We love you, ashiyu at Yuppo no Sato.

In some ways, ashiyu can be thought of as the mini version of Japan’s hot spring experience. A combination of the words ashi (“foot”) and yu (“hot water”), ashiyu are footbaths, often outside and filled with natural hot spring water, where you can soak your feet to relax and rejuvenate them.

When you come across an ashiyu bath, often it’ll be a small setup for a half-dozen or so people, maybe off to the side of a full bathhouse or outside the central station of a hot spring town. On our recent trip to the city of Nasushiobara in Tochigi Prefecture, though, we came across Yuppo no Sato, which bills itself as being in “the top size-class of Japan” for ashiyu.

We’re not sure if it’s the absolute biggest in Japan, but we can say for sure that it’s the biggest ashiyu we’ve ever seen. After putting out shoes in the free-to-use storage locker near the entrance, we walked down the stairs to the reception desk and paid the entrance fee of 300 yen (US$2).

Then we proceeded to the ashiyu area…

…and were blown away…

…by just how huge it is!

From one end to the other, Yuppo no Sato’s ashiyu is 60 meters (197 feet) long. The gentle scent of the wood from the ceiling, flooring, and benches, coupled with the natural lighting and breeze from the open sections of the windows, made for a soothing and inviting atmosphere.

With so much space, finding a spot to sit down was a snap. We slid our feet into the water, which is piped in straight from the natural hot spring source, with no artificial heating or dilution, and instantly felt the tension in our toes start to melt away.

We spent the next 40 minutes alternating between admiring the view, zoning out, and reading a book we’d brought along, and could have easily spent at least that much time again before becoming anywhere tired of the experience. However…

…looking farther down the curving corridor, it’s hard not to want to keep walking in that direction and see what’s down there. Thankfully, going for a stroll while keeping your feet in the water isn’t just allowed, it’s encouraged. The name “Yuppo” is even formed from the hot-bathwater yu and a suffix, ppo, meaning “walk” or “stroll.” Yupo no Sato’s designers even vary the surfaces of the footbath, with six different patterns/textures, in order to stimulate vadious pressure points and provide a foot massage-like experience as you walk.

▼ The bath is also designed with extra width and a divider railing in the middle, giving enough space for walkers to get by without splashing or stepping on the toes of people sitting while they soak their feet.

When you first enter the footbath, you’re actually in the mid-point of the corridor, and can proceed to either your left or right. However, the ashiyu doesn’t form a complete circle. As shown in the map below, there’s a pond in the middle of the almost-circular layout, and the left and right ends of the corridor don’t quite meet up, so if you want to walk the entire 60-meter length, you’re actually going to need to walk 120 meters total.

Speaking of the pond, ever now and then a hot spring fountain will shoot off in dynamic fashion.

When we finally managed to talk ourselves into leaving Yuppo no Sato and go take care of the other things we had to do that do, we spotted one more way the facility lets you enjoy its hot spring water: drinking it.

Inside this pavilion is a tap that dispenses water from the same source as the water that goes into the bath, though, obviously, the water that comes out of this tap is just for drinking, and doesn’t go into the ashiyu.

The drinking water is provided free of charge, so we grabbed a paper cup to give it a try.

Some drinkable hot spring waters have very pronounced mineral/metallic flavors and sulfurous scents. By that metric, Yuppo no Sato’s water is rather mild, but you can still tell that it’s not ordinary tap or bottled water. According to a sign posted near the dispenser, this water is supposed to be effective in relieving digestive disorders and constipation, but the sign also notes that people with high blood pressure or swelling-related issues should refrain from drinking it, so we’ll leave it up to individual travelers to decide whether or not they want to partake of a cup.

As for Yuppo no Sato’s footbath itself, though? That’s something you definitely should experience for yourself if you’re traveling in this part of Japan.

Location information
Yuppo no Sato / 湯っぽの里
Address: Tochigi-ken, Nasushiobara-shi, Shiobara 602-1
Open 9 a.m.-6 p.m. (April-November), 9 a.m.-5 p.m. (December-March)
Closed Thursdays
Website

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