The heat is the best part of hot springs! A public bath loved by locals

Hot springs are something I miss during the cold season. Relaxing and warming your core will warm your mind and body. There are many unique and famous hot springs in Tohoku, but Iizaka Onsen in Fukushima City is attracting a lot of attention for its unique characteristics. That is the temperature of the source. At the eight public baths in the hot spring village, the temperature of the water spout that pours into the bathtubs ranges from approximately 45℃ to 70℃! So much so that a ''Iizaka Onsen Public Bath Hotness Ranking'' has been published that compares the temperatures of the sprues of public baths. According to the locals, ''You don't feel like you've bathed in a hot spring that isn't hot.'' This time, we will introduce three public baths out of eight.

Sabakoyu is a public bath that is relatively hot for beginners and is often visited by tourists. In the winter ranking of 2024, it is ranked as the eastern small knot. Although it is the lowest temperature of the eight hot springs, it is still 47.4℃. This is the oldest in Iizaka Onsen, and was previously famous as the oldest wooden public bath in Japan, but it was renovated in 1993 due to aging. The quaint structure, which recreates a bathhouse from the Meiji era, is also attractive, with a granite bathtub and high ceilings that give a sense of openness.

Hakoyu, which we will introduce next, has a sprue temperature of 49.6℃, and is ranked as one of the best sekiwake in the east. This hot spring boasts a history of more than 1,200 years since its opening, and the building with the Taiko Tower as its landmark was renovated in 2011. There is a bathhouse on the 1st basement floor, and there are two bathtubs for both men and women: a "hot bath" that is fed directly from the source, and a "warm bath" that is adjusted to an appropriate temperature. We also recommend relaxing in the hot springs while trying out the hot baths that the locals like.