Showa Retro Hot Spring Bathhouse Tamagawa Onsen

As its name suggests, this natural hot spring facility for day visitors is themed after a Showa-era public bathhouse. From the baths to the dining area, shop, and interior decor, the entire facility immerses visitors in a retro Showa atmosphere.

The facility’s signature hot spring is a simple alkaline spring that rises from the Chichibu Paleozoic strata about 5,600 feet underground. With a highly alkaline pH of around 10, the water is said to promote smooth, healthy-looking skin by removing dead skin cells. Be sure to moisturize well afterward, as your skin may become dry. There are two bathing areas: Akira-no-Yu, featuring an open-air rock bath with the atmosphere of the rural countryside, and Nagomi-no-Yu, reminiscent of a traditional Showa-era public bathhouse. The men’s and women’s bathing areas switch every Sunday. Baby baths are also available, making the facility convenient for visitors with infants.

Enamel signs, vintage furniture, and nostalgic items fill the interior, creating the feeling of stepping back in time to the Showa era. The shop sells traditional Japanese candy and local sodas from across Japan. There is also a restaurant serving home-style dishes made with local ingredients, school lunch-inspired meals, and other nostalgic fare.