Hot Springs Meet Marché! Monthly Market at Yumori no Sato in Chofu's Jindaiji Every 26th
Jindaiji Hot Spring Becomes a Marché Venue
At Jindaiji Natural Hot Spring Yumori no Sato in Chofu's Jindaiji district, a marché is held on the 26th of every month to coincide with "Furo no Hi" (Bath Day).
Local vendors gather within and around the facility grounds, offering a small market with fresh vegetables, processed foods, handmade goods, and workshops.
Social media has been buzzing with comments like "the combination of hot springs and a marché is just perfect."
The Jindaiji area has long been beloved by local residents as a destination for strolling, with the soba-restaurant street and the Jindaiji temple precinct among its highlights.
With the addition of the natural hot spring facility—and now a monthly marché—there is yet another way to spend a weekend.
The experience of "stopping by the hot spring and picking up locally grown vegetables on the way home" has become both practical and enjoyable for Chofu residents.
What Kind of Facility Is Yumori no Sato?
Yumori no Sato is a day-trip natural hot spring facility located at 2-12-2 Jindaiji Motomachi, Chofu City.
The grounds feature indoor baths, open-air baths, saunas, and more, and it has long been a spot that nearby residents can drop into easily.
The facility embraces the theme of "harmony and coexistence between people and nature" and has always valued its ties to the local community.
The spring water is a sodium-chloride and bicarbonate hot spring—a rich black (kuroyu) water known as one of the finest in the Kanto region.
The deep-black, humic-acid-rich water is gentle on the skin, and visitors come not only from Chofu but also from Mitaka and Fuchu on weekends.
The facility also has an on-site restaurant, so guests can enjoy a meal right after refreshing themselves in the baths.
As a marché venue, the atmosphere of the facility is said to complement the worldview of its vendors beautifully.
Why the 26th? The "Furo no Hi" Connection
The 26th of each month was chosen as "Furo no Hi" (Bath Day) based on the Japanese wordplay of "fu (2) ro (6)."
The hot spring and public bath industry nationwide has long promoted the 26th as a day to enjoy bathing, and Yumori no Sato followed this trend by making the marché a regular fixture on that date.
By anchoring the event to a fixed date like Bath Day, it becomes easy for visitors to plan around.
Regulars are said to look forward each month to seeing which vendors will be there.
This seemingly unlikely combination of a hot spring and a marché turns out to be a perfect match for the Jindaiji setting.
Marché Content and Vendor Categories
Each marché features multiple vendors, with the lineup varying from month to month.
Past vendor categories have covered a wide range:
- Fresh local produce (direct sales from farms in Chofu, Mitaka, Komae, and surrounding areas)
- Homemade processed foods (jams, pickles, baked goods, herbal teas, and more)
- Handmade crafts and goods (ceramics, leather goods, fabric accessories, etc.)
- Workshops (herbarium, aromatherapy, herbal tea blending, etc.)
- Food and drinks (spiced curry, craft beer, single-origin coffee, etc.)
Most vendors are small-scale producers or artisans who live or operate in Chofu or nearby areas, making this a uniquely curated market where you encounter "locally rooted" items rarely found at larger commercial markets.
Vendor announcements are posted each month on the facility's official social media.
How to Spend a Day Enjoying Both the Hot Spring and the Marché
The appeal of Yumori no Sato's marché lies in being able to enjoy it alongside a hot spring soak.
While most marchés tend to be "come, buy, and go," combining the market with a dip in the baths makes for a genuinely rich day out.
Here's a recommended way to spend the day:
Start by doing a full lap of the marché and noting what catches your eye.
Secure any fresh produce or sweets first, then head into the hot spring.
After a leisurely soak in the open-air bath, have lunch or dinner at the on-site restaurant.
On your way out, stop by the marché one more time to pick up anything that stuck in your mind—this kind of flow is becoming the go-to routine for regulars.
For families with children, pairing the hot spring with seasonal shopping at the marché makes for a fulfilling weekend together.
The Jindaiji area is naturally beautiful and pleasant to walk through, so strolling along the Jindaiji temple precinct or stopping by Jindai Botanical Garden before or after the marché is also recommended.
It's a Chofu-style plan you can enjoy at a leisurely pace over the course of a full day.
A Meaningful Venue for Local Small-Scale Producers
The reason this marché is drawing attention goes beyond what visitors get out of it—it's also become a meaningful place for the vendors themselves.
In and around Chofu, there are many small-scale producers of agricultural goods, handcrafts, and processed foods who struggle to find stable sales channels.
Yumori no Sato's marché, with its reliable monthly date and built-in foot traffic, has become an accessible "market to try" for vendors.
Shopping in the relaxed atmosphere of a hot spring facility creates a different vibe from a street marché—one where you have time to talk—and is said to naturally foster communication between vendors and customers.
This marché is beginning to function as a place where local producers and consumers can put a face to each other.
Access and Event Information
Here is how to get to Yumori no Sato:
- Train and bus: From Keio Line Chofu Station (North Exit bus terminal), take a local bus for about 10–15 minutes to the "Jindaiji" stop, then walk about 6 minutes
- Free shuttle bus: A free shuttle bus also runs from Chofu Station North Exit (check the official website for the schedule)
- By car: About 15 minutes from the Chofu Interchange on the Chuo Expressway via Koshu Kaido. Parking available (limited spaces; public transit also recommended)
Marché details:
- Date: The 26th of every month (Furo no Hi) May be canceled or scaled back in severe weather
- Hours: Around 10:00–16:00 (varies by vendor)
- Venue: Within and around the Yumori no Sato grounds
- Admission: Free (hot spring entry charged separately)
- Vendor info: Announced monthly on Yumori no Sato's official social media (Instagram and X)
Visiting purely for the marché is welcome, but we recommend pairing it with a hot spring soak while you're there.
Check the official social media before your visit to see which vendors will be on-site so you don't miss your favorites.
Event status may change due to weather, so be sure to confirm in advance on rainy days.
Looking Forward to Jindaiji's Future
The area around Jindaiji is home to a wealth of attractions: Jindai Botanical Garden, Jindaiji soba restaurants, and the Jindaiji Castle ruins, among others.
However, these draws have often felt more geared toward tourists than toward local residents as part of everyday life.
By creating a monthly gathering point for local residents within the Jindaiji area, Yumori no Sato's marché is giving Chofu residents the opportunity to rediscover the area as "a place of their own."
Once a month, the hot spring and marché bring the neighborhood gently together—as this kind of initiative takes root, Chofu City's local community will only grow richer for it.
We hope this marché continues for a long time as a new everyday fixture in the Jindaiji area.
Enjoy Hot Springs and the Marché in Chofu
The "Furo no Hi Marché" at Yumori no Sato is not a one-off special event—it's a monthly community fixture that happens like clockwork.
On the 26th of next month, why not make the trip to Jindaiji?
A relaxing soak in the hot spring followed by browsing the carefully crafted goods of local producers—that kind of Chofu-only afternoon might just make your weekend a little more special.