Nagayu Onsen Gozen-yu
長湯温泉療養文化館 御前湯
Does Nagayu Onsen Gozen-yu allow tattoos? In a private bath
Gozen-yu traces its name to a bathhouse the Oka domain lords built here in 1781; the present hall lets you drink the spring from every spout in the building.
Gozen-yu publishes no tattoo rule; its bathing manners page asks only for washing first and quiet. It rents four family baths for 50 minutes at a time, so a tattooed bather can use one alone instead of the two large baths.
The bath
Gozen-yu draws on three of the 51 springs in use at Nagayu, all bicarbonate water carrying carbon dioxide, which the hall says is absorbed through the skin, widens the small blood vessels and helps circulation. It adds no heat and no water, so tub temperatures move with the weather: 40 to 43°C indoors and 37 to 39°C in the open-air tubs. The hall keeps a drinking fountain at the entrance and says the water from every spout in the building is fit to drink. There are two large baths, on the first and third floors, each with an indoor tub, an open-air tub, a cold spring tub and a far-infrared sauna; men and women swap floors on odd and even days.
The four family baths are the private choice. One is a roofed half-open-air bath, two are Japanese-style rooms of wood, one of them wheelchair accessible with handrails, and one is a Western-style room built of stone. Each has a shower with soap and shampoo. They cost ¥2,400 for 50 minutes for up to four people. The photo of the open-air family bath shows a round tub of pale tan stone set in flagstones, a wooden railing and green trees beyond.
The hotel
Nagayu's main public bathhouse, on the Serikawa river. The hall says the lords of the Oka domain built a bathhouse here in 1781, and the present building houses the two large baths, a free 36-mat rest room, a massage room and a cafe. Its full name means Nagayu Onsen spa culture hall, and its history page tells how a doctor trained in Germany helped promote the town's carbonated water in the 1930s. Admission is ¥700 for adults from outside Taketa, ¥300 for elementary school children, free under six. Towels ¥300, bath towel rental ¥200. Open 6 a.m. to 9 p.m., last entry 8 p.m.
Good to know
- Four family baths, ¥2,400 for 50 minutes for up to four people.
- One family bath takes a wheelchair and has handrails.
- Closed one day a month, the third Wednesday.
- Drink the water at the fountain by the entrance.
Getting there
The hall gives driving routes and points bus riders to the Taketa city bus guide. From Oita take the JR Hohi line to Bungo-Taketa, about 1 hour 15 minutes, then the Taketa city bus on the Nagayu line; the hall stands in the bath town center near the Nagayu stops. It publishes no bus or walking minutes.
Bungo-Taketa STN · JR Hohi Line, then the Taketa city bus to Nagayu
Not walkable.
Taketa city bus to the bath town; the hall publishes no minutes.
Where it is
Nagayu Onsen roadside station STN
- Kyushu Shinkansen 40 min
- Kyushu Odan limited express 2 hr 21 min
- Taketa city bus 45 min
- 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 Kuju is part of a longer Kyushu trip by train.
- 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 reserve a private bath.
How we know
Bath layout confirmed, tattoo policy not published Checked on the official site (: the facility page lists four family baths and the hours page gives the fee)
Read on: gozenyu.com/kannai.html
Best for: a family bath in Nagayu's landmark bathhouse, with water you can drink from every spout
Four family baths, ¥2,400 for 50 minutes, up to four people: a roofed half-open-air bath, two Japanese-style baths (one wheelchair accessible, with handrails) and a Western-style stone bath, each with a shower and soap. The page does not say whether they can be booked ahead. Open 6 a.m. to 9 p.m., last entry 8 p.m.; closed the third Wednesday of the month. Admission ¥700 for adults from outside Taketa. The family baths reopened on September 19, 2026 after repairs.
The map shows every hotel close by. We haven’t checked their tattoo rules: sleep there, bathe here. Search Booking.com instead
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For current hours and prices, see the official website.