Discover The Health Benefits Of Sand Bathing At Ibusuki Onsen, Kagoshima

What Kind of Place Is Ibusuki Onsen?

Photograph courtesy of Ibusuki Tourism Association

Kagoshima prefecture is the southernmost prefecture in the Kyushu Region. Ibusuki Onsen in Kagoshima is a hot springs area, located at the southeastern tip of the Satsuma Peninsula. It is famous for its unique sunamushi onsen, where the visitors engulf themselves in hot sand. This style is said to have started 300 years ago.

Ibusuki Onsen is recommended for those connoisseurs of Japan who aren't satisfied with an ordinary hot spring.

The Medicinal Benefits of Ibusuki Hot Springs

Photograph courtesy of Ibusuki Tourism Association

There are more than 800 sources for the hot springs, a total of approximately 120,000 tons of hot spring water per day. Most of the sources are sodium chloride springs, which are said to moisturize the skin. The hot springs are said to be effective against neuralgia, joint pain, gynecological disorders, cold hands or feet, and also helps recovery from exhaustion.

How to Get to Ibusuki Onsen

Photograph courtesy of Ibusuki Tourism Association

From Tokyo and Osaka

Flying is the easiest way to go, by reaching Kagoshima Airport, and moving on to Ibusuki Onsen from there.

Please read How To Reach Kagoshima From Major Cities Like Tokyo And Osaka, as it describes the best access routes to Kagoshima Airport. From the airport, a bus leaves for Ibusuki Station. The ride takes about one and a half hours, and the fare is 2350 yen.

From Fukuoka

Take the JR Kyushu shinkansen from Hakata Station to Kagoshima-chuo Station. Switch to the innovative, white-and-black express titled Ibusuki no Tamatebako. A rapid service or local train on the Ibusuki-Makurazaki Line will also take you to Ibusuki. The time from Hakata to Ibusuki ranges from two hours and 45 minutes to four hours, depending on the timing of the connecting trains. If you use the express train from Kagoshima-chuo Station, the fare is 11,610 yen, and 10,470 yen by using the rapid service or local train.

Bathing Spots for One-Day Trips

Photograph courtesy of Ibusuki Tourism Association

Saraku

This is the spot to enjoy sunamushi. A towel is required to keep the sand our of your hair, and an original Ibusuki towel is sold for 120 yen. After the sunamushi, wash the sand off your body, and enjoy soaking in the large, indoor bathtub.

Address: Kagoshima, Ibusuki, Yunohama 5-25-18
Fare (with rental yukata, bathing tax and consumption tax): 1080 yen (adults) and 590 yen (children)
Official Site: Saraku

Tamatebako Onsen

From the open-air bath, visitors can enjoy a magnificent view of the ocean and Kaimondake volcano. Sayuri, a sunamushi facility, and Onsen Hoyoukan, a large bathhouse, are also located nearby. Please note they are all separate facilities, with separate fares.

Address: Kagoshima, Ibusuki, Yamagawa-fukumoto 3292
Fare (with bathing tax and consumption tax): Tamatebako Onsen Set (for both open-air bath and sunamushi) 1130 yen (adults) and 620 yen (children), Open-air Bath 510 yen (adults) and 260 yen (children)
Official Site: Tamatebako Hot Springs

Ibusuki Kokoro no Yu

An open-air bath, sauna and also a bedrock bath (a health treatment using a heated rock slab) can be enjoyed at this bathhouse.

Address: Kagoshima, Ibusuki, Higashikata 9236-7
Fare (with bathing tax and consumption tax): Weekdays 580 yen (adults) and 250 yen (children), Weekends and National Holidays 600 yen (adults) and 270 yen (children)
** The fare for infants is 100 yen throughout the year.
** A discount fare for adults and children will be applied before 8 a.m. and after 9 p.m.
** The fare for the family bath is 2000 yen per room for one hour.
Official Site: Ibusuki Kokoro no Yu (Japanese)

Recommended Lodgings

Photograph courtesy of Ibusuki Tourism Association

Kinkouroh

The open-air bath with a milky hot spring is also known as a bijin no yu (the hot spring of beauty). From the main bath, visitors can enjoy the view of Kinko Bay and Sakurajima. The ocean can be viewed from every guestroom, and two guestrooms are equipped with their own open-air bath.

Address: Kagoshima, Ibusuki, Nishikata 4507
Official Site: Kinkouroh (Japanese)

Hakusuikan

The main bath, a re-creation of an Edo Period bath with the title of Genrokuburo, is about 3300 square meters in size. Hakusuikan also offers an open-air bath, a bath with a view of the garden, sand bath, and a bedrock bath. With the Japanesque interior design, the guests can spend their time leisurely at this inn.

Address: Kagoshima, Ibusuki, Higashikata 12126-12
Official Site: Hakusuikan

Shusuien

Shusuien not only offers an open-air bath and a spacious main bath, but a reserved open-air bath and sauna as well. It is located at a three minute walking distance from Saraku. This inn is also famous for its cuisine and hospitality.

Address: Kagoshima, Ibusuki, Yunohama 5-27-27
Official Site: Shusuien

Sightseeing Spots in Ibusuki

Photograph courtesy of Ibusuki Tourism Association

Visitors can walk to Chiringashima, located at Kinko Bay, on the sand road which appears from March to October every year.
** Please note that a typhoon wiped out the sand road in 2016, and as of April, 2017, it is still recovering from the damage. Be sure to check the official site of the Ibusuki Tourism Association.

From the cape called Nagasakibana, Kaimondake volcano can be seen beyond the arch-shaped beach. On a clear day, Yakushima Island and Iojima Island can also be seen.

The somen nagashi at Tosenkyo, which can be enjoyed even in winter, is a famous Ibusuki cuisine.

Ibusuki is warm even in winter. In summer, there are days when the temperature rises over 35 degrees Celsius, but the temperature drops into the mid-twenties at night. Kagoshima prefecture has a rainy climate, so be sure to check the weather forecast and pack accordingly.
To learn about the Japanese bath, please read What You Should Know About Bath Culture In Japan.