Kotobukiyu
Ueno, Tokyo
Kotobukiyu is a temple-style sento near Inaricho with a karahafu roof, a huge painting on the bathroom wall and an outdoor rock bath. Inside there are hot and lukewarm tubs, a daily herbal bath, a sauna and a cold plunge, and it stays open until 1:30am.
Insider tip
Wash at the taps before you get in, and keep your small towel out of the water. A towel set (bath towel, small towel and scrubbing towel) is ¥100, and shampoo and body soap are free. The sauna costs ¥350 extra on weekdays and ¥450 at weekends. Open 11am to 1:30am, closed the third Thursday. It's 2 minutes from Inaricho station.
What the guides say about Kotobukiyu
Tsubameyu near Okachimachi opens at 6am, and its 1950 building and Mt Fuji lava rock mountain are a registered national Tangible Cultural Property. Kotobukiyu near Inaricho has a temple-style roof, a huge wall painting and an outdoor rock bath. Haginoyu by Uguisudani is one of the biggest sento in the city and also opens from 6am to 9am. For Yanaka, Saitoyu is 3 minutes from Nippori station.
What's on near Kotobukiyu
Upcoming events within a ten-minute walk of Kotobukiyu, from the weekly Tokyo events calendar.
Shitamachi Tanabata Matsuri
下町七夕まつり
Station Tawaramachi (Ginza Line), 5 min walk
Star festival along the 1.2 km shopping street between Ueno and Asakusa, hung with bamboo branches and paper streamers made by local shops and schools. The main weekend closes the street to traffic for parades, street performers, and food stalls.
Kappabashi Kitchenware Festival (41st Kappabashi Dougu Matsuri)
かっぱ橋道具まつり
Time Shop hours vary; main parade and performances on the final day from 11:00 Station Tawaramachi (Ginza Line), 5 min walk
The kitchenware shops along Kappabashi's 800-metre street run special sales and bargain bins for a full week around Tool Day on October 9th. On the final public holiday the street closes to traffic for a pedestrian zone with kitchen car food stalls, brass bands and taiko drumming.
Turner: Painting the Sublime, in Dialogue with Contemporary Art
テート美術館 ターナー展――崇高の絵画、現代美術との対話
Time 9:30 to 17:30, until 20:00 on Fridays and Saturdays Station Ueno (JR Yamanote Line), 1 min walk
A touring show of J.M.W. Turner's paintings from the Tate collection, hung alongside contemporary works that respond to them. It's held in the museum's special exhibition wing in Ueno Park. Closed Mondays.
Jean-Pierre Dalbéra, CC BY 2.0 Special Exhibition: Super Amazing World of Life
いきもの超ワールド展 国立科学博物館×ダーウィンが来た！
Station Ueno (JR Yamanote Line), 5 min walk
Specimens and research materials from the museum's collection are shown alongside footage from NHK nature programs. The exhibition looks at how organisms have adapted to different environments around the world and how they survive. Adult tickets are ¥2,300, with discounts for students.
Wei-Te Wong from Taipei City, Taiwan, Republic of China, CC BY-SA 2.0 The Gender of Living Things
特別展「生きものたちの性」
Station Ueno (JR Yamanote Line), 5 min walk
A special exhibition at the National Museum of Nature and Science examining the scientific diversity of sex and reproduction among living organisms. The show opens at the end of October and runs into early 2027.
Wei-Te Wong from Taipei City, Taiwan, Republic of China, CC BY-SA 2.0 Nearby
Around Ueno
Museums, market chaos, and Tokyo's great public park
Ueno does double duty. On one side you've got the park with its museums, its shrine, and some of the most famous cherry blossoms in Japan. On the other you've got Ameyoko, a market street that still runs on shouting and cash. Do both in one day and it's one of the best free-ish days out in Tokyo.
Ueno has 12 places on the Roam Tokyo map: 3 museums, 3 bathhouses, 2 shrines and temples, 2 parks and gardens, 1 restaurant and 1 market. Read the Ueno guide.
From the blog
Good to know
- How do I get to Kotobukiyu?
- The nearest station is Inaricho (Ginza Line). Kotobukiyu is in Ueno, Tokyo.
- How much does Kotobukiyu cost?
- Kotobukiyu is cheap, marked ¥ on the site's price scale.
- How long do you need at Kotobukiyu?
- Plan for 1-2 hours.
- When is the best time to visit Kotobukiyu?
- Late evening.
Stay near Kotobukiyu
Browse live availability and compare prices around Ueno.
Median US$203 a night across 31 listings within 0.6 km for a two-night stay a month out, sampled 29 September 2026. Cheapest quarter under US$167. See the weekly index for every neighbourhood.