Sekizenkan’s Genroku-no-yu: A Day-Use Guide to Shima’s Historic Bathhouse
Find out what a day-use ticket at Sekizenkan’s Genroku-no-yu includes, how much it costs, when to arrive, and what makes this 1930 bathhouse distinctive.
Sekizenkan’s day-use ticket is for one specific bath: Genroku-no-yu in the Honkan. It does not let visitors wander through the ryokan’s other bathing areas. The distinction is worth knowing before you go, because the inn has several baths for overnight guests and its day-use offer is intentionally narrower.
For ¥1,500, adults can bathe in the 1930 hall with its five stone tubs, arched windows and old-fashioned layout, then use the footbath and post-bath area. If the building itself is part of your reason for visiting Shima, that is a focused and fairly straightforward outing. If you want an outdoor bath, a large spa with a dedicated rest room or access to several baths, this ticket will not provide it.
Current day-use hours, fees and access
| Item | Current information |
|---|---|
| Adult admission | ¥1,500, including a face towel and toothbrush |
| Children aged 3–12 | ¥1,100, including a face towel |
| Children aged 2 and under | Free |
| Bath towel rental | ¥550 |
| Day-use hours | 10 a.m.–5:30 p.m. |
| Last bathing reception | 5 p.m. |
| Reservation | Not required; entry may be limited when busy |
Ask at the Honkan front desk when you arrive. The ticket includes Genroku-no-yu, the footbath and the post-bath area. Paid lockers are available in limited numbers, but the inn says it has no day-use rest room. Overnight guest rooms are off limits, as are the guest baths Mori-no-yu and Sanso-no-yu.
| Genroku-no-yu listing | Published information |
|---|---|
| Bath page hours | 5 a.m.–1 a.m.; not the day-use schedule |
| Day-use hours | 10 a.m.–5:30 p.m.; final reception 5 p.m. |
| Regular adult day-use admission | ¥1,500 |
| 2026 Golden Week rate | ¥2,000, April 29–May 6; temporary price has passed |
The inn does not require advance booking, but says it may limit admissions to keep the bath comfortable. It also has irregular closure days, so check its latest notice before making a special trip. If you are driving, day visitors are directed to the free Kirinokidaira municipal car park, about a five-minute walk away; the Honkan lot is reserved for overnight guests.
What makes Genroku-no-yu different
Built in 1930, Genroku-no-yu was designed as a bright, almost hall-like bathing room with large arched windows. Five stone tubs sit across the tiled floor, with spring water rising from the bottom of the tubs. The bathing area and changing space retain an older, largely undivided arrangement. There is also a steam-bath room, a feature the inn describes as an early form of bathing practice.
The five tubs are not five modern spa experiences with separate functions. Their appeal is the room: the scale, daylight and the fact that this is still a working bath rather than a museum display. The inn restored the bath in 2022, including tilework closer to the original appearance. Its official history identifies the bath as an Important Cultural Property.
That historic layout may not suit everyone equally. Visitors who prefer a fully separate changing room, extensive shower stations or contemporary spa amenities may find it less comfortable than a newer day spa. Families can bring children—the official rate covers ages 3 to 12, with younger children free—but should think about the shared changing and bathing space before going.
Keep the visit focused
Genroku-no-yu works best as one stop in a Shima Onsen day, perhaps alongside a meal or a walk through the central hot-spring district. The bath ticket does not include access to every part of Sekizenkan, and there is no day-use lounge where you can settle in for a long afternoon. If you want the other guest baths and the ryokan experience, look at an overnight stay rather than expecting a day ticket to function as a property-wide pass.
For a broader comparison of bathing options in the valley, see the Shima Onsen day-bath guide. The free community-bath guide covers a very different kind of stop: small local baths with limited visitor hours and no equivalent facilities. If you are deciding how long to stay, the day trip versus overnight comparison lays out what an overnight visit adds.
