Tamagawa Onsen
Reference price as of September 14, 2026 (stay date 2026-10-10). Please check the booking site for actual rates.
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forumWhat families say
Rakuten Travel rating 4.38 out of 5 (991 reviews). Guests praise the strongly acidic onsen and its 11 different baths, along with the free outdoor ganbanyoku (heated-stone bathing), and some also rate the buffet-style meals. On the other hand, some room types have shared toilets and washbasins and a simple layout, and some reviews say the rooms and meals did not feel worth the price paid.
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Overview
Tamagawa Onsen is a toji (therapeutic-bathing) inn at Lake Tazawa in Akita, drawing on the same spring source as Shin-Tamagawa Onsen. The water is strongly acidic at pH 1.2, a type that is rare even worldwide, and the communal bath, built of Aomori hiba wood, holds 15 different baths. Many room types have set children's rates, and the bathing tax is free for children of elementary school age and under. The building is barrier-free, with handrails installed and floor-level differences removed, though stairs are still needed in some places. It is an inn intended for medical treatment and recuperation, and it is described as unsuited to stays for recreation or entertainment.
Rooms
Shin-Tamagawa Onsen has Buildings A, B, C and D, with a wide range of room types including Japanese-style tatami rooms, Western-style twins and singles. The renovated West Building Western-style twin room is 22 sq m, the South Building Western-style twin is 15.4 sq m, and the South Building 6-tatami Japanese-style tatami room is 15 sq m and sleeps 2. The South Building 6.5-tatami Japanese-style tatami room sleeps up to 3, and the Japanese-style tatami rooms in the Main Building and East Building range from 4.5 to 7.5 tatami mats for 1 to 4 guests. The 10-tatami Japanese-style tatami room in Building C is described as "a room where everyone from couples to families can relax with peace of mind." Many room types have set children's rates. Shared equipment and amenities include a TV, telephone, Wi-Fi, electric hot-water kettle, tea set, refrigerator, hair dryer, washlet toilet, soap, toothbrush set, towels, yukata, slippers and a safe. Note, however, that the Main Building and East Building Japanese-style tatami rooms (4.5 to 7.5 tatami mats) and the East Building Japanese-style single rooms have no bath or toilet.
Dining
Dinner and breakfast are served buffet-style at Shunsai Dining - Buna no Shiki. The kitchen uses local ingredients and Akita regional dishes, and more than half the menu, including the main dishes, changes daily, with over 40 dishes rotating through. Dinner runs from 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. (last entry 7:15 p.m.), breakfast from 7 a.m. to 9 a.m. (last entry 8:30 a.m.), and lunch from noon to 1:30 p.m. (last entry 1 p.m.), with lunch chosen from an à la carte menu. Akita specialties such as kiritanpo nabe (grilled rice-stick hot pot), Hinai-jidori chicken grilled on an iron plate and iburigakko (smoked pickled daikon) are popular, and a wide selection of local Akita sake is available.
Baths and Onsen
The inn draws on the same source as Tamagawa Onsen: a strongly acidic spring whose main component is hydrochloric acid, a type rare even worldwide, and which contains radium. The source has the highest flow rate from a single point in Japan. The communal bath, built of Aomori hiba wood, has 15 different baths, and you can choose according to how you feel that day - a 100% spring-water bath (kept on the cooler side because the water is so strong), a 50% spring-water bath, a weakly acidic bath and more. The communal bath is open from 4 a.m. to midnight, and the open-air bath from 7 a.m. to midnight. There is also a private-hire bath for staying guests only; a reservation is required and must be made at the front desk on arrival, as bookings by phone are not accepted. Day-use bathing is available from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. (last reception 2:30 p.m.) at 1,000 yen for adults and 500 yen for children.
Family-Friendly Features
The 10-tatami Japanese-style tatami room in Building C is described as "a room where everyone from couples to families can relax with peace of mind," and many room types have set children's rates. The bathing tax is 150 yen per adult per day, and it is free for children of elementary school age and under. The building is barrier-free, with handrails installed and floor-level differences removed as far as possible, though stairs are used in some places when moving around inside. Tamagawa Onsen is a toji inn intended for medical treatment, recuperation and rest, and it is described as unsuited to stays for recreation or entertainment. On the nature trail on the grounds (an area of natural ganbanyoku, heated bedrock), bear precautions are in place, including intensified grass cutting, repellent stations and free loan of bear bells, and guests are asked to refrain from going outside at night or early in the morning.
Access
In the summer season, from late April to late November, you can come by car, taxi or public bus, but in the winter season, from December to late April, traffic restrictions due to snowfall mean the public bus from JR Tazawako Station is the only way to get here. If you drive in winter, you need to use a parking lot near Tazawako Station and take the bus from the nearest bus stop. It is about 70 minutes by public bus from in front of JR Tazawako Station, or about 100 minutes by car from Morioka IC via Lake Tazawa. Parking is about 5 minutes away from the inn, and a staff member will show you the way on the day. The inn is closed for the winter from November 30, 2025 to mid-April 2026.
Access & Information
| location_onAddress | Sub-compartment Ro, Compartment 3014, Shibukurosawa National Forest, Tamagawa, Tazawako, Semboku, Akita 014-1205 |
|---|---|
| directions_carAccess | About 70 minutes by public bus from in front of JR Tazawako Station. By car, about 100 minutes from Morioka IC via Lake Tazawa. |
| trainNearest station | Tazawako Station |
| local_parkingParking | Parking is located about 5 minutes away from the inn. A staff member will show you the way on the day. |
| callPhone | +81-187-58-3000 |
| paymentsCards | VISA, JCB, Mastercard, Saison |
| languageOfficial site | https://www.shintamagawa.jp/open_in_new |
Map
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Reference price as of September 14, 2026 (stay date 2026-10-10). Please check the booking site for actual rates.
Frequently Asked Questions
What ages is Tamagawa Onsen best suited to?
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It has facilities that work especially well for babies and toddlers (ages 0 to 2) and children aged 3 and over. There is no age limit, and families with children of any age can stay.
Is there parking at Tamagawa Onsen?
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Parking: Parking is located about 5 minutes away from the inn. A staff member will show you the way on the day.
How do you get to Tamagawa Onsen?
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About 70 minutes by public bus from in front of JR Tazawako Station. By car, about 100 minutes from Morioka IC via Lake Tazawa.
Are there children's rates at Tamagawa Onsen?
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Many room types have set children's rates. The bathing tax is free for children of elementary school age and under, and day-use bathing is 500 yen for children.
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Information on this page was compiled by directly consulting Official website, Rakuten Travel, Jalan (last verified: August 2026). Prices, availability and seasonal operations change. Please check each booking site for the latest information.
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