The municipal facility for Ibusuki's famous natural sand bath. Change into a rental yukata, walk down to the beach, and staff bury you in hot sand for about ten minutes; afterwards rinse off in the indoor onsen. At high tide the sand baths move under a roof. ¥1,500 includes the yukata; bring or buy a towel. 20 minutes on foot or 5 by bus from Ibusuki Station.
Next to Fuji-Q Highland, with one of Japan's largest all-timber bath halls. Price includes loungewear and towels, so come empty-handed. Free shuttle from Fujisan Station. Prices revised April 2026.
Arima's biggest day-spa complex: gold spring, silver spring and (artificial) carbonated baths — 26 baths plus stone saunas, with loungewear and towels included. Free shuttle from Arima-Onsen Station.
A day-spa on the hillside above Yumoto with five private spring sources feeding open-air, lie-down and jet baths. The ¥1,000 early-morning session (6–9 am) is among the cheapest soaks in Hakone.
A large hotel whose top-floor 'sky' open-air baths look over the Noboribetsu hills. Day use in two windows — 5–9 am and 11 am–7 pm — for ¥1,200. A little away from the main strip, so quieter.
A 390-year-old inn where Sōseki and Shiki once stayed. Two large baths (cypress and granite) with open-air tubs and saunas, all pure Dōgo water. Day use is ¥1,800 with towels and amenities included — a calm alternative to the crowded Honkan.
A resort hotel eight minutes downhill from Atami Station. Day bathing (1–9 pm) from ¥900 on weekdays and ¥1,300 on weekends — good value for Atami — with sea and Hatsushima views from the open-air bath. No loungewear; towels cost extra. Weekdays ¥1,600, weekends/holidays ¥2,000, peak days ¥2,200.
A nine-room designer ryokan in the heart of Shuzenji. Indoor bath of Fuji lava stone and cypress, plus an Izu-stone garden rotenburo fed by three private springs. Day bathing is a 2.5-hour midday window, reservation only, with green tea and a sweet afterwards.
A long-established hotel with one of Jozankei's largest bathhouses: free-flowing private spring water in indoor pools, rotenburo and sauna. Day bathing runs 11:00–23:00, the longest hours in town, and the Sapporo bus stops right outside.
A town-run day spa named after Yugawara's ancient name. Set on a rise above the Fujiki River near Manyo Park, with a large indoor bath, a mountain-view rotenburo, sauna, tatami lounge and restaurant. Admission drops to ¥600 after 19:00, so locals stroll the onsen street first and bathe in the evening. 12 minutes by bus from Yugawara Station to the 'Kogome-no-yu' stop.
Four minutes from Hankyu Arashiyama Station and a short walk from Togetsukyo Bridge, Arashiyama's only dedicated day-use onsen. Mildly alkaline simple spring water in indoor, open-air, silky and sauna baths. Easy to slot between sights, with towel rental so you can come empty-handed. The changing room is small, so avoid peak hours. ¥1,200 weekdays, ¥1,400 weekends and holidays.
A day-use-only onsen on the Otaki side of Yoro Valley on the Boso Peninsula, near Awamata Falls. A rotenburo looking over wooded hills and a timber indoor bath hold the dark-tinted alkaline water typical of Boso. Popular after hikes and waterfall walks; towel and robe rental mean you can come empty-handed. Closes early at 18:00; Wednesdays off.
A ryokan in Ogoto Onsen on the shore of Lake Biwa below Mt. Hiei, 20 minutes by JR from Kyoto Station. Day bathing is accepted 11:30–20:00, with pH-9 alkaline water indoors and in the rotenburo. The free shuttle from Ogoto-Onsen and Hieizan-Sakamoto stations is open to day visitors too. Lunch plans with Omi beef are popular. ¥2,750 plus bathing tax — ryokan pricing.
The bath wing of a historic hotel built on the site of the Yamauchi lords' residence below Kochi Castle. A rare natural hot spring in central Kochi, with a rotenburo facing the Kagami River and Mt. Hitsuzan, a large indoor bath and sauna. Day use is daytime only, 10:00–16:00. Fifteen minutes on foot from Harimaya Bridge — easy between sightseeing and the Sunday market. ¥1,200; bring or rent a towel.
A top-floor panoramic onsen in a resort hotel at Aoshima, Miyazaki's beach district. Large indoor bath, rock rotenburo, waterfall bath and sauna all look down on the Hyuga Sea and Aoshima island; day use is accepted 11:00–22:00. Slightly salty simple spring water. Convenient after Aoshima Shrine, the 'Devil's Washboard' rock formations or a surf session, and 15 minutes by car from Miyazaki Airport. ¥1,100, towels extra.
A ryokan-style day spa on a hill among mandarin groves, away from Yugawara's main street. The draw is a rotenburo with a sweeping view of Sagami Bay, lit up at night. Two bathrooms alternate daily between men and women, and the water is drinkable. Free tatami rest hall and restaurant. ¥1,380; bring a towel. Closed Thursdays except holidays, March and August. Bus from Manazuru or Yugawara Station.
Eight minutes from Tsuruhashi Station, home of Osaka's Koreatown, a large bath complex known for its Japanese garden landscaping. Pot baths, a standing-depth bath, rock rotenburo and carbonated pool, plus a separately ticketed Korean-style 'hanjeungmak' stone-sauna zone. Open until 2 am — perfect after the yakiniku streets. Everything is charged to a wristband and settled on exit. ¥1,000 weekdays.
Four minutes from Arisugawa Station on the Randen tram near Arashiyama, a day spa in Kyoto-style timber architecture. Chloride water from 1,200 m below fills rock rotenburo, pot baths and a spacious indoor pool; the men's side has a 'theater' sauna, the women's two saunas. Open until midnight, so it works after a day in Arashiyama. Restaurant on site. ¥1,200 weekdays; closed the third Monday.
A natural onsen inside Bayside Place Hakata at the port, 15 minutes by bus from Hakata Station. Chloride 'heat water' gushes at 400 litres a minute from 800 m down, filling a free-flowing lukewarm pool and a hot outdoor bath. Sauna, seven stone-sauna rooms and private baths (¥3,900 for 90 min, up to four people). It shares the site with the ferry terminal for Shikanoshima and Nokonoshima. ¥1,100 weekdays, open until midnight.
Five minutes by car from the Kazurabashi vine bridge, the day-use bath of a large hotel at the mouth of the Iya Valley — the biggest bathhouse in Iya, with a rotenburo facing the green gorge, indoor pool and sauna. At ¥1,100 it's a cheaper, later-opening alternative to Hotel Iya Onsen's cable-car bath (¥1,900). 20 minutes by car from Oboke Station. Closed Tuesdays.
Twenty minutes by train from Kyoto, the flagship ryokan of Ogoto Onsen on Lake Biwa's west shore. The top-floor open-air bath 'Yugen Shoyo' overlooks the lake and the Hiei range, with garden rotenburo and more to hop between. pH 9 'beautifying' water. Day use ¥2,000, 11:00–21:30; entry may be limited when busy. Five minutes by shuttle from Ogoto-Onsen Station — a convenient soak after Kyoto sightseeing.
Just behind Kokusai-dori, the only natural hot spring in central Naha, attached to Naha Central Hotel. Chloride water from 800 m underground fills indoor and open-air baths, plus dry, salt and mist saunas. Open 6:00–23:00 every day — handy before or after a flight. ¥1,250 on weekdays (bring your own towel). Five minutes' walk from both Miebashi and Makishi monorail stations.
An hour by car from Miyazaki, a resort hotel on a rise in Kitago, Nichinan, ringed by cedar-clad hills. The silky bicarbonate water (around pH 9.5) is known as a 'beauty bath', and the rotenburo looks across the mountains and Nichinan farmland. Day bathing runs a generous 10:00–22:00 — easy to combine with Obi castle town or Udo Shrine. ¥1,200.
About 80 minutes from Ikebukuro by Laview limited express, a complex hot-spring facility joined to Seibu-Chichibu Station. Themed on the 300-plus festivals Chichibu holds each year, it packs 9–10 tubs per side including open-air baths, a high-concentration carbonated bath and saunas. The food court serves waraji katsu-don and Chichibu soba; the shop sells local sake and miso pickles. ¥1,100 on weekdays, 10:00–22:00; morning baths from 6:00 on weekends.
A lakeside ryokan drawing 'Taiko Onsen' water from the site of Hideyoshi's Nagahama Castle. The rust-red iron-rich spring keeps you warm long after, and the rotenburo looks out over Lake Biwa to Chikubu Island. Day use 11:00–14:30 and 15:00–20:00, ¥1,500 including bath and face towels. Seven minutes' walk from Nagahama Station — easy to pair with the Kurokabe Square old town. About an hour from Kyoto by rapid train.
Five minutes by car from the Kazurabashi vine bridge, this popular Iya inn is famous for its 'sky open-air bath' reached by private cable car. Day bathing (¥1,200) runs 10:30–16:00; the goemon cauldron baths are for overnight guests only. A free sky footbath on the viewing deck is spectacular on mornings with a sea of clouds. With Hotel Iya Onsen it forms Iya's pair of 'cable-car onsen', ideal for a break while touring the valley.
About 90 minutes from Akihabara via the Tsukuba Express, a day spa on the slopes of Mt. Tsukuba. The open-air bath opens onto a cliff with the whole Kantō plain below—the classic post-hike or post-cable-car soak. Alkaline simple spring water around pH 9 leaves skin smooth. ¥1,100 weekdays, ¥1,300 weekends; reservable private baths too. Check the calendar for closure days.
One of the Bōsō peninsula's largest spa resorts, in Shirako on Kujūkuri Beach. Soak in iodine-rich, tea-coloured Chōsei spring water in the open-air bath, with seven rock-bath rooms, saunas, nap lounges, banquet halls and lodging on site. Open straight through from 10:00 to 08:00 the next morning; stays past 01:00 incur a late surcharge. Free shuttle from JR Mobara Station (reservation required). ¥1,600 weekdays, ¥1,900 weekends. Tattoos—including stickers and paint—are strictly refused.
A lone inn at 1,300 m, the last stop in the Nasu hot-spring range. Spring water gushes out behind the building in such volume that it forms a river, dammed into the vast outdoor 'Kawa-no-yu' — nothing else like it in Japan. Mixed bathing since the inn's founding, but bathing wear is included so beginners can relax. Day use is limited to three hours (reception 11:30–14:30), ¥1,300 with face towel and bathing wear. The outdoor bath closes in bad weather or for cleaning, so phone ahead. Autumn colour and snow seasons are the draw.
A large ryokan 10 minutes by car from Hakodate Airport and 3–4 minutes' walk from the Yunokawa-Onsen tram stop. From the 11th-floor panoramic bath hall and 'sky open-air bath' you look over the city, the Tsugaru Strait and, at night, squid-boat lights and the Mt Hakodate skyline — even planes landing at the airport when the timing is right. Day use ¥1,200 in two sessions, 6:00–9:00 and 13:00–21:00, including the top-floor sauna. Private baths ¥3,300 per 50 minutes (reserve). Easy to combine with the morning market and Goryōkaku.
A large lakeside hotel at the centre of the Toyako onsen strip. The top-floor panoramic bath and open-air tubs take in the lake, Nakajima island and Mt Yōtei beyond — and from late April to the end of October you can watch the nightly 20:45 fireworks from the water. Day use ¥1,200 on weekdays, ¥1,500 on weekends, in two sessions: 7:00–10:00 and 13:00–21:00. The chloride water holds heat well. A paid shuttle from Sapporo Station (reservation required) makes it a handy base for Shikotsu-Tōya National Park.
An inn with its own spring midway along the Yukawa gorge, where the ryokan of Higashiyama Onsen line the river 10 minutes by car from central Aizu-Wakamatsu. Day visitors get the riverside open-air bath facing a waterfall and the main bath for ¥1,100 including a small towel, 13:00–20:00. Private panoramic baths (¥1,650) and lunch packages are also offered. With 1,300 years of history, Higashiyama was the retreat of artists such as Takehisa Yumeji and poet Yosano Akiko — a natural finish to a day at Tsuruga Castle and the Byakkotai sites on Iimoriyama. Reception hours may shorten when busy.
A view ryokan at the tip of the Nishiura peninsula in Gamagōri, built right on Mikawa Bay. The two bath halls, Fusumi-no-yu and Kōsai-no-yu, open straight onto the sea, with sunsets and night lights the main event. Day use 11:00–15:00 ¥1,500 with towel, or 15:00–19:00 ¥1,800 with bath towel. The top-floor private panoramic open-air bath is ¥2,200 per 50 minutes for day visitors (reserve). About an hour from Nagoya on the Meitetsu line, with a shuttle from Nishiura Station. Day bathing is suspended on some dates — check 'today's status' on the official site.
A resort hotel on the waterfront of Tomonoura, the old tide-waiting port near Fukuyama. The top-floor bath hall 'Tenkū' and its open-air tub look across to Sensuijima and the calm Seto Inland Sea; the water is a natural radium spring. A löyly-capable sauna and steam sauna were added in 2023. Day use 11:00–18:00 (last entry 17:00), ¥1,600, with free bath towels. Private open-air baths 'Sansan' and 'Tōtō' are ¥5,500 per 50 minutes (reserve). 30 minutes by bus from Fukuyama Station to Tomokō; pair with the Edo-period streets and the stone lantern.
A cure-style resort in the Furuyu hot-spring hamlet up the Kase River, 30 minutes by car from Saga city. The signature is 'lukewarm' water at around 38 °C — the longer you soak, the more you unwind — long prized as a beautifying bath. The SHIORI bath complex has 15 kinds of baths including an open-air tub facing Mt Tenzan, lying and standing baths, a box steam bath, cypress tub and natural hot-sand bath, all from a private source yielding 43 tonnes a day. Day use 10:00–20:00, ¥1,300 with free face towel; Wednesdays from 15:00 only for maintenance. About 60 minutes by bus from Saga Station to Furuyu Onsen.
A white-walled onsen hotel in the hills between Kojima, at the foot of the Great Seto Bridge, and the pilgrim path up Mt Yuga. Yuga Onsen has long refreshed worshippers at the Yuga Daigongen shrine-temple; the spacious bath hall lines up a source tub, waterfall shower, jet bath and bubble bath, with a garden that flowers through the seasons beyond the windows. Day use 11:00–15:00 (last entry 14:30), ¥1,980 including bath and face towel rental. The lunch-plus-bath set (¥3,960) is popular, with a third-floor rest room. 30 minutes by car from Kurashiki's Bikan quarter; combine with Kojima Jeans Street or the bridge. Open daily.
A long-established hotel on the cliffs of the Izura coast, the scenic spot beloved of art historian Okakura Tenshin. The main building and the Taikansō annex flank the Rokkakudō pavilion; day bathers use Taikan-no-yu in the annex. The open-air bath, refurbished in 2012, sits right above the Pacific — free-flowing spring water, the horizon and the sound of breaking waves. The indoor hall also looks out to sea through big windows. Day use in two sessions, 11:00–15:00 (last entry 14:30) and 18:00–21:00 (last entry 20:30), ¥1,100. Closure days are irregular, so check the official notice page. Five minutes by car from JR Ōtsukō Station; combine with the Tenshin Memorial Museum and Rokkakudō.
A design hotel on the headland at Cape Ashizuri, Shikoku's southernmost point, renewed in 2024. It holds one of the source wells of the Ashizuri hot-spring cluster — a natural radon spring, mildly alkaline, with a legend linking it to Kōbō Daishi — enjoyed in an open-air bath overlooking the Pacific, two indoor tubs and a Shimanto-cypress sauna. Sunsets into the horizon and the night sky are the draw. Day use 15:00–21:00 (last entry 20:30), ¥1,100 including bathing tax. Closed Tuesday to Thursday (with exceptions in peak season), so confirm ahead. About 90 minutes by bus from Nakamura Station, or an hour by car from Shimanto city. Combine with the cape lookout, the aquarium and the free Manjirō foot bath.
The leading large ryokan of Shimobe Onsen in Yamanashi, the 'hidden bath' of warlord Takeda Shingen. Its hallmark is three springs of differing character (including the tepid original Shimobe water) served in eleven tubs, seven of them open-air — a mini bath-hopping circuit with streamside rotenburo and Shingen lore. Day use 11:00–15:00, ¥1,200; resting in the tatami hall is free, and lunch-and-rest plans start at ¥5,000. Irregular closures, so confirm ahead. Just 3 minutes on foot from Shimobe-Onsen Station on the JR Minobu Line — easy by rail, and a natural pairing with Kuonji temple on Mt Minobu, the Fuji River or a Lake Motosu / Fuji Five Lakes drive.
A quiet bath-only annex within the Tenzan Tōjikyō grounds along the Sukumo River, up the valley from Hakone-Yumoto. Where neighbouring 'Higana Tōji Tenzan' is a full-day complex with lounges and dining, Ikkyū has no indoor bath at all — just open-air tubs of wood and stone fed free-flowing by two springs, a sodium-chloride and an alkaline simple spring. Silver-ion sterilisation (no chlorine smell), spare design and a hushed, no-chatter atmosphere keep regulars loyal. ¥1,200; open 11:00–20:00 (until 21:00 weekends and holidays, last entry one hour before), closed Thursdays. On weekdays a ¥300 'hashigo' ticket lets you add Tenzan next door. About 5 minutes from Hakone-Yumoto Station by the inns' shuttle bus or taxi, or a 25-minute walk.
The grand old hotel of Tokachigawa Onsen outside Obihiro. The water here is a 'moor spring' that rises through lignite beds of ancient plant matter — amber, silky and one of the world's few plant-derived natural hot springs, designated a Hokkaidō Heritage. The Yuraku bath halls of the Hōshū-tei and Tōyō-tei wings pair a broad indoor bath with the garden open-air 'Takitsubo-no-yu', wrapped in the sound of a waterfall; day visitors may also use the Harunire foot-bath café. Day use 13:00–21:00 (from 13:30 Mon & Thu), ¥2,000 including face and bath towels, no reservation — go to the front desk. Day bathing may be limited in peak periods. About 30 minutes by bus from Obihiro Station to Tokachigawa Onsen.
Founded in 1691 and regarded as Japan's oldest surviving hot-spring inn building, this Shima Onsen institution in Gunma stands across a red bridge; the main house, said to be one of the models for the bathhouse in Spirited Away, is an Important Cultural Property. The celebrated Genroku-no-yu, built in 1930 in Taishō-romantic style, has five tubs set into a stone floor lit by arched windows, with water welling up from below. Shima's sulphate water is counted among Japan's three great baths for digestive ailments and can be drunk. Day use 10:00–17:30 (last entry 17:00), ¥1,500 with face towel, covering Genroku-no-yu, the mixed rock bath and private baths. Tattoos accepted if covered with stickers. About 40 minutes by bus from Nakanojō Station to the Shima Onsen terminus.
A mountain hot spring in the temple-gate village of Kurama, about 30 minutes from central Kyoto on the Eizan railway, home of the tengu legends. The open-air Hōroku-yu sits in a cedar grove facing the Kitayama hills and becomes a snow-viewing bath in winter. The simple hydrogen-sulphide water carries a faint whiff of sulphur that suits the mountain air. The open-air-only course is ¥1,500 weekdays / ¥1,600 weekends (towels extra); the full day course with indoor bath, open-air bath, sauna, lounge, towels and robe is around ¥2,600 on weekdays. Open 10:00–21:00 every day, no reservation. Ten minutes on foot from Kurama Station or by free shuttle. The classic way to end a visit to Kurama-dera or the hike over to Kibune — for anyone who wants a genuine onsen in Kyoto.
About 12 minutes on foot from Murodō terminal, the hub of the Tateyama-Kurobe Alpine Route, this inn at 2,410 m is Japan's highest hot-spring lodging. Milky acidic sulphur water piped from Jigokudani flows 100% free, and outside the window is another world: the 3,000-metre Tateyama range and the volcanic lake Mikurigaike. The bath is indoor only; day use 09:00–16:00, ¥1,100 for adults. The café's blueberry soft-serve and curry are favourites. Open only during the mountain season, mid-April to late November; closed in winter. Especially busy during the Snow Corridor (Apr–Jun) and autumn colours (late Sep–early Oct). With the altitude and strong water, keep your soak short.
A hot-spring hotel on the cliffs of Inubōsaki, the easternmost point of the Kantō region. Perched on a cape jutting into the Pacific, its rock rotenburo and European-style open-air bath 'Opia' look out to the horizon and the Inubōsaki lighthouse; on New Year's Day you can watch Japan's earliest sunrise from the tub. The day-use course runs 12:00–19:00 (leave by 20:00), ¥1,500 for a 90-minute stay including bath towel, face towel and toiletries, so come empty-handed. Open daily (special pricing at Obon and New Year). Seven minutes on foot from Inubō Station on the Chōshi Electric Railway; combine with a seafood lunch in Chōshi and the 'Hill Where the Earth Looks Round' observatory.
A large hot-spring hotel in the Ishite River gorge about 8 km inland from Dōgo Onsen. Its great open-air bath 'Suimei-no-yu', billed as one of the largest in western Japan, terraces some 26 tubs down the slope, where you soak in free-flowing alkaline simple sulphur water to the sound of the river — a 'beauty bath' with a clearer sulphur scent than Dōgo. Day use 15:00–20:00 (last entry 19:00), ¥1,100 for adults, irregular closures. The no-reservation private open-air baths 'Yunose' (¥4,400 for 45 min, 2–4 people, towels included) run until 23:00 and suit families or tattooed guests. A cold-spring pool operates in summer. About 50 minutes by bus from Matsuyama Station to 'Okudōgo', or 15 minutes by car from Dōgo Onsen Station.
A big spa resort on the cliffs of Cape Inubō, the first place on Honshū to see the New Year sunrise. The panoramic 'Ichibō-no-yu' main bath sweeps 180 degrees across the Pacific, and with the open-air bath, bedrock-bath rooms and sauna you can watch the sun climb out of the horizon or gaze at Inubōsaki lighthouse while soaking. The water is the sodium-chloride Byōbugaura spring. Adults ¥1,500 on weekdays, ¥1,700 on weekends, holidays and high season (cheaper for morning baths and after 17:00); open 10:00–23:00 (last entry 22:00), and on Saturdays you can stay through to 08:00 the next morning; open every day. Restaurants, banquet rooms, relaxation treatments and an ocean terrace make it a full-day stop to pair with the Chōshi Electric Railway, wet rice crackers and seafood. About 10 minutes on foot from Inubō Station; about an hour by car from Itako IC.
A large lakeside ryokan in the Tōyako Onsen resort whose signature is the top-floor 'sky open-air bath' 32 m above the ground. From the tub you look over Nakajima island in Lake Tōya and, on clear days, to Mt Yōtei beyond; in summer (late April to end of October) the nightly long-run fireworks can be watched from the water. The panoramic main bath also has a sauna. The sodium-calcium-chloride water keeps you warm long after. Day bathing: adults ¥1,200, children ¥600, reception 13:00–19:00 (entry until 18:00), from 14:30 on one Tuesday a month. Towel hire ¥300; 100 free parking spaces. About 20 minutes by Dōnan bus from JR Tōya Station to 'Tōyako Onsen', then 5 minutes on foot; about 2 hours by car from Sapporo. Combine with the lake cruise or the Usuzan Ropeway.
The flagship hotel of Manza Onsen, which at 1,800 m is among the highest hot-spring resorts in Japan reachable by car all year. Perched on a rise, its famous 'Komakusa-no-yu' open-air bath juts from the mountainside so you soak in milky sulphur water while gazing at a sea of clouds, the Jōshin'etsu ranges and, in winter, unbroken snow — literally a bath above the clouds. Besides separate men's and women's sections there is a mixed zone where a wrap towel is worn, making this one of the few Manza inns where mixed bathing is possible. The sulphur content is among Japan's highest and the scent lingers after. Day bathing: adults ¥1,500, children ¥750, reception 11:00–16:00 (bath entry until 15:00), face towel included (bath towel hire ¥300). Weekdays are far quieter than weekends. About 2 hours by Seibu bus from Karuizawa Station, or about 40 minutes by bus from Manza-Kazawaguchi Station; direct ski-slope access in winter.
A resort bathing complex next to the American Village in Chatan, central Okinawa, facing Sunset Beach. The sodium-chloride 'Chatan Onsen' water from 1,400 m fills an indoor bath hall and an open-air bath overlooking the sea, and there is also a swimsuit zone with an outdoor hot-spring pool, jacuzzi and sauna, with free passage between pool and beach. Adults ¥1,800, children ¥800 (a cheaper morning-bath plan exists); baths open 07:00–23:00 (last entry 22:00), outdoor facilities 10:00–21:00, no closing days apart from one maintenance day a year. Loungewear and towel rental and a restaurant are available; about 40 minutes by car from Naha. Rinse off the salt after a day in the sea and soak while the sun sets — a very Okinawan day.
A hideaway day spa in a copse of trees near Jindaiji, Tokyo's second-oldest temple, and its soba-shop village. The blackish-brown 'kuroyu' sodium-chloride water from 1,500 m carries compounds from ancient plant matter, feels viscous on the skin and keeps you warm long after. The wooden bathhouse holds an indoor bath, a rock open-air bath, sauna and cold plunge, and an outdoor rest deck among seasonal greenery — more like a country inn than a big spa complex. Adults ¥1,080 on weekdays, ¥1,180 on weekends and holidays, with cheaper 30-minute and one-hour tickets. Open 10:00–22:00 (last entry 21:00), every day apart from inspection closures. A soba restaurant and rest room are on site — a fine finish to Jindaiji temple and the Jindai Botanical Garden. Free shuttle buses from Chōfu and Tsutsujigaoka stations.
A modern-Japanese spa on the clear Echi River at the gate of Eigen-ji, a temple famed for autumn colour. Named for the 'eight winds' off the Suzuka mountains, it offers a wide spread of tubs: indoor bath, herbal bath, seated bath, two open-air baths above the stream, pot baths, lie-down baths, sauna, salt sauna and cold plunge. The water is a gentle alkaline simple spring. Adults ¥1,300 on weekdays, ¥1,500 on weekends and holidays, with towels and loungewear included so you can come empty-handed. Open 10:30–22:00 (last entry 21:00), every day apart from maintenance. There is an optional bedrock-bath suite, a gorge-view restaurant, a charcoal-grill dining room and lodging, and at night the lit-up building feels like a ryokan. About 20 minutes by car from Yōkaichi IC or 35 minutes by bus from Ōmi Railway Yōkaichi Station. Pair with Eigen-ji's November foliage.
One of the few natural-spring bath complexes on Okinawa's main island, on Route 58 in Ginowan next to the MEGA Don Quijote, about 30 minutes by car from Naha. The tea-brown water pumped from underground is a salty chloride spring that warms you well; besides the indoor bath, carbonated bath, sauna and cold plunge there is a pleasant garden open-air bath among tropical planting. Bedrock baths, private family baths, a recliner lounge and an inexpensive canteen round it out, and towels and shampoo are included so you can come empty-handed. Entry: adults ¥1,500, junior/senior high ¥1,000, children ¥750; open 07:00–23:00 (last entry 22:00), every day. Close to Chatan's American Village and the Ginowan beaches, it is handy on a rental-car trip or as a proper wash after a day in the sea — many divers stop by on the way home. 200 parking spaces.
A large spa complex in Tōon, just east of Matsuyama, whose pride is an open-air bathing area billed as among the biggest in western Japan. About 6 minutes on foot from Minara Station on the Iyotetsu line, with a free daily shuttle from Matsuyama-shi Station — handy for anyone wanting an onsen near Matsuyama other than Dōgo. The underground spring, nicknamed the '200-million-year warming water', fills a garden-like cluster of outdoor baths set with natural boulders, plus indoor baths, sauna and cold plunge, and there are five private family baths. Day use is by course: the standard course is ¥1,480 for adults, ¥1,280 for over-65s and ¥700 for children (including loungewear and the rest lounge), with cheaper simple courses. Open 06:00–24:00 (last entry 23:00; indoor baths only in the early morning; maintenance 09:00–10:00), every day. Japanese and Western restaurants, a café, body care, the adjoining Juraku hotel and a morning farmers' market let you linger for half a day. About 5 minutes by car from Tōon Smart IC.
A natural-spring bath complex about 5 minutes on foot from Minami-Tama Station (JR Nambu Line) in Inagi, amid the greenery of the Tama hills. The mildly alkaline water from 1,700 m down is pale amber and soft on the skin; the outdoor area has a free-flowing rock bath, pot baths, lie-down baths, a carbonated bath and seasonal specials, while indoors are a high-concentration carbonated bath, jet baths, a sauna with löyly sessions and a cold plunge. With more room than central-Tokyo spas, its outdoor rest deck among trees is a real draw. Entry: adults ¥1,000 on weekdays, ¥1,200 on weekends and holidays; children ¥520/¥680; bedrock baths extra (¥750 on weekdays). Open 09:00–01:00 on weekdays and 07:00–01:00 on weekends and holidays (last entry midnight). Closed only on the third Tuesday of March, June, September and December. Restaurant, body care and a manga corner on site. About 40 minutes from Shinjuku via the Keiō and Nambu lines, easy to pair with Yomiuriland or a walk in the Tama hills.
An inn at Ichinomata Onsen in the hills of Toyota, Shimonoseki, famed for 'toro-toro' water — a strongly alkaline simple sulphur spring at pH 10.0, among the highest in Japan. The skin turns slippery the moment you get in and silky afterwards, and it is widely known in Yamaguchi as a beauty bath. The Honoka and Yunoka halls have indoor and open-air baths and saunas, plus reservable private baths — a round cypress tub and a square stone one — at ¥2,000 per hour. Day bathing: adults ¥1,150, children ¥600, 08:00–21:00 (last entry 20:00); note the shortened 08:00–17:00 (last entry 16:00) on Saturdays, holidays, Golden Week, Obon and New Year. A rest lounge and restaurant (11:30–15:00) allow a bath-and-lunch visit. About 30 minutes by car from Ozuki or Mine IC on the Chūgoku Expressway, or 40 minutes by bus from JR Ozuki Station. Combine with Tsunoshima Bridge, Akiyoshidai or Nagato-Yumoto. The nearby Ichinomata Onsen Kankō Hotel is a sister property.
The Umi no Kairō bathhouse of this large resort hotel on the Pacific shore of Kamogawa, on the outer coast of the Bōsō Peninsula, welcomes day visitors. Fed by Kamogawa Onsen, tapped in 2003, its open-air bath faces the ocean with an uninterrupted view of the horizon and breaking waves; there are also an indoor bath, sauna and a glass-walled lounge looking out to sea. Adults (junior-high age and up) pay ¥1,650 and children aged 3–12 ¥825, rising to ¥1,760/¥880 in peak periods such as Golden Week, summer and New Year. Towels are not included – rent a set for ¥330 or bring your own. Normal hours are 11:00–22:00 (last entry 21:00), but on weekends, holidays and busy days bathing is split into 11:00–15:30 and 19:30–22:00. Open every day, with entry limits when crowded, and day plans with spa treatments or lunch are available. About 5 minutes by shuttle or car from Awa-Kamogawa Station on the JR Sotobō Line, close to Kamogawa Sea World – a fine finish to a day at the beach.
A large hotel on a rise above Mikawa Bay in Gamagōri, part of Miya Onsen, whose waters are said to have been discovered 1,200 years ago by the monk Kūkai. Unusually for a coastal spa, the low-salt alkaline simple spring is known as 'beautiful-skin water'. Highlights are the open-air hot spring bath Bihakusen and 13 kinds of spa facilities across the men's and women's sides – lie-down baths, waterfall showers, saunas – with views over the bay toward Takeshima island. Day bathing runs 11:30–19:00 for ¥1,600 per adult (face towel ¥200 and bath towel ¥300 extra). Prices have risen, but the spacious halls and views are often yours alone in quiet hours; day plans with meals and private rest rooms are offered. Open every day, with free parking for 200 cars. About 5 minutes by car (20 on foot) from Mikawa-Miya Station on the JR Tōkaidō Line, or 20 minutes from the Otowa-Gamagōri IC on the Tōmei Expressway. Combine with Laguna Ten Bosch, Takeshima or mandarin picking on a Mikawa Bay drive.
A stay-all-day natural hot spring complex in Minami-Kume, Matsuyama, about 15 minutes by car from Dōgo Onsen, 15 minutes from Matsuyama IC and 5 minutes on foot from Iyotetsu Kume Station. It opens at 5 in the morning and runs until 1 am (last entry midnight) every day of the year. Alkaline 'beautiful-skin' water from deep underground fills the indoor, open-air and lie-down baths; a Finnish sauna offers löyly sessions, with a cold plunge and outdoor cooling deck. Admission is ¥1,750 plus ¥150 bathing tax for adults (members ¥1,350 + ¥150), including face and bath towels and loungewear, so come empty-handed; the rock-bed spa is ¥300 extra and children pay ¥1,000 with a locker. Reservable family baths, a recliner lounge, restaurant, body care and scrub salon and even lodging make it a full-day base for Matsuyama sightseeing, and on dates containing a 1 the 'morning bath day' rate drops to ¥1,000. Free parking for 250 cars. Ideal after Dōgo Onsen Honkan for a long, relaxed sauna and rock-bath finish.
The largest and most storied inn of Ashinomaki Onsen, a spa strung along the Aga (Ōkawa) river gorge south of Aizu-Wakamatsu. Its soaring lobby 'floating stage', where live shamisen echoes each evening, became famous for resembling the bathhouse of a beloved animated film. The star is the 'superb-view open-air bath' cantilevered over the gorge, looking down on the river and the mountainsides through the seasons – spectacular in autumn colour and winter snow. The clear sodium-calcium sulfate-chloride water warms deeply and holds its heat. Day bathing runs 11:00–15:00 (reception until 14:00) for ¥1,800 per adult and ¥900 for ages 3–12, tax and bathing tax included with a face towel, open every day. The 'sky open-air bath' can be booked privately for ¥3,300 per 45 minutes (two slots each at 13:00 and 14:00), and day plans with lunch in a private room from ¥5,500 are popular. Free parking for 150 cars, pick-up from Ashinomaki-Onsen Station on the Aizu Railway, or about 40 minutes by car from Aizu-Wakamatsu IC via Route 118. A natural stop between Ōuchi-juku and the Tō-no-Hetsuri cliffs.
A stay-awhile day spa about 7 minutes on foot from JR Uno Station, right beside Uno Port where the ferries to Naoshima and Teshima depart. Jazz plays through the calm, old-farmhouse-style interior, and the great draw is the open-air bathing area gazing over the islands of the Seto Inland Sea and the boats passing between them. Outside are four baths around a large rock pool plus pot tubs; inside two pools, a sauna and cold plunge, with a rock-bed spa for an extra fee. The soft sodium-chloride spring rises from underground, and a soak in the sea breeze is the perfect cure for a day of art-island walking. Admission is on the high side – ¥1,700 for adults on weekdays and ¥2,000 on weekends and holidays (children ¥700/¥800) – but towels and loungewear are included, and a recliner lounge and restaurant serving Setouchi fish let you settle in for the day. Open 10:00–22:00 (last entry 21:00), closed the third Tuesday (the following Wednesday if a holiday), parking for 200 cars. A rare chance to bathe while waiting for the ferry back from Naoshima; about 40 minutes by car from central Okayama.
A popular day spa on a hillside of Mt. Tenpai in Chikushino, Fukuoka – the mountain where the exiled scholar Sugawara no Michizane is said to have pleaded his innocence to heaven. The main bath, Tenpai-no-Yu, uses natural spring water from 1,500 m underground and looks out over Chikushino to the distant lights of Fukuoka; the airy open-air bath is loveliest from dusk into night. Besides indoor and outdoor pools there are a sauna and cold plunge, and three styles of private family bath with their own open-air tubs (from ¥3,000 on weekdays, reservation required) make it a favourite with families and couples. Main-bath admission is ¥1,200 on weekdays and ¥1,300 on weekends and holidays for adults, ¥500/¥600 for ages 4 to elementary school (revised December 2024). Open 10:30–24:00 (last entry 23:00), closed as a rule on the second Tuesday. The buffet restaurant of Kyūshū produce is well regarded, with weekday lunch-plus-bath sets from ¥3,500. Parking for 200 cars, about 10 minutes by car from JR or Nishitetsu Futsukaichi Station or from Chikushino IC. The classic plan: visit Dazaifu Tenmangū, then climb the hill for a soak with the night view.
About 25 minutes by car from Morioka Station, this large hotel is the flagship of Tsunagi Onsen, the lakeside 'back parlour of Morioka' lined with inns along Lake Gosho. Its lake-facing bathhouse, the Nambu Magariya no Yu, is modelled on the region's traditional L-shaped farmhouses, and the open-air bath on the shore frames Lake Gosho and Mt. Iwate, beautiful as the light shifts at dawn and dusk. A second bathhouse, Hitorishizuka no Yu, looks onto a stone garden, and the two swap between men and women by time of day. The clear alkaline simple spring is soft on the skin, and there is a sauna. Day bathing hours are short – 11:00–16:00 on weekdays (reception until 15:00) and 11:00–14:00 on weekends and holidays (until 13:00) – at ¥1,200 on weekdays and ¥1,400 on weekends for adults, ¥600 for children. There is no fixed closing day, but cleaning days and crowds can suspend or shorten day bathing, so check ahead. A restaurant, shop and lounge are on site with ample free parking. Iwate Kenkō bus for Tsunagi Onsen from Morioka Station's west exit takes about 30 minutes, or 15 minutes by car from Morioka IC via Route 46. Combine with Koiwai Farm or Morioka Handi-Works Square.