A Guide To Nagasaki's Gem - Visit Mist Clouded Unzen Onsen!

Have You Heard About Unzen Onsen?

Photo courtesy of Unzen Tourist Association

Unzen is an area located on Shimabara Peninsula in Nagasaki, a prefecture in the western part of Kyushu. It is widely known as the first geopark in Japan, with eight mountains standing tall and proud. Adding to its attractive scenery are the hot springs of Unzen, a summer resort that was one of the first ones to be opened for people from all over the world, still widely popular and visited.

If you are searching for a nice hot spring to rest your body and soul, you can surely find it there, but there is one more spectacle you can witness – the Hell of Unzen, or Unzen Jigoku in Japanese, easily recognizable for its clouds of vapor and smoke engulfing the mountain.

In this article we will introduce the benefits of visiting Unzen Onsen, teach you how to get there, where to bathe if you’re on a one-day trip, which ryokan is best to stay at, and every other form of useful information you might be interested in.

The Benefits of Unzen Onsen

Photo courtesy of Unzen Tourist Association

The springs in Unzen Onsen are sulfur-based, so its waters are well-known for their effective sterilization power. That makes this onsen a great place to cure eczema, heal cuts and to help with other forms of skin diseases. It also has a great effect on chronic rheumatism and neuralgia, and it can help you to recover from stress and fatigue in no time. What’s more, it is also believed to nourish one’s skin, making it more beautiful and healthy.

How to Find Unzen Onsen

If you’re planning to visit Unzen Onsen from some other prefecture, the very first step in your quest should be to head to Nagasaki Airport or Isahaya Station.

Visiting Unzen from Tokyo

Various airlines offer flights to Nagasaki Airport from Tokyo’s Haneda Airport – ANA has eight, JAL has six, and Solaseed Air has four flights per day (Solaseed Air cooperates with ANA). It should take you an hour and fifty minutes to get to Nagasaki.

Visiting Unzen from Osaka

Should your starting point be Osaka’s Itami Airport, to get to Nagasaki Airport you’ll have to choose between ANA or JAL, with seven flights each per day. Another choice can be to ride with Peach Aviation from Kansai International Airport (Peach Aviation has one flight to Nagasaki Airport per day). The flight should last for an hour and fifteen minutes.

When You Get to Nagasaki Airport

After you’ve arrived at Nagasaki Airport, hop on the airport shuttle bus bound for Isahaya, and change buses at Isahaya, this time choosing the Shimatetsu bus to get to Unzen. It should take about two hours to get to your final destination.

Heading for Unzen from Fukuoka

Upon arrival at Nagasaki Station, ride the JR Limited Express Kamome train and get off at Isahaya Station. The route from there to Unzen is only one – ride the Shimatetsu bus and find yourself at Unzen after approximately three hours!