Sanso Tensui
山荘天水
Does Sanso Tensui allow tattoos? In a private bath
Sanso Tensui stands on about 33,000 square meters of cleared cedar forest facing Sakura Falls, and staying guests may use all five of its private baths, of cypress, rock and cut stone, for free.
Sanso Tensui publishes no tattoo rule. Staying guests can use any of its five private baths for free, and the three special rooms and the open-air Japanese rooms have their own spring-fed tub, so a tattooed guest never has to use the shared baths.
The bath
The inn calls its water 100 percent source water with some water added, a simple spring with a faint smell of sulfur that it says sits gently on the skin. It lists the spring for bruises, sprains, stiff shoulders, neuralgia, recovery after illness and fatigue. The open-air bath Takikan-an, at the top of 47 steps, has a men's and a women's side looking down on Sakura Falls, a 20-meter drop; guests bathe 6 a.m. to midnight. Two guests-only open-air baths, Take-sansui for men and Hibiki-no-yu for women, sit by a brook and among trees, and two indoor baths, one tiled and one of cypress, swap sides at 6 a.m.
The five private baths are the reason to stay. All are half-open-air, within sound of the stream: Hinoki-yu of cypress, Yama-yu and Kawa-yu of rock, Kiri-yu of wide cut stone and Kama-yu with jets. They are free for staying guests, 45 minutes a turn, taken from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m.
The special rooms Asamoya, Kasumi and Kawori each have a half-open-air bath, an indoor bath and a private terrace, and the inn says they look toward the falls. Japanese rooms A and B also have a half-open-air bath; the inn calls them its most popular type. It says every bath on the site, room tubs included, runs straight from the source.
The hotel
The owner, a builder by trade, began clearing about 33,000 square meters of cedar forest here in 1995 and spent two and a half years making the inn, fitting it with old joinery and antiques. There are 19 rooms: three special rooms of 75 to 85 square meters, the open-air Japanese rooms, ten standard 10-mat rooms and Minamo, a detached house for four to eight. Dinner is a kaiseki (a multi-course Japanese meal) by the head chef; special-room guests can take both meals in the room. The lounge Hakurakuten turns into a bar at night. Check-in 3 to 7 p.m., check-out 11 a.m.
Good to know
- Five private baths are free, 45 minutes a turn for staying guests, from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m.
- Book the station pickup ahead. Amagase Station has no taxis, and the inn puts the walk at about 30 minutes.
- Day visitors can bathe 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., ¥800 for the waterfall bath or ¥2,500 for a private bath, first come, no booking.
- A foot bath sits on the forest path that loops through the grounds.
Getting there
From Hita Station ride the JR Kyudai line three stations on to Amagase Station, about 12 minutes by limited express; the inn counts about 1 hour 30 minutes from Hakata by limited express. The inn picks up free at Amagase Station if told ahead, because the station has no taxis and the walk is about 30 minutes. Highway bus riders from Fukuoka Airport or Hakata take the Yufuin-bound bus to the Amagase-Takatsuka IC stop, where the inn also picks up free on request.
Amagase STN · JR Kyudai Main Line
About 30 minutes, by the inn's count.
Free pickup from Amagase Station or the Amagase-Takatsuka IC bus stop if arranged ahead; no taxis at the station.
Where it is
Amagase STN
- Shinkansen tickets Seats between any two stations, booked by date.
- JR Kyushu Rail Pass from ¥12,000 · 3, 5 or 7 consecutive days Worth it if Hita is one stop on a longer Kyushu trip by train.
- Yufuin and Hita day tour Yufuin and Hita in a day, with the Yufuin no Mori train as an option.
- Japan Rail Pass from ¥53,000 · 7, 14 or 21 days For a trip that takes in several regions by Shinkansen and JR lines.
What happens when you arrive
Skip the shared baths and use one of the private baths. No reservation needed.
How we know
Bath layout confirmed, tattoo policy not published Checked on the official site (: the hot spring page lists five private baths free to staying guests, and the rooms page lists rooms with a half-open-air bath)
Best for: five free private baths and a half-open-air spring tub on your own terrace
Five half-open-air private baths: Hinoki-yu (cypress), Yama-yu and Kawa-yu (rock), Kiri-yu (cut stone) and Kama-yu (with jets). Free for staying guests, 45 minutes a turn, taken 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. Day visitors pay ¥2,500 for 45 minutes, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., chosen on the day with no booking. The special rooms Asamoya, Kasumi and Kawori (75 to 85 m2) have a half-open-air bath, an indoor bath and a private terrace; Japanese rooms A and B have a half-open-air bath. The water is 100 percent source water with some water added. Amagase Station has no taxis; the inn picks up free if told ahead.
Book your stay
- BBooking.comCheck availability
- AAgodaCheck availability
- TTrip.comCheck availability
- EExpediaCheck availability
- HHotels.comCheck availability
Booking through these links costs you nothing extra and earns us a small commission, which keeps this guide free and up to date for our tattoo community. Thanks for your support.