Takegawara Onsen

PSA: 1. Sand bath is nice.

2. Bring a small towel so you don’t have to rent one.

3. The picture of the pool is disgusting but it actually is ok in real life. Don’t be spooked by the pics you see online.

I tried the sand bath and it costed 1500yen (normal onsen bath is included). To experience the sand bath, one will have to get to the establishment and purchase the sand bath ticket from the vending machine and hand it to the counter. The counter will let you know when is the next available slot for it (so ask about the next available slot first before you purchase the ticket) and give you a piece of paper with a number on it.

I got there at 12:30pm and the next available slot was 2pm. I was told to come back 15mins before for briefing and preparation.

At 1:45pm, the counter called out numbers to confirm the numbers of participants.

I was invited to enter the sand bath room at 2pm sharp. I had to change into a Yukata and enter the actual sand bath room.

The actual sand bath room is mix genders. So if you are visiting with your friends/ family, you’ll get to experience it together, side by side.

The staff will appoint you a place to lie down on and bury you ✨Mexican cartel style ✨ 10/10 recommended.

The sand bath was one of the most comfortable things I've experience in my life... like a long, warm, firm hug. Ladies who buried me were kind to offer to take photo for me too. There is also traditional water onsen, and lounge area with manga, TV, and iced drinks to refresh and rest. Such a lovely experience. I wish I could stay longer!

There are no showers in the normal baths so shower before hand. The bath was nice, but be careful not to sit on the edge of the tub, it’s a local faux pas.

Our first public onsen experience. We loved the sand bath! Recommend bringing your own towel so you won’t have to pay for one.

I’m a hot spring enthusiast. Had the nicest sand bath in my life — just 10 minutes but it felt like I was in the hot water for the whole day. I walked 40,000 steps yesterday and now my legs are completely rejuvenated!

A must visit when you're in Beppu, the hot spring capital of Japan.

Try their sandbath early in the morning, it opens at 8am. The onsen opens at 630am.

You can ask the ladies to take your pictures as they already know that guests would like to capture the moment.

Be careful if you are quite claustrophobic. The feeling of being buried in hot sand can be unsettling.

After 10mins,rinse off and take a rejuvenating dip in their onsen.

This is one of oldest public spa in beppu.
You can go in 100yen/ person.
Classic and traditional style. No shower
you just enjoy atmosphere. It’s gonna be nice experience.

As only 8 people can use the sand bath at one time, we waited half an hour before our turn. However, the waiting area is large and heated, which was great during winter. The 1030 yen fee also gets you a yukata. The ladies working here are very friendly and can speak some English.
I loved how unlike other onsens, you don’t need to shower beforehand. You shower after the sand bath and can take a soak in a small hot tub.
Bring a towel, and be ready to get sand in your hair!

Go there for awesome experience with sand bath! And to see old historic building.
The onsen bath itself is small and pretty limited, so nothing fancy - but original if you want to meet locals. Helpful staff working there!

My sand bath here was one of the highlights of my Kyushu trip. It cost 1500 Yen for 15 mins and included the public bath as well (although that was almost unbearably hot, just fyi in case you want to go for the bath only). For the sand bath, you sign up with the cashier for the next available session, you can’t reserve or book a later slot. The staff spoke good English and was very patient and kind explaining the whole process. The place is no frills and old school, which I loved!

It is such an unique experience. If you have a towel, shampoo, etc. you should bring them as they don't supply them for free, although they are very inexpensive to purchase there. 300 yen to use their facility. Note that they don't have showers, so use the bath water to wash your body before getting into the bath. The building was built in 1938.

Great experience with the sand bath. 15 minutes on the sand and a relaxing bath after. Recommended to bring your own towel

A great experience and cheap! It’s a traditional bathhouse with just one bath and the water was hotttt ♨ so I personally could stay in too long. The resting area/lounge is very nice, and the clerk at the front was welcoming.

Traditional onsen with bare minimum amenities but you can feel the history and imagine how people use to love. Fantastic experience. The water was scorching hot.

I had a new experience taking the sand bath! The sand was very heavy cuz it was wet! You'll get dirty afterward, should take a shower! Their public Onsen was very very hot! I couldn't stand it was super hot for me! Lol

If you pay the sand bath entry fee by card, 10% discount they offer to you.

You should bring your shampoo, conditioner, and shower gel with you cuz there is none of them. You can rent some towels, you should ask for the reception.

At least 500 yen worth of 100 yen coins are required, those are for your coin-operated locker and a cold drink for after the bath!

You could go to a fancy onsen and pay lot's of money. And you can go to the public onsen for ¥300. It's basically the same: hot spring water. Ok, they do not have showers. And it looks a bit old (it actually is). But is has a certain spirit. Definitely charming

Beautiful building and nice experience with the sand bath.

Lovely onsen, they don’t speak much English but it’s pretty easy to figure out. It is a lot smaller than you might think! There is only one bath for women and one bath for men. There are also no showers, you need to use the onsen water to rinse yourself off BEFORE you get into the bath, so be sure you do. Very nice for it being the oldest onsen in Beppu!

Went in for the sand bath and wasn’t disappointed! Staff were very friendly, the building itself has an old retro vibe which nevertheless well maintained, and I came out feeling very refreshed! Would definitely try again

Authentic Japanese hot springs from Meiji period. If you want to try the real "onsen" experience, this is the place for you. It also have sand bath.