Every hot spring town, in one place. Onsen, public baths and spas across all 47 prefectures — in four languages.
Prices, hours, tattoo policy and access in four languages. Book stays through partner links; day trips need no booking.
A 10-minute walk west of Kusatsu's Yubatake, at the far end of Sainokawara Park, lies one of Japan's largest open-air baths. Around 500 m² of pool brims with strongly acidic water, open to the surrounding forest. Snow in winter, fresh green in summer, illuminations at night. There are no washing stations — this is purely for soaking.
Founded in 1879, with its 1938 wooden building and curved gable, Takegawara is the symbol of Beppu Onsen. A regular bath costs ¥300 — a deep, hot pool down a flight of steps. The famous sand bath has you buried in warm sand by staff while wearing a yukata. Bring your own soap and shampoo.
The most popular of Kinosaki's seven public baths. In a building modeled on the Kyoto Imperial Palace, a waterfall rotenburo faces the hillside and a glass-roofed 'sky bath' sits indoors, all renovated in 2020. Overnight guests get free entry with the 'Yumepa' pass, so evenings are busy with yukata-clad bathers — go at 7 am when it opens.
Built in 1894 and the first public bathhouse designated an Important Cultural Property, the Honkan is Dogo's symbol. Full operation resumed in 2024 after a five-and-a-half-year restoration. The ground-floor 'Kami no Yu' is ¥700 for bathing only; upper floors add a rest room with tea. Soft alkaline water. Quietest right after the 6 am opening or after 9 pm.
The oldest inn in the Nyuto Onsen area, a hidden hot spring dating to the Edo period. The thatched 'Honjin' building and the large milky-white mixed rotenburo are its iconic scene. Day bathing 10:00–15:00; on Mondays the rotenburo is closed for cleaning and only indoor baths are open. Rooms sell out months ahead. From Tazawako Station take the bus, then the inn shuttle from Alpa Komakusa.
The largest day-use facility in Okuhida. Sixteen open-air pools (7 men's, 9 women's) scattered through the forest, all fed directly from the source. Hida beef restaurant on site. The classic stop after Kamikochi or Shin-Hotaka.
Written in order so a first-timer never has to guess.
How to read the tattoo label we put on every facility.
Four similar-sounding things, ranked from a traveller's point of view.
Big facilities need nothing. Only outer and communal baths need prep.
Only the differences you can feel, no chemistry table needed.
Combinations that let you keep your hotel and still get a real bath.
For women who want Sukayu, Tsurunoyu, Awanoyu or Kirishima.
The same bath is a different experience by season — and some only open part of the year.
Price is mostly set by who runs the bath. Know the bands and you can judge any price instantly.
Rules differ bath by bath. Check three things in advance and you won't be turned away.
Realistic routes from major airports and shinkansen stations, with where to day-bathe and where to sleep.
Most onsen towns sit away from the station. How you cover the last 30 minutes decides how tired you arrive.
'Sotoyu' are bathhouses run by the town itself. How you pay and when you can enter differs in each town — learn the system before you go.
Most onsen accidents happen from staying in too long and from standing up too fast. Ten minutes per soak and a pause before you stand prevent most of them.
Many famous ryokan let non-guests use their baths — but only for three or four midday hours, and not on full days. Know the system and you can cut the cost to a tenth.
More than half of Japanese lodgings still refuse tattooed bathers. But with private baths, cover stickers, community bathhouses and tattoo-friendly venues you can bathe in almost every onsen town.
Winter alone doesn't guarantee snow. Reliable cover is mid-January to end of February, on the Sea of Japan side or above 700 m. Twelve baths ranked by certainty.
The same onsen is a different place each month. Crowds, prices, scenery and water temperature by month, plus how to dodge Japan's three peak seasons.
Eight in ten major onsen towns are 'shinkansen plus a 30–60 minute bus'. You often don't need the nationwide JR Pass — regional passes or highway buses are cheaper. Best option per town, in a table.
Onsen eggs, hell-steamed dishes, crab, onsen manju. Onsen-town food is often cooked in the spring itself or grew up around it. Fourteen pairings not to miss.
Mixed baths keep disappearing; most survivors require bathing wear or set women-only hours. The rules to know before you go, plus beginner-friendly options.
Children in nappies can't use the main baths; sexes split around age 10. Build the trip around private family baths and in-room baths and onsen works even with a baby.
Know the difference between 'gensen kakenagashi', 'kasui' and 'junkan' and you can read water quality. Sixty terms across venues, water, bath areas and fees.
If you're giving one city day to onsen, 90 minutes each way is the limit. Eight from Tokyo and seven from Osaka with times, fares and bath fees, plus half-day models.
From the changing room onward, no camera and no phone. Keep that one rule and onsen towns, foot baths, in-room baths and private baths are all yours to photograph — with tips for good shots.