Shimoyu public bath

Zao Onsen Shimoyu Public Bath (Shimoyu Kyodo Yokujo) is located about 40 minutes by bus from JR Yamagata Station (get off at “Zao Onsen Bus Terminal”), then about a 5-minute walk. It is one of the three public bathhouses in Zao Onsen, a hot spring with over 1,900 years of history. Situated in the center of the Zao Onsen town along “Takayu-dori,” where ryokan and souvenir shops line the street, it has a charming, traditional atmosphere. Compared to the other two baths, Shimoyu is said to be less acidic and easier to enter, so families with children are often seen there. Put a 200-yen donation into the box at the entrance to enter. Inside are spacious changing rooms separated by gender, leading to the bath area. The water is a bit hot and is, of course, 100% free-flowing from the source with no circulation. As you ease in, white mineral deposits (“yunohana”) resting on the bottom rise and swirl, and your body warms deeply. After bathing, your skin feels smooth—worthy of the reputation as a “beauty-skin hot spring.” There is also a free footbath on the premises, and on clear days you can see the Zao mountains from there as well.