Public bath No.9 O-yu

Public bath No.9, O-yu, is one of the nine sotoyu (outer baths) scattered through the hot-spring town of Shibu Onsen in Nagano. These small wooden bathhouses have been used by local residents for generations, and ryokan guests are given access to them during their stay. Each bath draws from its own source spring, and O-yu's water, like the others, is a simple hot-spring soak rather than a resort-style facility with saunas or lounges.

Access here is restricted to people staying overnight at one of the Shibu Onsen inns; there is no day-pass option and walk-ins are not permitted. Guests are typically lent a key by their ryokan that opens this and the other outer baths in the circuit. Hours at this particular bath run from 13:00 to 17:00 on Monday, Wednesday and Friday, and from 10:00 to 17:00 on Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday.

O-yu is also a stop on the kyuto meguri, the traditional nine-bath pilgrimage through Shibu Onsen. Visitors buy a tenugui towel from their inn and stamp it at each of the nine baths, finishing with a visit to the Shibu Takayakushi shrine overlooking the town to complete the circuit. Walking between baths in the rented yukata and geta sandals that many ryokan provide is part of the custom here, and the baths are communal, so sharing space with other guests and residents is normal. Because the spring water comes straight from the source, it can run very hot, so checking the temperature before getting in is worth doing.