This guide covers the suspension bridges, gorge walks, autumn-leaf light-up, town sights and limestone cave of Shiobara Onsen, and the practical details for reaching them from Tokyo and Nasu-Shiobara.
Kurenai Bridge is a suspension bridge over the Hoki River behind Shiobara Monogatari-kan. This guide follows the gorge road and the bridges of Shiobara Onsen, then the town sights and the routes in from Tokyo.
Quick Facts
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Fare for the JR Bus from Nasu-Shiobara Station to Shiobara Onsen | 1,190 yen |
| Adult bridge-crossing fee for the Momijidani Suspension Bridge | 300 yen |
| Kurenai Bridge autumn-leaf light-up | 17 October to 30 November |
| JR Bus from Nasu-Shiobara Station to the Momijidani Suspension Bridge stop | About 30 minutes |
The Gorge Road and the Kurenai Bridge Light-up
Since a tunnel opened, fewer cars use the Taisho Romance Gorge Road, leaving a quieter road to walk. It suits a walk, with fresh green in spring and autumn leaves in autumn. If the lot near Kurenai Bridge is full, other lots are within walking distance. The Shiobara Onsen Koryu Hiroba lot is a short walk before the bridge.
Kurenai Bridge has a light-up in the autumn-leaf season. The lot of Shiobara Monogatari-kan is right in front of Kurenai Bridge. The Furumachi Prefectural lot is a longer walk beyond the bridge.
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Kurenai Bridge light-up period | 17 October to 30 November |
| Kurenai Bridge light-up hours | 17:00 to 21:00, and the lighting start time may shift somewhat |
| Projected autumn-leaf peak | Around 5 to 10 November |
| Lot in front of Kurenai Bridge (Shiobara Monogatari-kan) | 23 spaces |
| Shiobara Onsen Koryu Hiroba lot | 5-minute walk, 300 m before the bridge |
| Furumachi Prefectural lot | 14-minute walk, 800 m beyond the bridge |
| Temporary lot at the former Ashikaga Bank site | 17 spaces, from 24 October |
Momijidani Suspension Bridge
From the Momijidani Suspension Bridge bus stop, the bridge is a short walk away. The JR Bus from Nasu-Shiobara Station toward Shiobara Onsen stops there.
Drivers find a free parking lot at the bridge for small and large vehicles.
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Adult bridge-crossing fee | 300 yen |
| Bridge-crossing fee for elementary and junior high school children | 200 yen |
| Bridge-crossing fee for people aged 65 and over | 200 yen |
| Opening hours of the Momijidani Suspension Bridge | 8:30 to 18:00 |
| Parking at the Momijidani Suspension Bridge | Free, with 123 spaces for small vehicles and 8 for large vehicles |
| Walk from the Momijidani Suspension Bridge bus stop | 3 minutes |
| JR Bus from Nasu-Shiobara Station to the Momijidani Suspension Bridge stop | 30 minutes |
Mikaeri and Nanatsuiwa Suspension Bridges
The Nanatsuiwa Suspension Bridge has parking, a toilet and wheelchair access.
The table below lists the bridge and waterfall measurements.
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Length and width of the Mikaeri Suspension Bridge | 100 m long and 1.0 m wide |
| Length and width of the Nanatsuiwa Suspension Bridge | 87 m long and 1.5 m wide |
| Drop of Mikaeri Falls | 53 m |
In the Hot Spring Town
A villa built in Shiobara Onsen by Mishima Michitsune was presented to the Imperial Family, and it is the predecessor of the former Shiobara Imperial Villa. The Shingozasho part of the villa was moved to its present site.
Shiobara Monogatari-kan has exhibition rooms on the history and literature of Shiobara, a tourist information corner, a vegetable stand, a restaurant and a foot bath.
The Shiobara Onsen Yuppo-no-Sato foot bath park is closed on Thursdays.
The former Shiobara Imperial Villa is closed every Wednesday. The Shiobara Onsen Visitor Center is closed every Tuesday.
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Hours of the former Shiobara Imperial Villa | 9:00 to 17:00, and 9:00 to 16:30 from 1 December to 31 March |
| Closed day of the former Shiobara Imperial Villa | Every Wednesday |
| Year the Shingozasho was relocated | 1981 |
| Year the predecessor villa was built and presented to the Imperial Family | 1903 |
| Hours of Shiobara Monogatari-kan | 8:30 to 18:00 |
| Museum admission at Shiobara Monogatari-kan, adults | 300 yen |
| Museum admission, elementary and junior high school students | 200 yen |
| Museum admission, ages 65 and over | 200 yen |
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Hours of the Shiobara Onsen Yuppo-no-Sato foot bath park | 9:00 to 18:00 |
| Hours of the foot bath park from December to March | Until 17:00 |
| Closed day of the foot bath park | Every Thursday (the next day if Thursday is a public holiday) |
| Drive from the Nishi-Nasuno Shiobara Interchange to the foot bath park | About 30 minutes |
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Hours of the Shiobara Onsen Visitor Center | 9:00 to 16:30, with free admission |
| Closed days of the Shiobara Onsen Visitor Center | Every Tuesday (the next day if Tuesday is a public holiday) and from 29 December to 3 January |
Myoun-ji Temple and Its Peonies
Myoun-ji is a temple of the Rinzai Myoshinji school. Peonies fill the temple precinct and bloom together from early to late May.
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Sect of Myoun-ji | Rinzai Myoshinji school |
| Number of peonies in the precinct | More than 3,000 |
| Peony bloom period at Myoun-ji | Early May to late May |
Genzankutsu Cave
Genzankutsu is a limestone cave formed by volcanic activity. The temperature inside the cave is given as an annual average.
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Opening hours of Genzankutsu | 9:00 to 17:00 |
| Admission for adults (high school students and older) | 600 yen |
| Admission for children (elementary and junior high school students) | 400 yen |
| Total length of the cave | About 50 m |
| Temperature inside the cave | 15 to 16 degrees on annual average |
Visitors who prefer to join a tour can browse tours around Shiobara Onsen.
Getting to Shiobara Onsen from Tokyo
The route to Shiobara Onsen runs through Nasu-Shiobara Station.
- Take the Tohoku Shinkansen from Tokyo Station or Ueno Station to Nasu-Shiobara Station, which takes about 70 minutes.
- From Nasu-Shiobara Station, ride the JR Bus toward Shiobara Onsen for a fare of 1,190 yen.
- Pay with a transport IC card such as totra, Suica or PASMO, which can be used on this route bus.
- For the Shiobara Onsen Visitor Center, take the bus bound for the Shiobara Onsen Bus Terminal and get off at the Nanatsuiwa Suspension Bridge stop after 45 minutes.
- From the Nanatsuiwa Suspension Bridge stop, walk 5 minutes to the Shiobara Onsen Visitor Center.
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Tohoku Shinkansen from Omiya Station to Nasu-Shiobara Station | About 45 minutes |
| JR Bus fare from Nishi-Nasuno Station to Shiobara Onsen | 940 yen |
| Two-day Shiobara Gorge free ticket, Senbonmatsu to Shiobara Onsen | 2,300 yen for adults and 1,150 for children |
| Nasu-Shiobara-go express bus from Shinjuku or Oji, one-way fare | 3,300 yen |
| Nasu-Shiobara-go express bus, round-trip fare | 5,750 yen |
| Nasu-Shiobara-go express bus ride time, no transfer | About 3 hours 20 minutes |
| Yu-bus fare | 200 yen per ride, or 400 yen for unlimited rides |
| Drive from the Tokyo direction | About 113 minutes |
| Train and JR Bus from Tokyo | About 140 minutes |
| Drive from the Nishi-Nasuno-Shiobara Interchange to Kurenai Bridge | About 20 minutes |
Compare options
See partner pricing and availability →
Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links. If you book through them, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.