[Carefully Selected] 10 Must-Visit Hot Spring Inns in Japan

Uenoyu Onsen Ginkonyu (Hokkaido)

Kaminoyu Onsen is a famous hot spring that springs from an island in the middle reaches of the Ochibe River. It is said that the indigenous Ainu people have used it for hundreds of years to wash off their sweat after hunting and sometimes for medical treatment. On May 10, 1926, Kawaguchi Fukutaro excavated the island below Nanae Pass and succeeded in producing a large amount of hot water. Fukutaro's wife Tone suggested that the hot spring be named "Ginkonyu" after the couple's silver wedding anniversary. The inn is surrounded by a garden of trees, mainly maples, allowing you to enjoy various types of hot springs while feeling nature with your whole body. The purely Japanese-style inn has the dignity of a former Japanese inn, and is designed to give you a sense of the warmth of cozy wood. Five hot springs are used for the hot springs, and there are a total of 11 baths, including large public baths for men and women, private open-air baths, and family baths. In addition, playful open-air baths are dotted along the walking paths on the premises as "hidden baths," which are private baths for guests staying at the inn.

Spring quality: sodium chloride, bicarbonate spring Hot spring usage: 170 liters/min. Source temperature: 50-90℃
Daytime bathing: Available (800 yen for adults)
Address: 199 Kaminoyu, Yakumo-cho, Futami-gun, Hokkaido
Business period: All year round Standard accommodation fee: 13,350 yen to 22,150 yen (1 room for 2 people, price per person including breakfast and dinner)

Kunimi Onsen Ishizuka Ryokan (Iwate Prefecture)

Kunimi Onsen is located on a hill overlooking Kunimi Pass at an altitude of 860m, and is a secluded hot spring inn surrounded by broadleaf forests such as beech forests. It is said that the hot springs were first discovered around 1850, when a lord from the Nanbu region came to take a therapeutic bath in a palanquin along a pathless road. After that, with the fall of the Nanbu clan, the ancestor of the current owner bought the inn and it has been passed down to the current Kunimi Onsen Ishizuka Ryokan. The cuisine is made with a focus on local produce, with meat and fish from the local Iwate prefecture, and trout caught locally from clear streams. The unique green water has the dual benefits of being a sulfur spring and a hydrogen carbonate spring, and among sulfur springs, it is a hydrogen sulfide type. The inn is closed in winter, so you can enjoy it from spring to the end of autumn. The large public baths, separated by gender, offer the most comfortable water temperature.

Spring quality: Sulfur-containing sodium bicarbonate spring Hot spring usage: 190 liters/min. Source temperature: 50℃
Daytime bathing: Available (700 yen for adults)
Address: 1-5 Hashiba Ryusenyama, Shizukuishi-cho, Iwate-gun, Iwate Prefecture
Operating period: Mid-May to early November Standard accommodation fee: 14,780 yen to 15,880 yen (1 room for 2 people, price per person including breakfast and dinner)

Genyu Yusankaku (Akita Prefecture)

Oga Onsen is an ancient hot spring that is said to have been discovered by Sakanoue no Tamuramaro between 806 and 810. Genyu Yusankaku was established around 1920 using a spring that suddenly gushed forth on the premises, and is located on a hill overlooking the hot spring town and the sea. At Namahage no Yu, where hot water gushes out from the mouth of the local monster Namahage, you can enjoy 100% cloudy hot spring water that flows directly into the bathtub without adding water or heating. The hot spring is so thick that layers of mineral deposits form and the hot spring piping needs to be replaced every three months due to the accumulation of minerals. At the restaurant, you can enjoy Oga's specialty fisherman's cuisine, "stone-grilled cuisine," and the local dish, "anpura mochi." The water that gushes out from the source changes color from brown to green to white depending on the season and temperature, and is characterized by its rich mineral deposits and its mellow texture.

Spring quality: Sodium chloride hot spring. Amount of hot spring used: 200 liters/min. Source temperature: 53.5℃.
Daytime bathing: Available (800 yen for adults)
Address: 52 Kusakihara, Kitaura Yumoto, Oga City, Akita Prefecture
Business period: All year round Standard accommodation fee: 18,850 yen to 24,350 yen (1 room for 2 people, price per person including breakfast and dinner)

Namekawa Onsen Fukushimaya (Yamagata Prefecture)

In 1476, when crossing a river nearby, Saito Morifusa, a local samurai from Osawa, slipped on a rock and fell, feeling a warm stone on his hand and discovering the hot spring. From there, the place came to be called "Namegawa" and in 1763, with permission from the lord of the Uesugi clan, Sasagi Masanao opened the hot spring. It is located on the mountain path to Issaikyozan, one of the peaks of Higashi-Azuma, and is a hot spring inn in the mountains at an altitude of about 850m. The bottom of the valley around the suspension bridge over Maekawa is a monolith, and the flowing riverbed is beautiful. You can enjoy the fresh greenery of spring, the coolness of summer, and the autumn leaves. All the hot springs are free-flowing from the source, and milky white cloudy water is generously poured into the bathtub from three private springs. You can enjoy bathing in the open-air rock bath, overlooking Maekawa, where you can become one with the dynamic nature.

Spring quality: Sulfur-containing sodium, calcium, bicarbonate, sulfate spring Hot spring usage: 150 liters/min. Source temperature: 40.4-53.6℃
Daytime bathing: Available (600 yen for adults)
Address: 15 Namekawa, Ozawa, Yonezawa City, Yamagata Prefecture
Operating period: late April to early November Standard accommodation fee: 9,680 yen to 13,110 yen (1 room for 2 people, price per person including breakfast and dinner) *Closed in winter

Makukawa Onsen Mitoya Ryokan (Fukushima Prefecture)

Founded in 1891, Makugawa Onsen Mitoya Ryokan is a secret hot spring located at an altitude of about 1,300m on the slopes of Mt. Azuma in Bandai-Asahi National Park, Fukushima Prefecture. With two hot springs, the milky white and green waters change color slightly depending on the day. The spring quality is simple hot spring and simple sulfur spring, and the source temperature is 44.9℃ and 72.5℃, but the temperature is controlled according to the season, so you can bathe at the appropriate temperature. The open-air observation bath is carved out of an 800-year-old cypress tree, and you can enjoy a great panoramic view. The open-air bath along the mountain stream is a milky silky sulfur spring, a famous hot spring containing a large amount of metasilicic acid, which has a high skin-beautifying effect.

The open-air mountain stream bath has silky sulfur spring water that is excellent for moisturizing your body.

Spring quality: simple hot spring, simple sulfur hot spring. Amount used: 200 liters/min. Source temperature: 76/84℃.
Daytime bathing: Available (700 yen for adults)
Address: 1-3 Washikurayama, Tsuchiyu Onsen Town, Fukushima City, Fukushima Prefecture
Operating period: Late April to mid-November Standard accommodation fee: 14,450 yen to 19,590 yen (1 room for 2 people, price per person including breakfast and dinner) *Closed during winter

Oku-Shiobara Motoyu Oidekan (Tochigi Prefecture)

Shiobara Onsen "Oidekan" was founded in 1923 and is a hot spring inn that maintains its original spring water and allows guests to drink it. At the time of its founding, there were no roads, so guests would have to walk through the mountains carrying food on their backs. The inn is committed to using 100% natural spring water, and offers eight different hot springs to enjoy, including the iron-rich "Sumi no Yu" and the "Goshiki no Yu" hot springs, whose color changes depending on the weather and climate. This hidden hot spring retains the atmosphere of a good old hot spring resort, and also has a rooftop observation deck where you can gaze at the starry sky.

At this hot spring inn nestled in the mountains, surrounded by abundant natural beauty, you can enjoy a bath while gazing at the beautiful starry sky.

Spring quality: Sulfur-containing sodium chloride bicarbonate spring Hot spring usage: 150 liters/min. Source temperature: 50-55℃
Daytime bathing: Available (700 yen for adults)
Address: 102 Yumoto Shiobara, Nasushiobara City, Tochigi Prefecture
Business period: All year round Standard accommodation fee: 14,000 yen to 16,000 yen (1 room for 2 people, price per person including breakfast and dinner)

Kiyotsukan (Niigata Prefecture)

This hot spring inn is located in Kiyotsukyo Gorge, Joshinetsu Kogen National Park, one of the three major canyons in Japan. The hot springs at Kiyotsukan were dug in 1979 by the Yakushi Nyorai statue associated with Uesugi Kenshin, and are effective for neuralgia, poor circulation, and gynecological diseases, making them suitable for hot spring therapy. Guests can enjoy simple, warm hospitality and local cuisine while admiring the beautiful nature of Kiyotsukyo Gorge in every season. In the private open-air bath facing the Kiyotsukyo gorge, guests can enjoy the Yakushi no Yu and lukewarm spring water.

You can enjoy a relaxing soak in the open-air bath, which offers a magnificent view of Kiyotsu Gorge.

Spring quality: Simple sulfur hot spring, sulfur-containing sodium chloride spring Hot spring usage: 55 liters/min. Source temperature: 38.9/48.5℃
Day trip bathing: Not allowed Address: 2126 Koideki, Tokamachi City, Niigata Prefecture
Business period: All year round Standard accommodation fee: 13,200 yen to 18,700 yen (1 room for 2 people, price per person including breakfast and dinner)

Nakabusa Onsen (Nagano Prefecture)

Nakabusa Onsen is a popular hot spring resort that was opened in the Edo period. It is closed in winter due to its high altitude, but is crowded with hikers in the Hida Mountains in spring. The accommodation is divided into "Shosenkaku" and the hot spring resort-style "Lodge", and all of the natural spring water from 29 sources is used without adding water. There are a variety of bathrooms, including 14 indoor baths and 8 outdoor baths, and all of the baths are 100% natural. Care has been taken to ensure that you can enjoy each individual hot spring.

The day-use open-air bath "Yubara no Yu" is available for 950 yen.

Spring quality: simple hot spring, simple sulfur hot spring, other hot springs Amount used: 770 liters/min. Source temperature: 56-97℃
Daytime bathing: Available (950 yen for adults)
Address: 7226 Hodaka Ariake, Azumino City, Nagano Prefecture
Operating period: late April to late November Standard accommodation fee: 10,626 yen to 21,750 yen (1 room for 2 people, price per person including breakfast and dinner) *Closed in winter

Fukudaya, the Izu Dancer's Inn (Shizuoka Prefecture)

Fukudaya, the setting for the novel "The Izu Dancer," is a hot spring inn in Yugeno Onsen on the Izu Peninsula. The wooden building was founded in 1879, and documents related to Kawabata Yasunari remain inside the building. There are three baths available to guests, including the kaya bath that appears in "The Izu Dancer," an indoor rock bath, and an open-air bath. The kaya bath is located at the end of a steep staircase, and the antique decorative tiles and kaya bathtub give it a tasteful feel.

Some rooms face the Kawazu River, and the room where author Dazai Osamu wrote "Eight Views of Tokyo" is also preserved.

Spring quality: calcium-sodium sulfate hot spring. Spring usage: 30 liters/min. Source temperature: 59.1℃.
Daytime bathing: Available (990 yen for adults)
Address: 236 Yugano, Kawazu-cho, Kamo-gun, Shizuoka Prefecture
Business period: All year round Standard accommodation fee: 12,750 yen to 21,150 yen (1 room for 2 people, price per person including breakfast and dinner)

Kawayu Onsen Fujiya (Wakayama Prefecture)

Kawayu Onsen is a rare hot spring where hot water bubbles up when you dig into the sand on the riverbed. Kawayu Onsen Fujiya faces the Ooto River and offers a semi-open-air bath, marble bath, Kishu cypress bath, and private baths. From November to February, the Ooto River is dammed with gravel to create the "Senninburo" bath, where you can enjoy natural hot spring water. The baths are open from 6:30 to 22:00. Another feature is that the temperature and conditions of the hot springs change depending on the season.

The inn's baths include a semi-open-air bath, a marble bath, a Kishu cypress bath, and other private baths. The "Kumano Modern Room" was designed with the image of Kumano in mind, and there are three rooms in total that express earth, bamboo, and wood.

Spring quality: sodium bicarbonate chloride spring. Spring water consumption: 328 liters/min. Source temperature: 62℃. Day trip bathing: not allowed. Address: 1452 Kawayu, Hongu-cho, Tanabe-shi, Wakayama Prefecture.
Business period: All year round Standard accommodation fee: 16,500 yen to 27,500 yen (1 room for 2 people, price per person including breakfast and dinner)

The original text is here. https://zipangu-tourism.com/posts/spa0161