Tour the free-flowing garden open-air baths and four types of sauna at a famous inn with more than 350 years of history
Yamagata Tsuruoka City
"Bankokuya, Atsumi Onsen, Yamagata Prefecture" is a long-established upscale ryokan in Tsuruoka City, Yamagata Prefecture, boasting more than 350 years of history. Guests can fully enjoy the renowned Atsumi Onsen, a famous hot spring also known as the setting of the novel Semishigure, in the large baths, among the largest in the Shonai area, and in the garden open-air baths with free-flowing spring water. The recently renovated open-air area on the first floor is equipped with an authentic Finnish-style barrel sauna and a silk bath. There is also a self-löyly sauna in the large bath on the third floor, and with the gender-swapping system, guests can enjoy a premium restorative bathing experience as they tour four types of sauna and high-quality hot spring water.
TypeNatural Hot Spring
An open-air bath on the first floor surrounded by a beautiful garden. Guests can luxuriate in the famous Atsumi Onsen, with a history of 1,000 years, in free-flowing spring water. Resting in the atmospheric rock-built tubs, you can feel the rich seasonal nature of Atsumi on your skin while enjoying mild, highly warming hot spring water. The baths operate on a gender-swapping schedule by time of day.
TypeNatural Hot Spring
A spacious large bath on the third floor, boasting one of the largest scales in Shonai. In areas such as Rakusui, which is so spacious it makes you want to swim, you can relax and enjoy the natural hot spring in an overwhelming sense of openness. The spring water contains salt and sulfate, helping you stay warm long after bathing and gently easing away daily fatigue.
TypeNatural Hot Spring
A private open-air bath with free-flowing spring water built into a luxurious guest room. While feeling the abundant nature of Atsumi and the murmuring of the Atsumigawa River, you can enjoy fresh, famous hot spring water to your heart’s content whenever you like, without anyone disturbing you. The main appeal is the chance to enjoy an even more luxurious and private bathing experience.
Sauna TypeDry Sauna
Stove TypeConvection Stove (Sauna Stone)
Capacity4people
A full-scale barrel sauna installed in the beautiful garden open-air area of Sakura no Yu on the first floor. Its traditional Finnish barrel shape allows heat and steam to circulate efficiently throughout the room, warming the body evenly. Self-löyly is available, and the pleasant aroma of aromatherapy water and the steam spread through the room, creating an exceptional sweating experience. Right outside the sauna room, infinity chairs are provided, so you can enjoy a luxurious outdoor-air bath while taking in the garden’s natural surroundings.
Sauna TypeDry Sauna
Stove TypeConvection Stove (Sauna Stone)
A sauna equipped for self-löyly in Sato no Yu on the first floor. Sauna mats are provided, allowing you to work up a deep sweat in a clean room. Self-löyly lets you adjust the humidity to your liking, and the comfortable heat wraps around your whole body. After the sauna, you can spend an exceptional totonou time in infinity chairs placed at even intervals on the open-air terrace, feeling the clear air of Atsumi.
Sauna TypeDry Sauna
Stove TypeConvection Stove (Sauna Stone)
Capacity10people
A sauna installed in each of the spacious large baths on the third floor, Rakuzan and Rakusui. The larger sauna room has a calm atmosphere, lit by indirect lighting, and is a quiet space without a TV. It supports self-löyly, allowing you to sweat comfortably in high-quality steam from aromatic water. A cold plunge bath is located immediately outside the sauna, making it easy to move smoothly into a cool-down.
Water QualityTap Water
Capacity1people
A one-person cold plunge bath installed in the first-floor garden open-air area. The excellent layout lets you sink into it immediately after the sauna. Together with the cool outdoor air, the sharply cold water quickly tightens your heated body. After the cold plunge, you can enjoy an exceptional outdoor-air bath in the infinity chairs right in front of you while gazing at the garden trees.
Water QualityTap Water
Capacity1people
A cold plunge bath installed immediately to the right as you exit the sauna rooms in the third-floor large baths Rakuzan and Rakusui. This compact one-person tub offers perfect flow from the sauna. The crisp, cold water firmly tightens your body and delivers a refreshing, revitalizing effect through alternating hot and cold bathing.
Closed Days: None
1 Yuwatsumi Otsu, Tsuruoka City, Yamagata 999-7204, Japan
Gender Access
Gender Separated
The above applies to the communal (shared) baths. At facilities with private baths or private saunas, guests with tattoos may still be able to bathe. Please check with the facility for details.
Curated by an expert who visits onsen and sauna facilities every day and has explored 300+ locations — only facilities confirmed to be truly exceptional are featured.
Learn moreTour the free-flowing garden open-air baths and four types of sauna at a famous inn with more than 350 years of history
Yamagata Tsuruoka City
"Bankokuya, Atsumi Onsen, Yamagata Prefecture" is a long-established upscale ryokan in Tsuruoka City, Yamagata Prefecture, boasting more than 350 years of history. Guests can fully enjoy the renowned Atsumi Onsen, a famous hot spring also known as the setting of the novel Semishigure, in the large baths, among the largest in the Shonai area, and in the garden open-air baths with free-flowing spring water. The recently renovated open-air area on the first floor is equipped with an authentic Finnish-style barrel sauna and a silk bath. There is also a self-löyly sauna in the large bath on the third floor, and with the gender-swapping system, guests can enjoy a premium restorative bathing experience as they tour four types of sauna and high-quality hot spring water.
TypeNatural Hot Spring
An open-air bath on the first floor surrounded by a beautiful garden. Guests can luxuriate in the famous Atsumi Onsen, with a history of 1,000 years, in free-flowing spring water. Resting in the atmospheric rock-built tubs, you can feel the rich seasonal nature of Atsumi on your skin while enjoying mild, highly warming hot spring water. The baths operate on a gender-swapping schedule by time of day.
TypeNatural Hot Spring
A spacious large bath on the third floor, boasting one of the largest scales in Shonai. In areas such as Rakusui, which is so spacious it makes you want to swim, you can relax and enjoy the natural hot spring in an overwhelming sense of openness. The spring water contains salt and sulfate, helping you stay warm long after bathing and gently easing away daily fatigue.
TypeNatural Hot Spring
A private open-air bath with free-flowing spring water built into a luxurious guest room. While feeling the abundant nature of Atsumi and the murmuring of the Atsumigawa River, you can enjoy fresh, famous hot spring water to your heart’s content whenever you like, without anyone disturbing you. The main appeal is the chance to enjoy an even more luxurious and private bathing experience.
Sauna TypeDry Sauna
Stove TypeConvection Stove (Sauna Stone)
Capacity4people
A full-scale barrel sauna installed in the beautiful garden open-air area of Sakura no Yu on the first floor. Its traditional Finnish barrel shape allows heat and steam to circulate efficiently throughout the room, warming the body evenly. Self-löyly is available, and the pleasant aroma of aromatherapy water and the steam spread through the room, creating an exceptional sweating experience. Right outside the sauna room, infinity chairs are provided, so you can enjoy a luxurious outdoor-air bath while taking in the garden’s natural surroundings.
Sauna TypeDry Sauna
Stove TypeConvection Stove (Sauna Stone)
A sauna equipped for self-löyly in Sato no Yu on the first floor. Sauna mats are provided, allowing you to work up a deep sweat in a clean room. Self-löyly lets you adjust the humidity to your liking, and the comfortable heat wraps around your whole body. After the sauna, you can spend an exceptional totonou time in infinity chairs placed at even intervals on the open-air terrace, feeling the clear air of Atsumi.
Sauna TypeDry Sauna
Stove TypeConvection Stove (Sauna Stone)
Capacity10people
A sauna installed in each of the spacious large baths on the third floor, Rakuzan and Rakusui. The larger sauna room has a calm atmosphere, lit by indirect lighting, and is a quiet space without a TV. It supports self-löyly, allowing you to sweat comfortably in high-quality steam from aromatic water. A cold plunge bath is located immediately outside the sauna, making it easy to move smoothly into a cool-down.
Water QualityTap Water
Capacity1people
A one-person cold plunge bath installed in the first-floor garden open-air area. The excellent layout lets you sink into it immediately after the sauna. Together with the cool outdoor air, the sharply cold water quickly tightens your heated body. After the cold plunge, you can enjoy an exceptional outdoor-air bath in the infinity chairs right in front of you while gazing at the garden trees.
Water QualityTap Water
Capacity1people
A cold plunge bath installed immediately to the right as you exit the sauna rooms in the third-floor large baths Rakuzan and Rakusui. This compact one-person tub offers perfect flow from the sauna. The crisp, cold water firmly tightens your body and delivers a refreshing, revitalizing effect through alternating hot and cold bathing.
Closed Days: None
1 Yuwatsumi Otsu, Tsuruoka City, Yamagata 999-7204, Japan
Gender Access
Gender Separated
The above applies to the communal (shared) baths. At facilities with private baths or private saunas, guests with tattoos may still be able to bathe. Please check with the facility for details.
Curated by an expert who visits onsen and sauna facilities every day and has explored 300+ locations — only facilities confirmed to be truly exceptional are featured.
Learn more