Where to Find Yufuin’s Blue Onsen: Tsukanoma or Yasuha?
Compare Tsukanoma’s large outdoor bath with Yasuha’s blue-water indoor and private baths; the spring’s colour changes with natural conditions.
Checked: September 27, 2026 Yufuin’s “blue onsen” is not a permanent paint colour or a guarantee for every photograph. At Yasuha, the inn says the water can look different with the weather, light, air temperature and condition of the spring. Choose by the bath you want first, then treat the colour as a natural variation.
The quick choice
| Tsukanoma | Yasuha | |
|---|---|---|
| Standard day visit | Large open-air public bath | Small gender-separated indoor baths |
| Private outdoor option | Detached bath-equipped room for a long day-use stay | Private outdoor baths rented by the 50-minute session |
| Current published public-bath price | ¥800 adults; ¥500 school-age children | ¥900 adults; ¥500 elementary-age children; younger children free |
| Published hours | Reception 9:30 a.m.–6 p.m.; bathing until 6:30 p.m. | Day-use page lists 9 a.m.–9 p.m., last reception 8 p.m. |
| Regular closure | Wednesday and Thursday; temporary closures also posted | Availability may end early when crowded |
Tsukanoma’s home page currently lists an additional closure on October 2, 2026. Check its top-page notice on the day you plan to go; its natural source can also have unexpected trouble.
Tsukanoma: go for the big outdoor bath
The regular day-use ticket gives access to the large open-air bath, with a view toward Mount Yufu.
| Tsukanoma day use | Published terms |
|---|---|
| Adult | ¥800 |
| School-age child | ¥500 |
| Towel rental | ¥200 |
| Reception closes | 6 p.m. |
| Bathing ends | 6:30 p.m. |
| Regular closing days | Wednesday and Thursday |
If you want a private bath, Tsukanoma’s bath-equipped detached-room day plan is a different product, not a quick private-bath add-on. The current page lists check-in at 11 a.m., check-out at 6 p.m. and ¥8,800 per person, including access to the large bath; towels and a yukata are included, while bedding and amenity sets cost extra. Room type depends on party size and availability. It is better suited to spending much of the day on site than to squeezing in one short soak.
Yasuha: choose between an indoor bath and a private outdoor room
Yasuha’s standard day admission is for its small gender-separated indoor baths. The outdoor baths are private rentals.
| Private bath | Price and capacity |
|---|---|
| Mountainside room | ¥2,300 for up to 2 people; 50 minutes |
| Riverside room | ¥2,800 for up to 4 people; 50 minutes |
| Extension | ¥500 per 15 minutes |
Towels are sold or rented separately.
There is an inconsistency on the inn’s day-use page: the booking section says reservations are accepted online only, while the FAQ says day visits are not reserved in advance and are handled in order at reception. Call or check the live booking page before setting out, especially if the private bath is the reason for your visit. The inn says it may stop accepting bathers early when busy.
The page lists day-use hours as 9 a.m.–9 p.m., last reception 8 p.m. That is a general window, not a promise that every bath is available throughout it.
What “blue” means here
Yasuha describes its spring as blue-tinted but says the colour changes with light and natural conditions. Its 2021 Oita Prefecture analysis lists a source temperature of 97.6°C and pH 9.3; those are source-analysis figures, not the temperature of a bath today. Tsukanoma describes a high-temperature spring rising from about 500 metres underground, but its current public pages do not give a new source-temperature or pH figure. There is no useful basis for ranking them by a single “bluest” photo.
For a quick open-air soak, Tsukanoma’s day ticket is the simpler choice. Choose Yasuha if you want to pay for a timed private outdoor bath, or if an indoor bath is fine. For more facilities around town, see the Yufuin day-use onsen guide.
Sources
- Tsukanoma, [day-use bath, fees and hours](https://www.tsukanoma.club/pg1348.html), [home-page notices and spring information](https://tsukanoma.club/), and [bath-equipped detached-room day plan](https://tsukanoma.club/pg4328887.html) - Yasuha, [day-use baths, fees and hours](https://www.yasuha.co.jp/daytrip/) and [FAQ](https://www.yasuha.co.jp/faq/) - Oita Prefecture, [2021 spring analysis for Yasuha](https://www.pref.oita.jp/uploaded/attachment/2125435.pdf) - Image: [Tsukanoma open-air bath](https://tsukanoma.club/_src/95221395/img20220503163518325303.jpg?v=1777110912508).Tags: Yufuin blue onsen, Tsukanoma, Yasuha, day-use onsen, private bath
