Ichinoyu (Iga)

About Ichinoyu

Ichinoyu (一乃湯) is a public bathhouse in the castle town of Ueno at Ueno-nishihinata-machi, Iga City, Mie Prefecture, whose two-storey timber main building and stone gate, both of 1926, were registered as two Registered Tangible Cultural Property structures on June 21, 2013. A neon sign put up when Ichinoyu opened in 1950 crowns the gate (Agency for Cultural Affairs).

The Iga-Ueno Tourism Association lists Ichinoyu among its member bathhouses.

Two Structures

The main building, across a forecourt, is a two-storey timber building with a hip-and-gable pantiled roof entered at the gable end and a projecting karahafu porch. Changing rooms occupy the ground floor and a tatami rest room the upper floor; amid the Japanese design, the wall at the bath entrance shows terracotta and arches (Agency for Cultural Affairs).

The gate faces the street in front of the main building, with granite posts, double iron doors, side posts and iron fences, and above it a neon sign shaped as the Ichinoyu name and hot-spring symbol (Agency for Cultural Affairs).

Bathhouse Culture in the Ueno Castle Town

The Agency for Cultural Affairs says the main building adds colour to the historic townscape of the Ueno castle town and that the gate conveys the bathhouse culture of its day. The approach from the street gate across the forecourt to the main building shows how a castle-town bathhouse was laid out.

Using the Bathhouse and Location

Ichinoyu is in use as a public bath. According to the Iga-Ueno Tourism Association, it is at 1762 Ueno-nishihinata-machi, Iga City; telephone 0595-21-1126. We could not confirm opening hours from official sources, so check before visiting.