[Saitama Sauna Review] A Full Review of Seibu-Chichibu Ekimae Onsen Matsuri no Yu! How Crowded Is It?

This time I’m introducing the complex hot spring facility “Seibu-Chichibu Ekimae Onsen Matsuri no Yu.” (hereafter, Matsuri no Yu), a festival-themed spot just a 1-minute walk from Seibu-Chichibu Station in Saitama.

Chichibu is a “wasshoi” town with more than 300 festivals a year, and including the small ones, there’s practically one every day, so “Matsuri no Yu” has a design concept evoking Chichibu’s festivals.

Joe, who loves hot springs and saunas, actually went, so I’d like to tell you what kind of place “Matsuri no Yu,” the hot spring facility symbolizing Chichibu’s festivals, is, along with how crowded it gets!

In 2024, a private sauna room and a below-freezing ice room also opened!!

Basic Info on Seibu-Chichibu Ekimae Onsen Matsuri no Yu

Located in Nosaka-cho, Chichibu City, Saitama, Matsuri no Yu, almost directly connected to Seibu-Chichibu Station, is a complex hot spring facility developed by Seibu Railway Co., Ltd. and opened in April 2017, made up of three areas: the “hot spring area,” the “food court,” and the “merchandise area.”

It’s a two-story building above ground, with the reception and dining area on the 1st floor, and on the 2nd floor the baths, premium lounge, relaxation area, and bedrock bath.

The hot spring area has five indoor baths for men, six for women, four open-air baths, and a bedrock sauna, where you can enjoy the hot springs while looking out at Chichibu’s beautiful nature.

Location of Seibu-Chichibu Ekimae Onsen Matsuri no Yu

It’s a 1-minute walk from Seibu-Chichibu Station on the Seibu Chichibu Line, in a convenient spot that also works as a base for sightseeing in Chichibu.

By car, it’s about 31 km from Hanazono IC on the Kan-etsu Expressway via Route 140 (45 minutes in normal conditions), or about 39 km from Hanno via Route 299 (55 minutes in normal conditions).

Name	Seibu-Chichibu Ekimae Onsen Matsuri no Yu
Address	368-0033 1-16-15 Nosaka-cho, Chichibu, Saitama
Phone	04-9422-7111
Hours	10:00–22:00 (last admission 21:30) Morning bath on weekends and holidays 6:00–9:00 (last admission 8:30)
Official Website	https://www.seibu-leisure.co.jp/matsuri/

Facility Info: Seibu-Chichibu Ekimae Onsen Matsuri no Yu

📍 Seibu-Chichibu Ekimae Onsen Matsuri no Yu

♨ Men’s Bath ♨ Women’s Bath

🔥 Sauna

Auto Loyly SaunaApprox. 93°C

Auto loyly3 tiersCapacity 20

Steam Salt SaunaApprox. 55°C

💧 Cold Plunge

Set temperatureApprox. 16°C

Water qualityChichibu well water

🌿 Outdoor Cooling

[Open-air area]

• Deck chairs: 2 / Chairs: 4

🔥 Sauna

Auto Loyly SaunaApprox. 90°C

Auto loylyTV available

Salt SaunaApprox. 50°C

💧 Cold Plunge

TemperatureApprox. 18°C

Water qualitySoft

🌿 Outdoor Cooling

[Open-air / Rest]

• Lie-down bath: 4 seats / Totonoi chairs: Yes

Inside Seibu-Chichibu Ekimae Onsen Matsuri no Yu

Next, a tour of the inside of Matsuri no Yu!

Enter the Matsuri no Yu facility, on the left of the Seibu-Chichibu Station ticket gate exit, and go straight to the very back, where Saitama Prefecture’s only Onsen Musume, “Chichibu Mimatsuri (Chichibu Matsuri),” welcomes you.

Front Desk at Seibu-Chichibu Ekimae Onsen Matsuri no Yu

Just inside the entrance are coin-free shoe lockers.

Use the lower lockers for boots and high-top sneakers.

Have your temperature checked at the entrance, then complete the entry procedure at reception.

Tell the staff which menu you want to use, and in exchange for your shoe locker key, you receive a wristband and a bath towel set.

The baths are on the 2nd floor, so I climbed the stairs behind the desk. There’s also an elevator between the 1st and 2nd floors.

Going up to the 2nd floor, I was impressed by the design that evokes the bustle of a festival.

On the left, from the front, are the relaxation area, sleeping area, smoking area, and men’s bath. On the right are the women-only lounge, massage area, bedrock bath, and women’s bath.

If you have large luggage, use the free lockers in the center of the 2nd floor.

However, you can’t use them freely: you need to apply at the 1st-floor front desk, and you must return the key to the front desk after use, so it’s a bit of a hassle.

At the end, the entrances to the men’s and women’s baths are on the left and right.

If you’re meeting up at a set time, use the nearby benches or the relaxation area.

Hot Springs at Seibu-Chichibu Ekimae Onsen Matsuri no Yu

Indoors there are a jet bath, a high-concentration carbonated spring bath, and a silky bath, plus socially distanced totonoi (cooling-off) chairs, three in all.

The silky bath leaves your skin moist and smooth and keeps you from cooling down quickly, and it’s popular with women and rare to find.

There’s no background music in the building, so it’s quiet, and at the washing stations body soap, shampoo, and conditioner are provided, but no face wash. Lotion and hair dryers are set out in the changing room.

It’s artificial, but it’s a high-concentration carbonated spring that promotes blood circulation and boosts immunity. The bubbles clinging to your whole body feel refreshingly invigorating.

Open-Air Baths at Seibu-Chichibu Ekimae Onsen Matsuri no Yu

The open-air baths include a lie-down bath, a natural hot spring, and a pot bath, an open-air space more than generous for a hot spring right by the station.

The glow of the decorative lantern lights brings peace of mind.

The open-air area also has three totonoi chairs and one bench, so considering how many sauna fans there are, it looks spacious and comfortable to use.

On winter nights, Chichibu drops below freezing, making for an extremely intense outdoor cooling session, so be careful not to catch a cold.

In summer, outdoor cooling while listening to cicadas, and in autumn to bell crickets, resonates through your whole body and feels great.

The view of Mt. Buko from the women’s open-air bath is said to be beautiful, a luxury found only here.

Sauna at Seibu-Chichibu Ekimae Onsen Matsuri no Yu

The largest sauna in Chichibu. A three-tier dry sauna with a big TV in front, with plenty of volume. Because of COVID-19 countermeasures, it was limited to 11 people: 4 on the upper tier, 3 on the middle tier, and 4 on the lower tier.

It’s so similar to the sauna at Thermae-yu in Tokyo that I wondered if it was designed by the same person.

The temperature, set at 84°C to 88°C with tourists in mind rather than sauna enthusiasts, has weak radiant heat and a mild setting, but automatic loyly every 30 minutes keeps the humidity at a suitable level.

If you’re bothered by sauna mats being shared, you may want to bring your own.

There are shelves, but no hooks for sauna hats. Maybe because of the low temperature, I didn’t see any other users.

The women’s sauna has two rooms: a stone-heated dry sauna and a steam salt sauna, but the salt sauna is set at a lower temperature, so it may take longer to work up a sweat.

Don’t put on too much salt. The interval between automatic loyly is long, so it’s hard to adjust, which is a shame!

Private Saunas “Tsuki (Moon)” and “Taki (Waterfall)” and the “Below-Freezing Ice Room” Open

In October 2024, two private saunas, “Tsuki (Moon)” and “Taki (Waterfall),” were born!

In “Tsuki,” a clock inspired by the phases of the moon is installed, and in “Taki,” water is dropped onto the sauna stove in the image of a waterfall to generate a large amount of steam, so you can enjoy something out of the ordinary.

The price is 3,000 yen on weekdays and 5,000 yen on Saturdays, Sundays, holidays, and special days, for a 2-hour private booking, so it’s nice that you can use it without worrying about being seen.

By the way, this is the first in Chichibu’s history, a minus-20°C “Below-Freezing Ice Room”!!

It’s as frigid as Hokkaido, so you can cool down very efficiently and comfortably.

Cold Plunge at Seibu-Chichibu Ekimae Onsen Matsuri no Yu

A cold plunge right next to the sauna, 80 cm deep and with no jets.

If you crouch down a little, you can cool your whole body down to the shoulders, in blissful comfort. The thermometer read 17°C. The women’s cold plunge is at about the same temperature.

The cold plunge has two steps, and because the tub is black, the steps are hard to see. Many people trip on the second step and dive into the plunge, so those who are weak in cold water and older guests should be careful.

For some reason, I really saw people fall a lot.

Bedrock Bath at Seibu-Chichibu Ekimae Onsen Matsuri no Yu

In the center of the 2nd floor is the bedrock bath corner. It costs 450 yen for adults, including bedrock bath wear.

The bedrock slabs include medicinal gemstone, germanium ore, and tourmaline. The bedrock is set at around 60°C.

Lounge (Relaxation Area) at Seibu-Chichibu Ekimae Onsen Matsuri no Yu

On the left at the top of the stairs on the 2nd floor is a spacious relaxation area.

It has the kind of reclining chairs (38 seats) found at super sento and spas, where the backrest and footrest move up and down at the push of a button. Outlets and free Wi-Fi are provided.

There’s no place to use as a work lounge.

There are partitions on both sides, offering some privacy, so you could easily fall into a deep sleep.

For a change of mood, you can also lie down in this tatami space.

Incidentally, rest spaces with tatami are decreasing year by year.

Massage Area at Seibu-Chichibu Ekimae Onsen Matsuri no Yu

A massage area offering manual therapy aimed at relaxation that relieves mental and physical stress and promotes health.

A combination of pressure-point stimulation and stretching loosens exhausted muscles and promotes blood circulation.

The menu includes body care, reflexology, hand reflexology, and face therapy. 20 minutes for 2,200 yen and 60 minutes for 6,260 yen, a little cheaper than the average price in Tokyo.

Dining Area at Seibu-Chichibu Ekimae Onsen Matsuri no Yu

After warming your body slowly to the core in the hot springs and sauna, it’s about the time you get hungry.

The menu isn’t very large, but they serve Chichibu specialties: waraji katsudon, miso potato, and soba/udon.

The waraji katsudon has a quite sweet sauce that goes well with rice, so you can polish it off in no time. If you come to Chichibu, give it a try!

Crowding at Seibu-Chichibu Ekimae Onsen Matsuri no Yu

Matsuri no Yu, the hot spring right by the station.

What you want to know is how crowded it gets, right? You’ve made the trip all the way from Tokyo, and you finally arrive!

But it would be disappointing to find a long line at reception, wouldn’t it?

So which days and times does Matsuri no Yu get crowded?

Matsuri no Yu gets crowded on weekends and holidays, especially from the afternoon into the evening, but the hot springs, sauna, and relaxation area can still be used comfortably without waiting.

I actually entered just after 5 p.m. on a Saturday, and reception wasn’t busy. There were only a handful of users each in the changing room, indoor baths, open-air baths, and sauna, so it wasn’t crowded.

Chichibu has many sightseeing spots, cherry blossom and autumn foliage events, and festival events, and the staff said that during events it can get so crowded that they even restrict entry.

Compared to waiting at hot spring and sauna facilities in Tokyo, it’s worth the transportation cost and time to come from the city!!

Admission Fees at Seibu-Chichibu Ekimae Onsen Matsuri no Yu

Matsuri no Yu is easy to drop into even by train, right in front of Seibu-Chichibu Station. What you wonder about is the price structure.

For a day-trip hot spring or spa facility in Tokyo with a lounge-wear set, it costs about 2,500 to 3,500 yen on average. That’s expensive!

The latest prices at “Matsuri no Yu” are as follows. They went up in 2022.

Menu	Category	Weekdays	Weekends, Holidays, and Special Days
Admission 10:00–22:00	Adult	1,100 yen	1,380 yen
	Child	700 yen	800 yen
Morning bath 6:00–9:00	Adult	―	890 yen
	Child	―	580 yen
Towel set (admission + face towel and bath towel)	Adult	1,400 yen	1,680 yen
	Child	1,000 yen	1,100 yen
Lounge-wear set (admission + face towel, bath towel, and lounge wear)	Adult	1,700 yen	1,980 yen
	Child	1,300 yen	1,400 yen

Other menu	Category	Weekdays	Weekends, Holidays, and Special Days
Bedrock bath	Adult	390 yen	450 yen
Premium lounge, 2 hours	Adult	550 yen	770 yen

The lowest admission fee is 1,380 yen even on weekends, holidays, and special days, a very reasonable price!

If you wanted to, you could stay all day for just 1,380 yen without worrying about the time.

Even renting a bath towel and face towel is only 1,680 yen, and with a lounge-wear set it’s 1,980 yen, which can be more than 2,000 yen cheaper than day-trip hot spring and spa prices in Tokyo!!

Are There Coupons for Seibu-Chichibu Ekimae Onsen Matsuri no Yu?

Considering the location in Chichibu, Saitama, it’s very cheap, but if possible you’d still like to use the hot spring a little cheaper, right?

Even if you aren’t a member, you can get coupons that lower the regular price on Asoview!

On the way home, stop by the Chichibu Miyage Ichi souvenir market in the merchandise area!

After relaxing at Matsuri no Yu, head to the Chichibu Miyage Ichi souvenir market, which stocks classic Chichibu souvenirs such as “shakushina-zuke” (pickled greens) and “miso-marinated pork,” as well as “Chichibu mochi” and Japanese and Western sweets made with maple sugar!

Enjoy Chichibu Specialties at the Food Court “Matsuri no Utage”!

Directly connected to Matsuri no Yu are specialty shops where you can enjoy Chichibu specialties such as “waraji katsudon” and “kurumidare soba” (soba with walnut sauce).

There’s also a corner where you can compare Chichibu’s local sake from the three Chichibu breweries!

My Impressions After Actually Using It

This time I stopped by on my way home from golf in Chichibu, and even considering that it’s Chichibu, a lounge-wear set at 1,980 yen on weekends and holidays is a real bargain, and the building is very clean!

It’s right by the station, so I relaxed in the lounge and hot springs until the last minute, timed to my return Laview limited express departure.

Rather than sauna fans, many guests come to refresh after a day of Chichibu sightseeing, the Hitsujiyama Park moss phlox festival, or hiking, so the sauna, cold plunge, and totonoi chairs were relatively empty and comfortable.

I’d be completely satisfied if the sauna room were a bit hotter, but the automatic loyly and the moderate humidity are good.

Popular sauna facilities in Tokyo are all crowded, so how about making a trip out to Chichibu’s hot springs and sauna once in a while?