Takeo Onsen

Onsen

Prefecture

Saga

Type

Onsen

N/A

0 reviews

¥500

Entry Fee

Restaurant Train Access Cafe

Plan a trip with Takeo Onsen

About This Destination

Ancient hot spring town with a striking vermillion gate designed by the architect of Tokyo Station, offering historic public baths.

Takeo Onsen has 1,300 years of records. The vermillion Romon gate at the entrance was designed in 1914 by Tatsuno Kingo, the same architect as Tokyo Station and the Bank of Japan. Public baths include Moto-yu and Tono-sama-yu (Lord's Bath), where you soak in the same waters feudal lords used. The Takeo City Library renovation drew national attention for its design. Good day trip from Fukuoka, especially combined with Mifuneyama Rakuen garden nearby.

Location

Prefecture: Saga

Address: Takeo, Saga, Japan

Nearest Station: Takeo Onsen Station

Best time to visit: Year-round; the vermilion romon gate is photogenic in any season, and it pairs naturally with the azaleas or autumn colour at nearby Mifuneyama Rakuen

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Visitor Information

Credit Cards: Unknown

Food Options: Several restaurants in the onsen district. The area is known for Saga beef and local tofu dishes.

Official Website

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I get to Takeo Onsen?

From Hakata, take the JR Limited Express 'Midori' to Takeo-Onsen Station (about 1 hour 10 minutes, 3,500 yen) or the Nishi-Kyushu Shinkansen 'Kamome' (similar time). The vermilion gate is a 10-minute walk from the station. Free shuttle service from station to most ryokan with reservations. By car, free parking is available throughout the onsen district.

What's the entry fee for the public baths?

Moto-yu, the original public bath, costs 500 yen for adults and 250 yen for children aged 3 to primary-school age. Bathing hours are 6:30 to 23:45, last entry 23:00. Its 1876 building is the oldest bathhouse building still in use in Japan. Sagi-no-yu costs 740 yen for adults, with the same hours. Tono-sama-yu, the marble bath built for the local lords, is rented by the room: 3,800 yen an hour on weekdays and 4,300 yen at weekends and on holidays, for up to five adults (10:00 to 23:00, last entry 22:00).

What's special about the vermilion gate?

The Romon gate was designed in 1914 by Tatsuno Kingo, the architect behind Tokyo Station and the Bank of Japan. Built without a single nail in traditional Japanese carpentry techniques, the bright vermilion gate is a designated Important Cultural Property. Each of the gate's four corners has zodiac-animal reliefs corresponding to four of the twelve zodiac directions (the other eight were never confirmed, long thought to be a mystery, but recently rediscovered hidden inside Tokyo Station). Free to walk through any time.

What can I combine with a Takeo Onsen visit?

Mifuneyama Rakuen (15 minutes by bus or taxi) for the historic garden and seasonal teamLab installations is the most popular pairing. Takeo City Library has won design awards for its renovation by Tsutaya, a free space with a coffee shop. Kawagoe-area pottery towns Arita and Imari (30 minutes by train) are famous for porcelain. Combine all for a full Saga onsen-art-craft day.