Japan Onsen Guide is an independently run guide to 378 hot springs and day-use bathing facilities across all 47 prefectures of Japan, from Hokkaido to Okinawa, published in English, Japanese, Korean and Chinese. Instead of glossy marketing copy, it sets out to answer precisely the questions travellers actually face on the ground: how much does it cost, when does it close, can I get in with a tattoo, and how do I get there from the station.
581 Facilities240 Onsen towns47 Prefectures25 Bathing guide4 Language
1. What this site does
Japan has roughly 3,000 hot-spring towns and more than 20,000 sources, yet information usable by foreign visitors clusters around a handful of famous resorts — and even there, prices and hours are often out of date. This site organises 378 facilities in 238 onsen towns nationwide in one consistent format (price, hours, closing days, water type, tattoo policy, access and parking), so you can compare on the same terms wherever you travel.
Beyond the basics, each facility page is progressively expanded with three narrative sections — an introduction, tips and cautions, and getting there — plus detailed entries on admission, baths, water and parking; 198 facilities are now complete in this in-depth format. There are also 25 bathing guides for first-timers and 12 themed features such as tattoo-friendly baths, baths under ¥1,000 and snow-view rotenburo.
2. Listing criteria
① Only facilities currently in operation are listed. Anything confirmed closed or on extended hiatus is removed at once, and facilities on hiatus are not shown until reopening is confirmed.
② We cover hot springs as defined by Japan's Onsen Law, and bathing facilities that use them: communal baths, day-use onsen, ryokan that admit day visitors, super sento and spas. Ordinary sento (public bathhouses) that are not hot springs are excluded as a rule, since foreign visitors find the etiquette difficult and demand for that information is low.
③ Every one of the 47 prefectures has at least seven listings, so coverage is not skewed towards a few tourist hotspots. For major cities such as Tokyo, Osaka, Kyoto and Fukuoka we include urban facilities from the perspective of 'baths reachable from your travel base'.
④ We accept no listing fees or sponsorship from facilities; whether a place is listed, and how it is described, is decided on editorial grounds alone.
3. How information is verified
Prices, hours and closing days are cross-checked against official facility websites, municipal and tourist-association pages, and established Japanese sources such as Jalan, Rurubu, Nifty Onsen and Yuru-to; each listing's 'verified' line records when and on what basis.
Addresses for every facility have been cross-checked against official and municipal sources, and the Google Maps links are generated from the facility name plus the verified Japanese address so they land on the right spot. Wild outdoor baths and mountain facilities with no street number keep their official designation.
Water types follow the classification on the spring analysis certificate, with traveller-friendly descriptors (sulphur, carbonated, milky) alongside. Source temperature, pH and total minerals are given only where confirmed.
Even so, price rises, temporary closures and seasonal changes happen constantly. We recommend a final check on the official site or by phone before visiting; if you spot an error, please tell us via the contact page and we will verify and correct it promptly.
4. About the tattoo labels
Many Japanese onsen still restrict bathers with tattoos. We label every facility on a four-point scale: not allowed / allowed / allowed with cover stickers / unconfirmed. 'Allowed' is used only where official guidance or multiple reliable sources explicitly confirm it; anything unconfirmed stays 'unconfirmed' rather than an optimistic guess.
Private (kashikiri) and family baths can often be used regardless of tattoos, so we note them as an alternative. The final decision rests with the facility, so even at an 'allowed' listing please confirm at the front desk before entering.
5. The Top 30 and how regions are organised
The 'Top 30' takes the latest edition of the annual 'Nippon no Onsen 100-sen' ranking published by the Kanko Keizai Shimbun as its basis and selects 30 onsen towns; it reflects neither editorial taste nor affiliate commissions. Each town page gathers that area's representative day-use facilities.
Geography runs in four tiers: 11 regions (Hokkaido, Tohoku, Kanto, Koshin'etsu, Tokai, Hokuriku, Kinki, Chugoku, Shikoku, Kyushu, Okinawa) → 47 prefectures → onsen towns → facilities. 'By type' sorts by what kind of place it is (natural hot spring, day-use onsen, onsen ryokan, super sento, urban spa), while 'By feature' filters by conditions such as open-air bath, free-flowing source water, sauna, five minutes from the station or late-night hours.
6. About the photographs
To avoid copyright issues, facility images are not actual photographs but reference images generated with the real appearance and atmosphere of each place as a guide. They convey an impression of the location and may differ in detail from the actual baths and buildings; please consult the facility's official site for an accurate view.
Images are managed so that they contain no facility logos, signage text or identifiable people.
7. Costs and revenue
The site is free to use. Running costs are met by Trip.com affiliate links in the 'Book a stay' block on facility pages, and by advertising. Booking through these links does not change the price you pay. We use no affiliate programmes other than Trip.com; details are on the 'Affiliate disclosure' page.
Information on onsen accommodation (ryokan and hotels) lives on our sister site, Japan Onsen Stay (japan-onsen-stay.com); this site concentrates on day bathing and facility information.
8. Who runs this site
Japan Onsen Guide is independent media run by an individual, with no capital ties to any travel agency, facility or local government. For corrections, suggestions for new listings, closure reports or partnership and press enquiries, use the contact page or write to [email protected]; we usually reply within a few days.
Our privacy policy, terms of use and data policy are available on their respective pages.
9. How to read a facility page
The summary box at the top gives the price (adult day-use), hours, closing days, tattoo policy and water type. Prices are tax-inclusive for one adult; extras such as towels, sauna or private baths are listed separately under 'Admission'. '¥0 / donation' means an unstaffed communal bath that asks only for a contribution.
The 'verified' line states when, and from which source, the information was confirmed — e.g. '2026-09 official site'. If the date is old, please re-check before you go.
The 'Book a stay' block holds Trip.com search links for staying in that onsen town; it is omitted for facilities with no lodging, such as communal baths. The map button opens Google Maps using the facility name plus its verified Japanese address.
10. Frequently asked questions
Q. Do I need to book? — Day-use onsen and communal baths generally need no booking. Day bathing at ryokan and private baths often require a reservation or a phone call; we note this under 'Tips' on each page.
Q. Can I wear a swimsuit? — As a rule, Japanese onsen are bathed in naked. Facilities that allow swimwear are gathered under 'By feature → Swimwear allowed'.
Q. Can children come? — Age limits and nappy rules vary by facility. See the 'Family-friendly' feature and the guide 'Onsen with children: the reality'.
Q. Do I need cash? — Many communal and small facilities still take cash (coins) only. Where card or IC-card payment is confirmed, we say so under 'Admission'.
Q. Something is wrong. — Use the contact page to tell us the facility and the issue; we will verify, correct it and update the verified date.
11. Update cycle and history
Prices and hours are re-checked in rotation based on each facility's verified date, and closures or extended hiatuses are reflected as soon as confirmed. Full address verification (September 2026), Top 30 updates (whenever the Onsen 100 ranking is published) and in-depth content expansion are carried out regularly.
The site-wide last-updated date appears at the bottom of every page.
Last revised: 2026-09-25