Although it is rebuilt many times, the Taki-no yu has about 1000 year history. There is an Onsen Shrine nearby.
The "Taki-no-yu" is a traditional Japanese public bath without any located just a stone throw's away from the JR Naruko Onsen Station in Miyagi Prefefture, in Tohoku Region. It's one of my most favorite onsen public baths and attracting many other soaking addicts.
It looks an uninteresting single story house outside, but you'll see how the typical public bath looks like when you enter the gender separated changing room. It makes me wowed whenever I visit there.
Sharpened logs are used as pipes. The left bath is the bigger and hotter. You can try pelting water on your shoulders at the smaller right bath.
The acid hot spring (pH2.8) is slightly whitish, and tastes like a lemon It's not for drinking). It's strange that the hot spring gushing only a few meters away at neighbouring ryokan "Yusaya" is alkaline at pH8.9. There are no soaps and shampoos. The acid water has some sterilization effects.
◆Taki-no-yu, Naruko Onsen (鳴子温泉 滝の湯）
Type: Gender separated indoor bath
Address: Yumoto, Naruko Onsen, Osaki-city, Miyagi Pref.
Location: 38.74195, 140.717831
Business hour: 7:30 AM to 22:00 PM
Holiday: None
Admission fee: ¥150
Equipment: Small lockers for valuables.
Access: 3 minutes walk from the Naruko Onsen (鳴子温泉) Station. To the Naruko Onsen, take the Tohoku Shinkansen (bullet train) to Furukawa（古川）, about 400km north from Tokyo, then change to Rikuu Tosen（陸羽東線）line to Naruko Onsen.
My rating (A - E): A
