The first public bath and a symbol of the Yamaga Hot Spring district
Sakura-Yu is a public bath having a long history. Its origin dates back to 1640 when the Hosokawa clan, the Lord of the Higo domain, established lodging facilities for their travel. In 1870–1872, the bathhouse, which had been badly damaged by then, underwent an extensive rehabilitation and became the bathhouse for the public. In 1898 it was renovated and expanded by a master carpenter renowned for his work for the Dogo Onsen Honkan bathhouse in Ehime Prefecture in Shikoku. Sakura-Yu was always at the center of the citizens lives as a public bath but the building was demolished in 1973 as part of urban development. Decades later, the City of Yamaga decided to restore the former glory of Sakura-Yu and the reconstruction was completed in November 2012, 38 years after the demolition of the old building. Sakura-Yu is the largest bathhouse in a traditional wooden structure in Kyushu. Take a bath here and enjoy the unique atmosphere created by the long history.
- Address
- 〒861-0501
1-1, Yamaga, Yamaga City, Kumamoto Prefecture
- Telephone
- 0968-43-3326
- Access
- Business hours
- 6:00～24:00
- Regular holiday
- Third Wednesday of every month (in the case of a holiday, the next weekday)
