An urban spa in front of Toshimaen Station, 20 minutes from Ikebukuro on the Seibu line. Natural hot-spring water drawn from 1,445 m feeds an open-air bath overlooking a Japanese garden, plus a swimsuit 'Bade' pool zone. Adults and teens only (junior high and up), so it stays quiet. Lounges, a restaurant and body care invite long weekday afternoons. No tattoos.
Founded in 1923, a registered cultural-property bathhouse with a curved-gable entrance, carved transoms in the changing room and majolica tiles. Despite the 'onsen' in its name the water is heated, with electric bath, herbal bath, open-air pool and sauna. One of Kyoto's few tattoo-friendly baths, so popular with visitors. ¥550; opens 8 am on Sundays.
Nagoya's largest bath complex, about 10,000 m² along the Nakagawa Canal. A tropical-resort layout with natural hot-spring rotenburo, a main sauna with auto-löyly every ten minutes, a 2-m-deep cold plunge and a big outdoor cool-down deck — sauna fans rate it highly. The separately ticketed 'TERA SPA' stone-sauna zone adds barrel saunas. ¥900 weekdays; open until 3 am on Fridays and Saturdays. 25 minutes by bus from Nagoya Station.
Kamata, 15 minutes by train from Haneda Airport, has Tokyo's densest cluster of 'kuroyu' black-water springs. Kaiseiyu, founded in 1929, is the classic: a coffee-dark natural bicarbonate bath, a high-concentration carbonated pool and a cold plunge, with a goldfish aquarium set into the bath wall. ¥600; a toiletries-and-towel set is sold at the desk. Ideal before a flight or after a late arrival. Tattoos are fine, as in most sento.
Two subway stops from Umeda and 8 minutes from Tenjimbashisuji-rokuchome Station, a natural onsen on the 8th-floor rooftop of a building. Mildly alkaline water from 659 m below fills open-air baths looking over the Osaka skyline. Generous sauna and outdoor cool-down area, ¥900 on weekdays, open until 1 am. Combine with a stroll down Japan's longest shopping arcade, Tenjimbashisuji, and Osaka Tenmangu shrine.
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.
One of Japan's largest day-spa complexes, sharing a resort with Nagashima Spa Land and Nabana no Sato. Roughly 33,000 m² of open-air baths landscaped after the Oirase stream and Kurobe gorge, with 17 natural-spring baths for men and women plus six rock-bath rooms. A 50-minute direct bus from Nagoya's Meitetsu Bus Center makes it popular with families and overseas visitors combining it with the amusement park or outlet mall. Admission ¥2,100; open until 23:00 on weekends.
Ten minutes by car from Kurobe-Unazuki-Onsen Station on the Hokuriku Shinkansen, a large day-spa wing of the lone inn Kintarō Onsen in Uozu. Its sulfur-rich sodium-calcium chloride water is among the most concentrated in Hokuriku, gushing at 1,800 litres a minute. A giant rock bath built from Tateyama boulders, open-air baths, a carbonated bath, rock-bath rooms and four private baths; open daily 8:30–23:30. Admission ¥1,100.
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 super-sento 15 minutes by car from Kawagoe's 'Little Edo' warehouse streets, where brown natural spring water pumped from 1,200 m flows freely through both indoor and outdoor tubs. Nine baths per side plus two saunas, a carbonated bath and the signature 'Zabūn' water feature; the Zabūn and Sarasara wings swap between men and women on odd and even days. ¥900 weekdays, ¥1,000 weekends, ¥100 off 8–9 am and after 22:00. Open 8:00–25:00 every day with 200 parking spaces — a proper onsen near Tokyo to end a Kawagoe day.
An onsen on the fifth floor of a resort hotel facing Emerald Beach, seven minutes' walk from the Churaumi Aquarium. Chloride water is drawn from Jurassic strata some 200 million years old, and the open-air bath looks across cobalt-blue sea to Ie Island. Two bathrooms — one with a dry sauna, one with steam — alternate daily between men and women, with cold plunge and outdoor rest area. Day use ¥2,150 including towel set, 6:00–10:00 and 15:00–23:00. A rare genuine hot spring in Okinawa, best enjoyed in the late afternoon after the aquarium.
A large day-use onsen next to the Naruto boat-race stadium, 10 minutes by car from the whirlpools and the Ōtsuka Museum of Art. The open-air bath, fed by the site's own natural spring, opens to Naruto's hills and sky; there are also a carbonated bath, pot tubs, a hot sauna, cold plunge and outdoor rest area. Open 8:00–24:00 (last entry 23:00), from early morning to late night; ¥750 weekdays, ¥900 weekends and holidays. The ground-floor restaurant is known for fresh fish — Naruto sea bream and sashimi at fair prices. Walkable from the Konaruto-bashi bus stop on the Tokushima Bus Naruto line. Irregular closures.
Ise city's only full-scale super-sentō, attached to the Mitasu Ise shopping centre five minutes by car from the Outer Shrine. Funae Onsen water pumped from below fills the open-air stone and rock baths, joined by a high-concentration carbonated bath, jet baths and a tower sauna — eleven baths in all. Open 9:00–23:00 (last entry 22:30); ¥800 weekdays, ¥900 weekends and holidays, with towel-rental packages so you can drop in empty-handed between shrine visits. The Hyōtan-tei restaurant serves local dishes like Ise udon and tekone-zushi. About 20 minutes on foot from Iseshi Station, or right at the Mitasu Ise Kita bus stop (Mie Kōtsū).
A natural-spring super-sentō on the 5th–6th floors of the building linked by footbridge to the north exit of Kabe Station on the JR Ōme Line. The alkaline simple spring from 1,500 m down is known for leaving skin silky; the top floor has an open-air bath, lying bath, hot sauna and cold plunge plus an outdoor rest deck facing the Tama hills. Open 10:00–23:30 (last entry 23:00); ¥1,000 weekdays, ¥1,150 weekends, cheaper after 21:00. The Baijuan restaurant's weekday lunch-and-bath set is good value. The most convenient day onsen in western Tokyo — stop off on the way back to Shinjuku after hiking Mt Mitake, driving Okutama or browsing Ōme's retro shopping street. Closed the third Wednesday.
A locals' favourite hot-spring bathhouse three minutes on foot from Sōen Station, one stop from Sapporo on the Hakodate Line. Natural sodium-chloride spring water pumped from below fills two open-air baths and three indoor tubs, plus an electric bath, a hot sauna, a steam sauna and a cold plunge — all for ¥500, among the cheapest in the city. Open 7:00–25:00 (last entry 24:00), from early morning to late night, with a large rest area. Towels are sold and bath towels rented, so you can come empty-handed. Free parking for about 200 cars. Handy between sightseeing, for an early-morning reset or before heading to New Chitose. Open daily (occasional maintenance).
Takayama's largest day-use onsen, ten minutes by car from the old town, using free-flowing mildly alkaline water from 1,000 m underground. A 'hot-spring health land' with ten kinds of baths — indoor, open-air, walking bath, electric bath — plus sauna, a cheap restaurant with a hundred Japanese, Western and Chinese dishes, basic lodging from ¥2,500 a night, karaoke and Korean-style body care. Open 7:30–23:00 (last entry 22:30; open-air bath 15:30–22:00), every day; ¥1,150, or ¥750 for the night bath after 21:00. About 10 minutes by car from Takayama Station, with local buses too. Handy for guesthouse stayers with tiny bathrooms, or on the way back from Shirakawa-gō and Okuhida drives.
A large super-sentō about 25 minutes from central Osaka on the Kita-Osaka Kyūkō line, ten minutes on foot from Minoh-Semba-Handai-mae Station (opened 2024). Certified therapeutic bicarbonate-chloride spring water feeds the open-air bath, joined by a high-concentration carbonated bath, pot tubs, lying baths and more — 17 tubs in all — plus a hot sauna with automatic löyly and an outdoor cool-down area. The stone-bed spa (extra ¥800) comes with some 6,000 manga and no time limit. Open 9:00–2:00 (from 6:00 on weekends and holidays; last entry 1:00); ¥1,000 weekdays, ¥1,100 weekends. Dining and relaxation services on site — an easy stop after hiking to Minoh Falls or visiting Expo '70 Park and EXPOCITY. Two maintenance closures a year.
One of the largest spa complexes in Saitama, in Kumagaya in the north of the prefecture. Its own alkaline simple spring, pumped from 1,500 m at over 600 litres a minute, feeds a wide range of tubs — a free-flowing open-air 'raw source' bath, pot baths, lie-down baths and a high-concentration carbonated bath. There is a löyly sauna, cold plunge and a garden-view outdoor rest deck. The optional 'Onkatsu Café Nest' adds eight kinds of bedrock-bath rooms, manga and free drinks for an all-day stay. Admission ¥950 on weekdays, ¥1,100 on weekends and holidays; open 10:00–23:00 (last entry 22:30), no closing days. Private rooms with an open-air pot bath can be reserved by phone. About 10 minutes by bus or taxi from JR Kumagaya Station; 300 free parking spaces. Kumagaya is about 40 minutes from central Tokyo by Shinkansen — combine with rugby at the stadium or Menuma Shōdenzan temple.
A natural hot spring to visit after strolling Kawagoe's 'Little Edo' warehouse street. Its own sodium-chloride spring from 1,200 m fills indoor and open-air baths in two zones, 'Wood' and 'Stone', which swap between men and women daily. Nine baths and three saunas in all — a carbonated bath made by dissolving CO₂ into the spring water, a free-flowing source bath, bedrock-bath rooms and a private family bath — make for an in-house bath-hopping course. Adults ¥850 on weekdays, ¥950 on weekends and holidays; open 10:00–24:00 (from 09:00 on weekends and holidays, last entry 23:00), no regular closing day apart from maintenance. Body soap and shampoo provided; a soba-and-udon restaurant, massage and body scrub are on site. Seibu bus from Hon-Kawagoe Station (Seibu Shinjuku Line) to the 'Hōmukyoku' stop; 150 free parking spaces.
A day-use bathhouse on the main street of Hirayama Onsen, where inns are scattered among the rice fields of Yamaga, Kumamoto. The slippery alkaline simple-sulphur water — famed locally as 'beautifying water' — fills a main indoor pool, electric bath, waterfall massage bath, cold plunge and sauna plus two open-air baths of different sizes. Adults ¥600, children ¥300 (a bath-only course is cheaper still); open 09:30–21:30 (last entry 20:30), closed Thursdays (open if a holiday). Paid private rest rooms (10:00–16:00), a farm-produce and souvenir shop and a café round it out, and the crowd is half locals, half visitors. Kyūshū Sankō bus from Yamaga Bus Center to 'Hiraogi', then 7 minutes on foot; about 20 minutes by car from Kikusui or Nankan IC. Pair with Yamaga's lantern festival heritage and the Yachiyoza theatre.
A day-spa attached to a 170-room resort hotel on a hill overlooking the Tokachi plain. The amber 'moor' spring — a sodium-chloride water rich in plant-derived organics, known for leaving skin silky — fills more than ten tubs including pot baths, lie-down baths and open-air baths, plus a sauna. Adults ¥950 (¥800 after 20:00), children 4 to 12 ¥500; open 11:00–23:00 on weekdays and 10:00–24:00 on weekends and holidays, no closing days. A 10,000-volume manga corner, TV recliners and a free kids' park make it an all-day family stop, and private baths can be hired from ¥1,500. About 20 minutes by car from Obihiro Station with a free shuttle bus, or 5 minutes from JR Satsunai Station — closer to central Obihiro than Tokachigawa Onsen and an easy stop on a rental-car trip.
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 municipal day-use bathhouse in the Furuyu–Kumanokawa spa area along the Kase River, about 30 minutes by car from central Saga. Kumanokawa's water is a radon-bearing radioactive (radium) spring, traditionally enjoyed as a long, slow soak at lukewarm temperature. The main hall has large and small pools at different temperatures, an open-air bath facing the hills, and a small sauna and cold plunge, all lively with local chatter. A barrier-free family bath (¥1,500 for 55 minutes plus admission) is available, and the tatami rest room offers meals and massage. Adults ¥600, children ¥350; open 10:00–21:00, closed the 3rd Thursday (next day if a holiday). Local vegetables are sold at the front desk, and the grounds have a hot-water stand and a 'Yu YOU Park' for car camping. Pair with Furuyu Onsen for a bath-hopping 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.
A public lodge in the Mitsugi countryside, the 'back parlour' of Onomichi, the port town of slopes, temples and cats. The natural spring is a mildly radioactive cold mineral water; two bathing halls, Hohoemi-no-yu and Fureai-no-yu, hold 13 kinds of tubs including open-air baths, lie-down baths, waterfall massage, sauna and cold plunge. From the open-air bath you look out on the Mitsugi hills and, at night, a sky full of stars. Day bathing is ¥850 for adults and ¥500 for children with bath towel, face towel and loungewear included, and you may bathe as often as you like until you leave. Open 10:00–22:00 (last entry 21:30); the only closure is one or two days each June. Rest room, restaurant and massage room, with overnight stays available. About 8 minutes by car from Onomichi-kita IC, 25 minutes from Shin-Onomichi Station, or 50 minutes by Chūgoku bus from JR Onomichi Station to the terminus. A good soak after walking Onomichi's lanes or cycling the Shimanami Kaidō.
The lone inn at Gokuraku Onsen, in the hills of Takaharu on the eastern foot of the Kirishima range, with water distinctive enough to be listed among Japan's 'hundred famous springs'. It is a carbonated iron spring (carbon dioxide-iron-calcium-bicarbonate), and the speciality is alternating between the free-flowing tubs, turned rust-red on contact with air, and a 'source cold bath' filled with the highly carbonated mineral water straight from the ground. Sitting in the cold fizzing water as tiny bubbles cling to your skin, then returning to the warm bath, is a routine sauna lovers adore. There is also an open-air bath, a sauna and a reservable private bath. Day bathing: adults ¥600, children ¥250, with long hours from 07:00 to 21:00 (last entry 20:30), except Wednesdays when it pauses 10:00–15:00 for cleaning. A dining room serves Kyushu mountain-and-river cuisine, and private rest rooms and overnight stays suit a cure-style visit. About 15 minutes by car from JR Takaharu Station or Takaharu IC. A hidden gem for Ebino Plateau and Kirishima trips.
The communal bathhouse of Shikano, a castle town in western Tottori City laid out by the warlord Kamei Korenori. Light pours through glass-block walls into a bright bathroom with a main tub, jacuzzi, sauna, cold plunge and an open-air bath facing Mt Jūbō, all generously filled with clear, gentle simple spring water. Inexpensive at ¥550 for adults and ¥280 for children; open 10:00–22:00 and closed only on the first Thursday of the month (the following week if a holiday). There is no restaurant, but a rest area and souvenir counter, plus a roofed foot bath and the 'Omoshiro Market' soba house next door. Pair it with a stroll around the castle town's canals and paving, Shikano Castle ruins park and the Bird Theatre. About 4 minutes by car from Hamamura-Shikano-Onsen IC on the San'in Expressway, or 10 minutes by bus from JR Hamamura Station to 'Imamachi'. Handy on the way back from the Tottori dunes or Uradome coast.
A hot-spring resort in Kamiyama, a mountain town up the Akui River about an hour by car from Tokushima city, known for its newcomers and IT satellite offices. At its heart is the town-run bath 'Iyashi-no-yu', a contemporary building of local cedar and cypress notable for tatami mats laid throughout the bathroom, changing room and lobby. The sodium-chloride-bicarbonate cold mineral water feels mellow, then leaves the skin refreshed. Bubble bath, jet bath, waterfall massage, lie-down bath, herbal bath, sauna, cold plunge and a children's bath, with towels provided. Day bathing: adults ¥680, children ¥340, 10:00–20:00, closed the fourth Tuesday (open on holidays, Golden Week, Obon and New Year). The Kawasemi restaurant uses local produce, and private rest rooms and overnight stays are available. Combine with sudachi citrus, Amagoi Falls and Shōsan-ji, temple 12 of the Shikoku pilgrimage. About 60 minutes by Tokushima bus (Kamiyama line) from JR Tokushima Station to 'Kamiyama Onsen-mae'.
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 municipal cure-bath in a valley at Irinoyama, in the fold of the Asan mountains at the eastern tip of Kagawa. Quiet, wrapped in cherry blossom in spring and maples in autumn, it is a daily bath for locals and a long-standing lodging for pilgrims walking the Shikoku 88 temples. The simple sulphur cold mineral water is praised for its 'slippery-silky' cling on the skin. The layout is simple — main tub, bubble bath, cold plunge and sauna — with a view of hushed green forest. Very cheap at ¥400 for adults and ¥200 for children (and for over-70s); open 10:00–21:00 every day (occasional maintenance closures). The restaurant serves wild-boar hotpot and live-fish dishes, and rooms with two meals start from about ¥6,500. About 20 minutes by car from Shirotori-Ōchi IC on the Takamatsu Expressway, or by Ōkawa bus to 'Fukushi Center (Shirotori Onsen)'. Combine with a Sanuki udon crawl or the old townscape of Hiketa.
A large day spa where you can gaze at Nagasaki's night view — ranked among the 'new three great night views of the world' — from the bath. Built on the slope of Mt Inasa, its rooftop open-air bath looks down over Nagasaki harbour and the city, which turns into a sea of lights after sunset. The alkaline simple water fills carbonated, electric and jet baths; there are several saunas and cold plunges, six family baths with rest rooms, a suite of bedrock baths (extra charge) and a self-service canteen. Adults ¥850 on weekdays, ¥900 on weekends and holidays, children ¥450; family baths from ¥3,000 for 60 minutes. Open late, 09:30–01:00 (until 02:00 on Fridays, Saturdays and holiday eves; last entry 30 minutes before), with no fixed closing days apart from maintenance. A free shuttle bus runs from JR Nagasaki Station (about 20 minutes), a big plus without a car. The classic plan pairs it with the Inasayama ropeway: see the view from the summit, then soak. 320 parking spaces; payment is mainly cash.
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.
A big bath complex on the Kanzaki River in Toyonaka, about 20 minutes north of Umeda, whose main draw is an authentic Korean-style jjimjilbang — rare in Kansai. Sauna fans rate it highly for the large natural-spring open-air bath, cut-stone bath, pot baths, a sauna with löyly sessions every two hours, cold plunge and plenty of chairs and loungers for outdoor rest. The extra-charge 'Bijōbō' zone offers several low-temperature sauna rooms at 40–70 °C and a dome-shaped hanjeungmak at around 100 °C — Korea's steam-bath culture in Osaka. Entry: adults ¥900 on weekdays, ¥1,000 on weekends and holidays; children ¥500/¥550. Open 10:00–02:00 (last entry 01:00), every day. Besides 1,200 free parking spaces, free shuttle buses run from Hankyū and Kita-Osaka Kyūkō stations, so it is easy without a car. Restaurant, body care and relaxation rooms on site; being close to Itami Airport, it is a good place to kill time before or after a flight. Very busy on weekends and holidays.
A day spa beside the 'Kamon Park Shinminato' roadside station in Imizu, on Toyama Bay. Its spring is a dense chloride water said to rank among the richest in Japan in dissolved minerals, with several times the free carbon dioxide of shop-bought bath fizzers, so onsen enthusiasts know it as a genuine carbonated chloride spring. The tea-brown, salty, iron-rich water warms you deeply; there are indoor and open-air baths, a sauna and a cold plunge. What stands out is the long day: an early-morning bath from 05:00 through to midnight (23:00 on Sundays), with cheaper early and late rates. Regular admission is ¥970 for adults (¥1,020 weekends and holidays), ¥750/¥780 early or late, ¥520 for children. Closed Mondays (open if a holiday, then closed the next weekday) and January 1. Easy to pair with the Shinminato Bridge, Kaiwo Maru Park and seafood at the Shinminato Kittokito market; about 10 minutes by car from Kosugi IC or 20 minutes by community bus from JR Kosugi Station.
A day-use bath run by Nansuikaku, the old inn of Wakita Onsen at the foot of the Inunaki range in Miyawaka, roughly midway between Fukuoka and Kitakyūshū. Nine kinds of open-air bath — a waterwheel bath, the 'Thirty-six Poets' bath, 'Kappa Paradise' and more — are dotted through the greenery, with a cold-spring bath, sauna and lie-down bath, making it a bath-hopping spot. The water is 100 % source alkaline simple spring, smooth on the skin. Day bathing: adults ¥900, children ¥500; open 10:00–22:00 (last entry; closing varies by season, until 23:00 in summer), closed Wednesdays plus occasional days. Private baths (¥3,000 per hour on weekdays) and day packages combining bath, meal and massage are popular. Tattoos are not accepted and payment is cash only. About 15 minutes by car from Wakamiya IC on the Kyūshū Expressway, or by bus from JR Nōgata Station to 'Nansuikaku-mae'. A classic day trip from Fukuoka; to stay, choose the Nansuikaku inn or the adjoining Route Inn Grantia.
A natural-spring bath complex on a wooded Musashino plot in Saitama's Nishi ward. The source, over 600 litres a minute from 1,500 m down, is a faintly green-tinged amber sodium-chloride water; in the outdoor area the rock bath and 'source tepid bath' are filled free-flowing without heating or dilution, and the place is famous among enthusiasts for its 'nuru-yu culture' of long soaks at around 38 °C. There are also raw-source pot baths, lie-down baths, a high-concentration carbonated bath, a sauna with löyly and a deep cold plunge, and an outdoor rest area facing the trees — remarkably quiet for the suburbs. Adults ¥880 on weekdays, ¥980 on weekends and holidays; children ¥500/¥550; open 10:00–24:00 (last entry 23:30), irregular closures. Restaurant, body care and scrub treatments on site. About 25 minutes by bus from JR Ōmiya Station to 'Seiganji', or by taxi from Ageo or Sashiōgi stations. A must for tepid-bath lovers in the Tokyo area; large car park.
A day-use hot spring in Sekiya, Nasushiobara, near the Yunoka Shiobara roadside station at the gateway to the Shiobara spa valley. The source flows at 68.4°C and 250 litres a minute, so the open-air bath runs 100% free-flowing spring water. The slightly tea-coloured, silky alkaline simple spring is known as a skin-beautifying bath; the indoor pool seats about 20 and the outdoor one about 10, both roomy. There are a sauna, cold plunge, jet lounger and a swimwear spa pool popular with families. Adults pay ¥800 on weekdays and ¥1,000 on weekends and holidays (children 4 to elementary age ¥400/¥500); after 5 pm on weekdays the evening rate drops to ¥600. Open 10:00–22:00 (last entry 21:00), closed the third Wednesday (next day if a holiday). Restaurant, rest room, massage and free parking for 150 cars. About 20 minutes by car from JR Nishi-Nasuno Station or 10 minutes from the Nishinasuno-Shiobara IC on the Tōhoku Expressway – a handy last stop after a drive through the Shiobara gorge or Nasu.
A large day spa in Gose, Nara, at the foot of Mt. Katsuragi on the Osaka border. Attached to a local farm park and set among rice fields, it is calm in mood yet packed with baths: a cypress stage bath, crystal bath, lie-down bath, herbal and medicinal tubs, a rotating daily bath, a salt sauna, a dry sauna around 85°C, a 16°C cold plunge and an outdoor cooling deck, with the men's and women's sides swapping daily. Adults pay ¥700 (¥800 on weekends and holidays) and children from age 3 to elementary school ¥350; a family-friendly private bath costs ¥2,500 for 90 minutes plus admission and can be booked a month ahead. Open 10:00–23:00 (last entry 22:00), daily except maintenance closures. Restaurant, shop, tatami hall, body-care salon and free parking for 220 cars. From Kintetsu Gose Station take the Nara Kotsu bus bound for Gojō Bus Center about 15 minutes to the Kamokimi-no-Yu stop. Ideal after the Katsuragi ropeway, Takakamo Shrine or a hike on Mt. Kongō.
A stay-as-long-as-you-like hot spring resort among the fields of Takatsuki, in northern Nagahama near the top of Lake Biwa. The chloride spring pumped from 1,500 m underground is gentle on the skin and keeps you warm, earning it the nickname 'beautiful-skin water', enjoyed in indoor and open-air baths. The men's side has a high-temperature sauna and bubble bath, the women's an herbal mist sauna and jet bath, each with a cold plunge and outdoor cooling area. Inside are a lounge with co-working space, nap 'nest rooms', a restaurant and even lodging, and the complex is open around the clock (bathing suspended during cleaning). The basic bathing course without loungewear costs ¥900 for adults on weekdays and ¥1,200 on weekends and holidays (children ¥500/¥700, valid 6:00–24:00); the relaxed course with loungewear and towels is ¥1,600/¥1,800, with a surcharge from midnight to 6 am. Closed the second and fourth Wednesdays. About 1.9 km from JR Takatsuki Station or 5 minutes by taxi from Kinomoto Station, and close to the Kinomoto IC on the Hokuriku Expressway – a good base for the Kohoku Kannon temples, Nagahama and Lake Yogo.
A day-use hot spring in Jinsekikōgen, a plateau town at 500–700 m in eastern Hiroshima. The source, discovered in 1994 in the Iseki district of former Sanwa, is a rare pH 10.2 strongly alkaline, weakly radioactive cold mineral spring – low in irritants and gentle on the skin. The slightly cloudy, viscous water lifts excess oil and leaves skin smooth, which locals call a 'natural beauty serum'. Inside are an indoor bath, open-air bath, sauna and cold plunge, plus a rock-bed spa, carbonated tub and a private family bath, with a rest area and restaurant. Adults pay ¥900 and children of elementary age or under ¥500; coupon books and a monthly pass keep the regulars coming. Open 10:00–21:00, closed Tuesdays, parking for 20 cars. About an hour by car from central Fukuyama via Route 182, or 2 minutes on foot from the Iseki-naka bus stop. Pair it with Taishaku Gorge, Jinseki beef and stargazing on a drive across the highlands.
A lone hot spring inn at Kamuta in Takaharu, Miyazaki, on the eastern foot of the Kirishima range. A therapeutic bathing spot since the Meiji era, its pride is an extremely carbonated spring with 1,314 mg/kg of free carbon dioxide. Ease into the unheated, chilly carbonated pool and fine bubbles cling to every inch of skin – a concentration said to equal 10–25 bath-fizz tablets. The heated indoor and open-air baths glow golden with iron-rich cloudy water, and alternating between them and the cold spring is the house ritual; a drinking fountain lets you taste the sharply fizzy, iron-flavoured source too. Day bathing costs ¥650 for adults and ¥300 for ages 3–12, 10:00–21:00 (last entry 20:30), closed as a rule on the first and third Wednesdays (subject to change). Day-rest rooms, tatami rooms and detached cottages for overnight stays, and meals of local produce are available. About 10 minutes by car from Takaharu IC on the Miyazaki Expressway, with parking for about 60 cars. Combine it with Kirishima Shrine, a climb of Takachiho-no-mine or the Ebino plateau.
A natural hot spring super-sentō on Prefectural Route 12 in Ichinomiya, southern Takamatsu. It takes its name from the 'Takamatsu Crater', a roughly 4 km-wide buried structure beneath the plain thought by some to be a meteorite impact site, and draws its spring from about 300 m underground. The clear, soft water fills rock baths, pot baths, lie-down tubs and jet baths, with an open-air bath, sauna and cold plunge as well. Hours run from 6:00 in the morning until midnight (last entry 23:00), suiting both early dips and late stops, open all year (opening at 17:00 only on the third Tuesday). Adults pay ¥750 and children from infants to elementary age ¥350; towels are rented for a fee. A restaurant, rest space, overnight rooms and banquet halls keep it popular with locals, and barrier-free facilities are a point of pride. About 10 minutes' walk north of Kūkō-dōri Station on the Kotoden Kotohira Line, 20 minutes by car from Takamatsu Airport, with free parking for 200 cars. Good after Ritsurin Garden or a Sanuki udon crawl.
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.
An urban natural hot spring 8 minutes on foot from JR Sugamo Station, named after Somei village, birthplace of the Somei-Yoshino cherry. Renovated in August 2025, the interior is now calmer and more Japanese-modern. Amber sodium-chloride strong-salt water pumped from 1,800 m underground holds heat so well it is called the 'bath of warmth', enjoyed in an outdoor rock bath, pot tubs and a garden-view indoor pool, with a hot sauna, cold plunge, outdoor cooling area and a mist sauna on the women's side. Admission including towels and loungewear is ¥2,100 on weekdays and ¥2,900 on weekends and holidays for adults, ¥1,200 for children aged 6 to elementary school – city prices, but with no time limit you can stay all day. Open 10:00–23:00 (last entry 22:30), irregular maintenance closures. Japanese, Western and Chinese dining, a large tatami rest hall, body care, scrubs, esthetics and even hair styling are on site, and a free shuttle bus runs from Sugamo Station; parking for 88 cars (2 hours free on weekdays). Combine it with Sugamo's Jizō-dōri shopping street or Rikugien garden for the closest thing to an onsen getaway on the Yamanote Line.
A big natural hot spring super-sentō 3 minutes on foot from Suminoekōen Station on the Osaka Metro Yotsubashi Line, right beside the Suminoe boat-race stadium. Its pride is a sprawling open-air zone fed by sodium-chloride spring water: a bamboo path, garden-style rock bath, pot tubs and a lie-down 'forest pot bath' that feel far from the city. Indoors are jet baths, an electric bath, the popular high-concentration carbonated pool, a salt sauna, hot sauna and cold plunge. Prices are modest – adults ¥800 on weekdays and ¥900 on weekends and holidays, children ¥400/¥450 – with a hand stamp for same-day re-entry. Open 10:00 to 2:00 am (last entry 1:00), all year except maintenance days. An udon-centred restaurant and rest areas are attached, and free parking for about 850 cars (3 hours with bathing, 6 with a meal). About 15 minutes by subway from Namba, it is a bayside hideaway you can drop into late after USJ or the Nankō waterfront.
A natural hot spring super-sentō in Mibu, the old Shinsengumi quarter, 5 minutes on foot from Tambaguchi Station – two stops from Kyoto Station on the JR Sagano Line. It is a rare in-city onsen useful while waiting for a night bus or to round off a day of sightseeing, open 10:00 to 1:00 am (last entry midnight) all year except two maintenance days. Simple spring water pumped from underground fills the outdoor rock bath and pot tubs, while indoors a variety of jet baths, an electric bath and a carbonated pool line up, and the hot sauna runs löyly sessions; with a cold plunge and outdoor cooling space, Kyoto's sauna fans call it a must-bathe. Prices are friendly – adults ¥840 on weekdays, ¥970 on weekends and holidays, children ¥370/¥420. The in-house Sakura-tei serves soba and hearty post-sauna meals, and there is free parking for 120 cars. Within walking distance of the Kyoto Railway Museum, Umekōji Park and Kyoto Aquarium, and handy after a stroll through Shimabara or Nishi-Honganji.
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.