly. The salt sauna is on the Japanese-style outdoor side, so the weekly gender rotation matters if it is a priority. The operator’s notices have also reported equipment trouble with the mist sauna; check the latest update if that particular room is essential to your visit.
The salt-sauna heater was replaced in December 2025 and self-service löyly was added. A mist-sauna fault notice remains in the news archive, while the current lineup still lists the room; ask on the day if it is essential. A September 2026 “Nodoka no Yu” promotion sets selected baths to about 36–37°C through September 30. That is a temporary setting, not a year-round temperature.
Bus access is available, though a car gives you more flexibility
The operator lists three bus approaches:
- From Kintetsu Nara Station, take a bus from stop 1 to Higashi-Tomigaoka 1-chome.
- From Kintetsu Takanohara Station, use stop 1 or 3 for Oshikuma Kitaguchi.
- From Kintetsu Yamato-Saidaiji Station, use stop 2 for Oshikuma.
Return buses serve the corresponding stops toward Gakuenmae, Takanohara or Yamato-Saidaiji. Choose the route around where you are staying; you do not need to route through JR Nara first. The operator lists parking for 250 cars across its first and second lots, plus motorcycle and bicycle parking.
Oshikuma or the Nara branch?
| Oshikuma | Nara branch | |
|---|---|---|
| Weekday opening | 9 a.m. | 7 a.m. |
| Weekend/holiday opening | 7 a.m. | 7 a.m. |
| Adult admission | ¥850 weekdays; ¥910 weekends/holidays | Same standard rates |
| Standout feature | Natural spring water in indoor and outdoor baths; two outdoor settings | Early weekday opening; women-only bedrock bath |
| Payment | Cashless methods listed | Cash only as of the operator’s October 2026 notice |
| Parking | 250 spaces | 250 spaces across two lots |
Choose Oshikuma if you are already in north Nara, near Takanohara or coming from southern Kyoto, especially by car. The Nara branch is more convenient for a weekday morning bath or if its women-only bedrock area is the reason for going. See the Yurara no Yu Nara guide for its separate schedule and rules.
Both branches prohibit tattoos, imitation tattoos and tattoo stickers. At either location, children aged seven or older or at least 130 cm tall cannot enter the opposite-sex bath. The rule applies once either age or height threshold is met.
Guests with surgical scars should contact the facility in advance about its bathing garment. Guests with a correctly fitted ostomy appliance may bathe under the stated conditions. These accommodations are separate from the tattoo rule. Oshikuma’s editorial scores are comfort 90, variety 95, upkeep 85, atmosphere 85, quiet 55, access 65 and value 90; see its facility profile.
Oshikuma is a large, family-oriented complex rather than a quiet little onsen. If you want a rural bath with a view instead, Tsukigase Onsen is a separate countryside trip and needs more transport planning.
