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.
A large day facility where you can try Kusatsu's traditional 'awase-yu' — a row of wooden tubs at rising temperatures, entered in order. Indoor baths, rotenburo, sauna, plus rest and dining areas make it good for half a day. About 10 minutes' walk from the Yubatake, or a short bus ride. Admission ¥1,200 (2026); three-bath pass with Gozanoyu and Sainokawara ¥2,100.
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.
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.
In the Hakkoda mountains, bathing since 1684 and Japan's first National Recuperation Onsen. A vast all-cypress mixed bath hall (about 260 m²) fed by four sources. Women-only hour 8–9 am daily; bathing garments sold on site.
A terraced open-air bath along a mountain stream that holds 200 people, with bluish-white strongly acidic sulfur water. Open late April to late November only; closed in winter. Summer starlight sessions at night.
Right in front of the Yubatake, a wooden recreation of the Edo–Meiji communal baths. Wood and stone bath halls alternate between men and women daily, with two sources (Yubatake and Bandaiko). The upstairs hall looks down on the Yubatake.
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.
A stone steam-bath chamber in use since the Kamakura period. Lie in a yukata on a bed of medicinal sweet-flag herb and sweat heavily in 8–10 minutes. Yukata rental ¥220 (or bring a T-shirt and shorts). Free foot steaming outside.
An onsen on an island 15 minutes' drive from Naha Airport. From the open-air bath you watch the sun set over the Kerama sea and planes land right in front of you. ¥2,000 with towels, open from 6 am — ideal last soak before your flight.
Three minutes by free shuttle from Hakone-Yumoto. A farmhouse-style day spa whose 19 private open-air rooms are the draw (reserve ahead). The löyly sauna sessions in the main bath are popular too.
A public bath that is entirely open-air, on the Hida River. No indoor pool — six outdoor tubs including a waterfall shower, box steam and pot baths. Gero's silky pH 8.9 water with a river breeze.
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 large day-spa 12 minutes from Hakone-Yumoto Station, open 23 hours (10 am to 9 am). A 17-metre rooftop open-air bath, garden waterfalls and private baths. Overnight stays cost extra.
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.
The signature of Beppu's giant hilltop hotel: a five-tiered open-air bath cascading toward Beppu Bay, spectacular at night and dawn. Day tickets include the swimsuit-friendly outdoor spa pool 'Aqua Garden'.
The onsen hall of Kusatsu Onsen Hotel Village. Free-flowing source water in warm, hot and lie-down baths plus sauna for ¥930; add the swimsuit spa pool for families. The classic Kusatsu choice with kids.
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 wooden pass good for three baths at participating ryokan, sold with a towel and pouch for ¥2,500 and valid for six months. Day-use hours differ by inn, so check the timetable when you buy.
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.
The onsen bathhouse of the Laforet resort on the hills above Shuzenji. A big indoor bath overlooking the Amagi range, an open-air bath among birdsong, and a sauna. Day use 12–9 pm, ¥940; free shuttle from Shuzenji Station.
The large ryokan at the entrance to Ginzan. Indoor, open-air and lie-down outdoor baths — far roomier than Shirogane-yu. Day use 11:30 am–2 pm (last 1:30), ¥1,500, closed Thursdays; day bathing has been suspended and resumed repeatedly, so check the website. Cash only.
At 1,800 m in Manza, four private sources feed eight open-air pools of milky, yellow and clear water — the famous 'Sekitei' rock-garden baths. Mixed bathing, but gowns or wrapped towels are required and there is a women-only pool. Day use 11 am–6 pm (last 5 pm), ¥1,700.
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 large resort hotel above the gorge. The basement bathhouse Yusuikyo is open to day visitors on weekdays only, with a combined ticket for the indoor water park 'Lagoon' — handy for families on rainy days. Weekends and holidays are guests only.
Eight minutes from Shimura-sakaue Station in Itabashi, one of Tokyo's most atmospheric super-sento, built around a Showa-era mansion and dry-landscape garden. Free-flowing olive-green spring water in the rotenburo, high-concentration carbonated bath, stone sauna and a soba restaurant. ¥970 weekdays, ¥1,300 weekends and holidays; open until midnight. No tattoos.
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 locals' public bath three minutes from the east exit of Echigo-Yuzawa Station, tucked into the shopping street. Indoor pool only, but the slightly hot, soft water that clings to the skin gets praise. Shampoo is provided and a towel set costs ¥400, so you can drop in empty-handed while waiting for the shinkansen. ¥600 since December 2025.
Thirty minutes by train from Fukuoka, next to Dazaifu, this communal bath belongs to Futsukaichi Onsen, a spring with 1,300 years of history. A single tub in a wooden building, but 100% free-flowing alkaline water leaves skin slick and smooth, and locals keep coming. ¥350 weekdays, ¥450 weekends. Upstairs rest room, plus onsen coffee and hot-spring eggs. Increasingly paired with a visit to Dazaifu Tenmangu.
Seven minutes from Yunoyama-Onsen Station at the foot of Mt. Gozaisho, the bath inside the 'healing and food' resort Aqua Ignis. Free-flowing alkaline water in a bamboo-view rotenburo, lie-down bath and cypress barrel tubs. Luxurious in feel yet only ¥600 weekdays / ¥800 weekends, open 6 am to midnight. Patisserie, Italian restaurant and strawberry picking on site.
A day spa perched on a bluff with the whole Pacific in front of it — both the rotenburo and the sauna face the sea, giving sunrises in the morning and fishing-boat lights at night. Carbonated bath, stone sauna and restaurant; open 9 am to 1 am. ¥950 on weekdays. About 10 minutes by car from Hitachi-Taga Station on the JR Joban Line, doable as a day trip from Tokyo.
In the hills of Tokigawa, Saitama, a popular day spa styled as a 1950s–60s Japanese town, complete with enamel signs and an old-fashioned sweet shop. Strongly alkaline (pH over 10) 'beauty' water that feels slippery on the skin, indoors and outdoors. Opens at 5 am on weekends for early bathers. ¥980 weekdays. About 1.5 hours from Ikebukuro by Tobu Tojo Line and town bus.
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 closest day onsen to World Heritage Miyajima, on the opposite shore. Every tub looks out over the Seto Inland Sea toward the island: rotenburo, cypress bath, rock bath, sauna and foot bath. Mildly radioactive (radon) simple spring. A natural stop on the way back from Miyajima, with a restaurant serving Seto fish. ¥800 weekdays, open until 22:00.
The source bath of Yamaguchi's oldest hot spring, opened some 600 years ago. Local volunteers rebuilt the aging public bath in 2020; the bathroom sits directly on the spring, so you stand chest-deep in a 1-m pool watching water seep from the bedrock. Around 39°C — made for long soaks. The riverside lounge doubles as a café open to non-bathers. Pair with a stroll through the town redeveloped around Hoshino Resorts' KAI Nagato.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Hiroshima's largest natural-onsen complex, in Ujina near the port. Brown bicarbonate water in a rock rotenburo and free-flowing tubs, plus carbonated bath, sauna and stone sauna. Two-tier pricing: ¥500 for indoor baths only, ¥1,000 (weekdays) for everything. 25 minutes by tram from the Peace Memorial Park and close to the Hiroshima Port ferries for Miyajima.
On a mountainside above the Kofu basin, a spectacular open-air bath with Mt. Fuji and the city lights in view. It opens 'one hour before sunrise', so people arrive in the dark to watch dawn break over Fuji from the water. Of the two bathhouses, 'Acchi-no-yu' is the larger with the better view. ¥900. The deep-fried hot-spring egg from the food stall is a must. Ten minutes by taxi from Yamanashi-shi Station; a feasible day trip from Tokyo.
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.
A wooden ryokan founded in 1841 on the Toyosawa River at the far end of the Hanamaki onsen villages. Its signature is 'Hakuen-no-yu', a self-welling rock pool about 1.25 m deep that you stand in — billed as Japan's deepest rock bath. Five springs feed four bathhouses, all 100% free-flowing. Day use ¥800, 10:00–21:00. Hakuen-no-yu is mixed bathing with women-only hours. Free shuttle from Hanamaki Station by reservation.
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.
Two hours by train from Tokyo, a day spa right in front of Oarai Sun Beach. The open-air baths — 'Kuroshio' for men, 'Oyashio' for women — look straight out over the Pacific, and the strong salt water from 1,500 m down keeps you warm long after. There's also a carbonated bath. The panoramic restaurant serves seafood from Oarai port. ¥1,000 on weekdays, 10:00–21:30, open daily. Five minutes by taxi from Oarai Station.
Fifteen minutes by Kotoden train from central Takamatsu, an architect-designed modern wooden bathhouse. Every tub is free-flowing, and the lukewarm bicarbonate water leaves skin silky. Inside are a second-hand book corner and veranda-like lounges where people linger reading after their soak. ¥700; 11:00–24:00 weekdays, from 9:00 on weekends and holidays. Ten minutes' walk from Busshozan Station.
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.
Ten minutes by car from Tsuruga, the Hokuriku Shinkansen terminus, a municipal spa on a hill above Tsuruga Bay. Alongside the open-air and indoor baths and sauna there's a swimsuit 'Bade pool' of thermal water, so it's popular with families. Mild simple spring water; a Japanese restaurant and tatami hall for resting afterwards. ¥750 on weekdays, 10:00–22:00, closed Tuesdays — a handy first stop on a Hokuriku trip from Kansai or Nagoya.
Next to the Himi Banya-gai seafood market near the port famous for winter yellowtail, a day spa fed by its own well 1,250 m down. The brown, strongly saline water flows freely, and on clear days the rotenburo frames the Tateyama range across Toyama Bay. Open 10:00–23:00, from 7:00 on weekends and holidays. ¥950. The classic routine: kaisen-don or conveyor sushi at the market, then a soak.
A small riverside hotel on the south side of Kinugawa Onsen, five minutes from Tobu World Square Station. While the big hotels stop day bathing around 15:00, this one welcomes walk-ins 9:00–21:00 for ¥700. Its own alkaline sulfur spring (43.6 °C) flows 100% free into a quirky set of baths: a rotenburo made from an actual Kinugawa river-cruise boat, a rock rotenburo, indoor baths and a swimsuit mixed bath. The slightly cool, silky water is highly rated by onsen fans.
A large day-spa at Yuda Onsen in Yamaguchi city. The men's 'Byakko-no-yu' faces a Japanese garden while the women's 'Xavier-no-yu' is Western in style; both offer rotenburo, lie-down and jet baths, a walking pool and sauna. The pH 9.2 alkaline water feels silky. ¥1,000 including a face towel, open 10:00–24:00 every day. Upstairs there's a manga and rest lounge plus a canteen. Ten minutes' walk from Yuda-Onsen Station.
A lone inn in a primeval beech forest on the southern flank of Mt. Hakkoda. Spring water wells up directly through the gaps in the hiba-cypress boards on the tub floor — 'free-welling', so you bathe in water that has never touched air, a rarity even in Japan. The all-hiba 'Kyuan-no-yu' bathhouse from 1918 is magnificent. Day use 10:00–15:00, ¥1,000; may close early when busy. Combine with the hour-long trail around Tsuta-numa pond, famous for autumn colour. Closed in winter.
An hour by car from Niigata city, a ryokan in Tsukioka Onsen, famed for water that 'makes you beautiful'. Its emerald-green spring, among the most sulfur-rich in Japan, fills indoor and open-air baths, and day use runs late — 15:00–23:00 — so you can soak while the garden is lit up. ¥800 on weekdays (¥1,000 with towel), +¥200 on weekends and holidays. Combine with the free footbath and spring-source park in the village.
A town-run day spa at Okutsu Onsen, one of the three Mimasaka hot springs and famous for the autumn colours of Okutsu Gorge. The airy, high-ceilinged main bath holds pH 9-plus alkaline 'beauty water', with a rotenburo, family baths and sauna. ¥880, 10:00–19:00, closed Thursdays. The gorge trail is within walking distance, so it fills up after leaf-viewing in autumn. Forty minutes by car from Tsuyama.
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.
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.
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.
The flagship ryokan of Harazuru Onsen on the Chikugo River, known for 'double beauty water' that is both mildly alkaline and sulfurous. Highlights are the leafy 'jungle bath' hall and two roofless private open-air baths, Keiryū-no-yu and Takimi-no-yu (¥2,000 per 50 min, reservation required). Day use ¥1,000, Wed–Sun 11:00–20:00 (Mon–Tue from 14:00). Rooms renovated in 2024 feature Fukuoka crafts such as Kurume kasuri textiles — a good weekend base an hour's drive from Hakata.
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 long-established bath theme park on a hillside three minutes' walk from Hankyu Minoh Station in northern Osaka. The panoramic main bath and open-air tubs look out over the Osaka plain, and with stone-slab baths, a manga corner, games, stage shows and a buffet you can spend the whole day in lounge wear. Admission ¥1,813 on weekdays (¥2,253 weekends), dropping to a ¥922 evening rate after 17:00. Open until 23:45 — popular with hikers coming back from the Minoh Falls autumn foliage trail.
The highlight of any Gonō Line journey: a lone inn famous nationwide for its 'seaside open-air bath' set right at the water's edge of the Sea of Japan. Iron-rich chloride water, rust-red and cloudy, seems to merge with sea and sky. Day use is ¥600 — the seaside bath 8:00–16:00 (last entry 15:30), the main-building indoor 'Kogane-no-yu' 8:00–20:00. The mixed outdoor bath allows bathing wear (rental fee); a women-only outdoor bath sits alongside. Sunset soaks are for overnight guests only, so stay if you want one of Japan's 100 best sunsets from the tub.
A day bath inside a public inn 15 minutes by ferry from Kagoshima port and 8 minutes' walk from Sakurajima port. Water rises at 51°C from a magma layer 1,000 m below, clouded rust-brown with iron, and flows freely through a bath hall looking across Kinkō Bay to the city. ¥460, 11:00–21:00 — a bargain after touring the volcano or the lava seaside trail. The free 100-metre Lava Nagisa Park footbath is within walking distance. Operations may be affected by volcanic alert levels.
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 public resort inn in the pine woods of the Echizen-Kaga Coast park, five minutes by car from the Tōjinbō cliffs. The glass-walled indoor bath and open-air Araiso-no-yu face the Sea of Japan and its sunsets, with cherry blossom in spring. Day use 11:30–15:00 (last entry), ¥900; closed to day visitors on Tuesdays for maintenance. Well stocked with shampoo and conditioner; towels are rented (¥310) or bring your own. Eight minutes by car from Mikuni-Minato Station — an easy stop between Tōjinbō and an Echizen crab lunch (Nov–Mar).
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 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 ryokan built out over Lake Tōgō, known as the 'inn on the lake': lobby and baths are surrounded by water on three sides, and the open-air Kōsuke-yu sits almost level with the surface. Free-flowing simple spring water. Day bathing runs on an irregular basis, roughly 11:00–14:00, ¥1,000 cash only — phone the same day to confirm. Private open-air baths are ¥1,650 per 45 minutes, booked by phone from 9:00 that morning. 18 minutes by bus from Kurayoshi Station to the Hawai Onsen stop. No restaurant inside, so eat in the onsen town or at the Enchōen roadside station.
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 municipal day-use onsen entered straight from the Shimabara Ichibangai shopping arcade in this spring-water castle town. Magnesium-sodium bicarbonate water (source 61.8 °C) is used free-flowing — clear, colourless and soft on the skin. The building has a retro Shōwa-era bathhouse feel, with a sauna and tatami rest hall; admission ¥530, or ¥320 for over-70s. Open 10:00–21:00 (last entry 20:30), closed Wednesdays. Within walking distance of Shimabara Castle, the samurai quarter and the carp-stream streets, and a handy stop between Shimabara port and Unzen. Parking free for two hours.
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 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 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 roadside-station onsen on the hill of Shōdoshima Olive Park, right beside the Greek windmill made famous by film shoots. Big windows frame olive groves and the Seto Inland Sea; there are a herb bath, waterfall shower and sauna. The water is a radioactive (radon) spring. Owing to staff shortages, hours are shortened to 15:00–20:00 (last entry 19:30) from 17 July 2026 until further notice; ¥1,000, towel set rental ¥200. Closed all day Wednesday, and the onsen only on Thursday (holidays vary). Five minutes by car from Kusakabe port, ten from Ikeda port. Pair with a stroll around the park and the adjacent Olive Beach at island dusk.
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.
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.
A large hot-spring hotel in Sakunami Onsen on the upper Hirose River, 40 minutes by car from Sendai Station, taking walk-in day bathers in two sessions: 7:00–10:00 and 15:00–24:00 (last entry 22:00). ¥900 weekdays, ¥1,200 weekends and holidays (¥1,400 on peak dates, taxes included); towels rent for ¥330. There is an open-air bath over the mountain stream and a spacious indoor hall. Add the dinner buffet with bathing (17:00–21:30, from ¥4,200 weekdays, reservation required) for a half-day dinner-and-onsen plan. Shuttle from Sakunami Station on the Senzan Line (confirm ahead). Many combine it with a tour of the Nikka Whisky Miyagikyō distillery.
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.
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.
A day-use-only onsen on the slopes of the Minou range above Tanushimaru in Kurume, fruit-picking country an hour by car from Fukuoka city. The panoramic open-air bath looks over the Chikugo plain and river, most popular at dusk and after dark for the lights. The water is a skin-smoothing alkaline simple spring. Besides the indoor and open-air baths there are family baths (indoor ¥2,500 per hour, with open-air tub ¥3,600), and the attached café is loved for weekday lunches and desserts. ¥880; open 10:00–20:00 (main bath last entry 19:30), closed Thursdays and the 1st and 3rd Wednesday (open on holidays). Ten minutes by car from JR Tanushimaru Station, 15 from Asakura IC. A fine finish to a Fukuoka-area drive with Harazuru Onsen or Yanagawa.
At 1,800 m in Manza Onsen — said to have the highest sulphur content in Japan — this is the most rustic of the old spa-cure inns. The wooden bathhouse holds just one indoor tub per gender, but the milky acidic sulphur water is thick and hot enough to leave you drowsy afterwards. It is known for its 'Sarunokoshikake-yu', in which extract of a bracket fungus has long been added to the water. Day use 10:00–16:00, ¥700 for adults, towels sold for ¥250. For onsen fans who want an old-school cure-bath feel amid Manza's big resort hotels. The building has tilted due to ground subsidence, so phone ahead to confirm it is operating. About 40 minutes by bus from Manza-Kazawaguchi Station.
The oldest communal bath in Echigo-Yuzawa, near the inn where Kawabata Yasunari wrote Snow Country — he is said to have bathed here himself. The tub fits only five or six people, but the sulphur-scented free-flowing spring is a rarity in Yuzawa and the star of the town's five-bath 'sotoyu' circuit. Adults pay ¥850 including bathing tax (revised 2026); open 10:00–21:00 (last entry 20:30), closed Tuesdays. Soap and shampoo provided, towels sold for ¥200. It sits up a slope 25 minutes' walk from Echigo-Yuzawa Station, or 10 minutes from Gala-Yuzawa Station; only 10 parking spaces.
A public-run hot-spring hotel on the clear Kuji River in Daigo, Ibaraki — the town of Fukuroda Falls. The main bath has an indoor tub and sauna, and from autumn to winter (Sep–Jan) it becomes the famous 'apple bath', floating with local apples. Day use 11:00–20:00 (last entry 19:30), ¥800 for adults including a face towel; open daily. A private barrel sauna (¥3,300 / 90 min, reservation), a post-bath lounge and a 16-hole ground-golf course in the garden are also available. About 10 minutes by taxi from Hitachi-Daigo Station and 15 minutes by car from Fukuroda Falls — easy to combine with the falls or apple picking.
Five minutes on foot from Musashi-Koyama Station on the Tōkyū Meguro line, this rare central-Tokyo bathhouse offers two different natural hot springs. The indoor bath is coffee-coloured 'kuroyu' (sodium-bicarbonate water); the open-air bath uses salty rust-brown 'golden water' pumped from 1,500 m below and left free-flowing — both certified as therapeutic springs. Admission is Tokyo's standard sentō rate of ¥550, with sauna and bedrock bath extra. Open 12:00–24:00, from 08:00 on Sundays; closed Mondays (open if a holiday). Close to Meguro and Gotanda, it pairs perfectly with snacking along the Palm shopping arcade. Soap and shampoo provided.
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.
Tawarayama Onsen, in the hills of Nagato, Yamaguchi, has 1,100 years of history and still lives by 'sotoyu' culture: the inns have no baths of their own, so even overnight guests walk in yukata to the two communal bathhouses, Machi-no-yu and Hakuen-no-yu. Hakuen-no-yu is the newer of the pair, with three tubs — a lukewarm No.1 bath straight from the source, a heated hotter No.2 bath and an open-air bath — showcasing silky pH 9.9 alkaline water. ¥850 for adults, open 12:00–21:00, closed Tuesday to Thursday (Machi-no-yu runs daily 06:00–22:00 for ¥650). A free foot bath sits halfway up the entrance stairs. About 20 minutes by bus from Nagato-Yumoto Station.
A hot-spring complex in the farmland of Kimita, Miyoshi, in northern Hiroshima, next to the 'Forest Kimita' roadside station. A 2025–26 renewal rebuilt the lodging wing, a hearth-side restaurant, the open-air bath and a barrel sauna. The bicarbonate water feels slippery and is known as a 'beauty bath'. Day use is ¥800 including bathing tax, open 10:00–20:30 (last entry 20:00), closed Tuesdays; face towels sold for ¥150. Nearby are Kimita's sunflower fields (August) and the Takatani-yama lookout famous for its 'sea of clouds' — a popular drive about 90 minutes from Hiroshima city.
A city-run day spa in the Kiyotaki valley, between Nikkō's World Heritage shrines and the Irohazaka switchbacks. The all-granite main bath has a sauna and jacuzzi, and the garden-style rock rotenburo looks out to the Nikkō mountains. The alkaline simple spring is clear and silky — a 'beauty bath'. Open 10:00–21:00 (last entry 20:30), closed Thursdays (next day if a holiday) and over New Year. Adults from outside the city pay ¥1,000 (¥500 for residents). The canteen serves soba, udon and other light meals. About 20 minutes by bus from JR/Tōbu Nikkō Station to the 'Yashio-no-yu' stop — a popular finish after Tōshōgū or a trip to Lake Chūzenji and Kegon Falls.
The communal bath of Kawaji Onsen, upstream of Kinugawa on the clear Ojika River. An old cure spa — 'burns to Kinugawa, wounds to Kawaji' went the saying — it uses its own mildly alkaline spring 100% free-flowing with no chlorination. Besides separate indoor and open-air baths there is a mixed rock bath open to the river, where you soak in lukewarm water facing the stream and hills (bathing garments allowed). A low-temperature sauna, private bath (¥4,000 / 50 min) and rest room complete it. Adults pay ¥1,000 (¥500 for Nikkō residents); open 10:00–20:00 (last entry 19:30), closed Wednesdays (next day if a holiday; open through Golden Week). Fifteen minutes on foot from Kawaji-Yumoto Station on the Yagan Railway, or about 15 minutes by car from Kinugawa-Onsen Station — easy to combine with Kinugawa.
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.
The signature 92-room ryokan of Dake Onsen, at about 600 m on the flank of Mt Adatara. The source is piped 8 km from near the Kurogane hut in the mountains and cools naturally in a yubatake on the way, arriving at bathing temperature — a nationally rare acidic spring with a bracing, skin-tightening feel. The 'Haiku' main bath and the 'Moon-viewing' and 'Blossom-viewing' open-air baths look out on the Adatara range. Day bathing: adults ¥1,000, children ¥500, 12:00–20:00 (last entry 19:30; from 15:00 on Wednesdays, 12:00–16:00 on Saturdays and days before holidays), with entry limits when crowded. Day plans with a buffet are popular too. About 15 minutes by car from Nihonmatsu IC or 25 minutes by bus from JR Nihonmatsu Station. Combine with the cherry-tree avenue of Himalaya-dōri and Chieko's hometown sights.
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.
An inn at the foot of Mt Gozaisho in 1,300-year-old Yunoyama Onsen, proud of its own spring gushing 500 litres a minute. It insists on free-flowing source water, constantly refreshed, and the viscous alkaline simple spring is known as 'beauty water'. The big open-air bath opening onto the mountains through the seasons is the draw, especially in autumn colour. Day-bathing prices were cut in July 2026 for the inn's 60th anniversary: adults ¥700 on weekdays, ¥800 on weekends and holidays, children ¥400/¥500; open 10:00–19:30 (last entry 18:30), closed Fridays. Lunch (makomo udon and more) and day kaiseki plans with bathing are offered, and it pairs easily with the Gozaisho Ropeway or Aqua Ignis. About 10 minutes by Mie Kōtsū bus from Kintetsu Yunoyama-Onsen Station; about 20 minutes by car from Yokkaichi IC; 150 parking spaces.
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 day-use bathhouse among the vineyards and peach orchards of Makioka in Yamanashi city, cherished by onsen fans as one of the prefecture's finest 'fresh from the source' springs. About 500 litres a minute of 42°C alkaline simple water wells up naturally and goes straight into the tubs — no heating, no dilution, no recirculation — so fresh water overflows constantly at the spout. The feel is silky; from the cypress indoor bath and the rock open-air bath you can sometimes see Mt Fuji across the Kōfu basin. Adults ¥700 for up to two hours, children ¥500 (four hours with tatami-hall rest ¥1,300; all day ¥1,800); open 10:00–21:00 (last entry 20:15), closed Tuesdays and the New Year period. A restaurant serves hōtō noodles and tempura, and Erin-ji temple and the local wineries are close. About 25 minutes by car from Katsunuma IC or 15 minutes by taxi from JR Yamanashi-shi Station.
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 Japanese-style spa right by Kotohiki Park in Kan'onji, western Kagawa — famous for the giant coin drawn in sand, the Zenigata Sunae — and directly in front of Ariake beach. Its baths are inventive: a 'seawater onsen' bath, an ancient-cypress bath and a kama-buro steam bath recreating a 1,200-year-old design (alternating men/women daily), and the open-air bath looks over the Seto Inland Sea toward the sunset. Adults ¥950 on weekdays, ¥1,100 on weekends and holidays; open 11:00–23:00 (last entry 22:00), every day of the year. A sea-view restaurant, indoor and outdoor rest areas and lodging are attached. About 5 minutes by car from JR Kan'onji Station or 15 from Sanuki-Toyonaka IC; 500 parking spaces. Combine with the Chichibugahama sunset and the sand coin.
A hot-spring hotel on the banks of the Yoshino River in the Ōboke–Koboke gorge, where the water has carved through 200-million-year-old rock. The strongly alkaline simple spring — locals say it makes skin toner unnecessary — leaves skin smooth, and the gorge-facing main bath and open-air bath look out over the Koboke rapids, said to be Japan's wildest, and the mountainsides in their seasonal colours. Day bathing: adults ¥700, children ¥350, 12:00–21:00 (last entry 20:00); open daily, but on Saturdays, holidays and group-booking days it may close from 15:00, so check ahead. A convenient base for the Ōboke sightseeing boats, the yōkai museum and the drive to the Iya vine bridge; about 15 minutes on foot from JR Ōboke Station (pick-up available). Soap provided, towels for a fee.
A day spa (formerly Aoidake-sō) rebuilt as the centrepiece of Aoidake Nature Park in the Sakai River valley between Miyazaki and Miyakonojō. The alkaline simple spring, once picked among Japan's 'top ten viscous waters', has a silky feel; besides the main bath there are a walking bath, an electric bath, an open-air bath facing the green gorge and a sauna. The optional thermal lounge 'Yurukotto' adds bedrock-bath rooms and recliners for a long stay. Adults ¥700 on weekdays, ¥900 on weekends and holidays (¥1,000 on special days; discounts 07:00–10:00 and after 19:00); baths open 07:00–21:30, every day apart from inspection closures. An RV park, campsite and river-play spots sit alongside, ideal for a family outdoor day. 15 minutes on foot from JR Aoidake Station (pick-up available); about 15 minutes by car from Tano IC.
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 hot-spring inn on a rise above the Chikugo River in Ukiha, Fukuoka, whose pH 8.7 alkaline simple-sulphur water is so silky people say it feels like bathing in skin lotion. Chikugogawa Onsen lies across the river from Harazuru, a quiet designated health resort, and this inn actively welcomes day bathers. Besides the main and open-air baths there are characterful private family baths — 'Stone', 'Rock', even one with a slide — at ¥2,500 for 60 minutes, booked at the desk on the day; the inn states that guests with tattoos may use the private baths only. Day bathing: adults ¥800, children ¥600, 13:00–21:00, closed Wednesdays plus irregular days. The Harazuru–Chikugo River area is known for cormorant fishing and fruit picking, and many families drop in on the way home from the orchards. About 5 minutes by taxi from JR Chikugo-Ōishi Station or 3 minutes by car from Haki IC.
A town-run hot-spring inn next to Hanahasu Park in Minami-Echizen, Fukui, where more than 130 varieties of lotus bloom. The alkaline simple water from about 1,000 m down clings softly to the skin; there is a roomy indoor bath, a garden-style open-air bath, the signature 'lotus bath' floated with lotus leaves and flowers, plus bubble bath, lie-down bath and sauna. Day bathing is a modest ¥650 for adults and ¥350 for children, and the long 08:00–22:00 hours (last entry 21:00) are a bonus. Closed Tuesdays (open on holidays, during the July lotus festival and at New Year). The restaurant serves set meals with sashimi boats and 'lotus udon', and overnight stays are possible. About 5 minutes by car from Imajō IC on the Hokuriku Expressway or 10 minutes by taxi from JR Imajō Station — an easy stop between the Echizen coast and Tsuruga. Lotus season runs from late June to early August.
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.
A city-run hot-spring and sports complex at Yuya Onsen, the noted spa of Oku-Mikawa strung along the Ure (Itashiki) River gorge in Shinshiro, Aichi. Rare in being reachable by rail — about 10 minutes on foot from Yuya-Onsen Station on the Iida Line — it has a large bathing hall with a main tub, bubble bath, jet bath and lie-down bath, plus an open-air bath within earshot of the river and its greenery. The sodium-calcium-chloride water warms you thoroughly. Bathing only: adults ¥620, children ¥310; the heated pool (with water slide) and gym are extra, or an all-facility ticket is ¥1,150. Open 10:00–21:00 (last entry 20:15), closed Tuesdays (the day before if a holiday), December 29–January 1, and for maintenance in March and October. The restaurant serves gohei-mochi and set meals. Combine with a hike up Mt Hōraiji, Hōrai Gorge or the Atera Seven Falls. About 20 minutes by car from Shinshiro IC on the Shin-Tōmei.
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 town-run day spa on a 370 m hill in Ichikawamisato, south of the Kōfu basin. From the unobstructed open-air bath you take in the whole basin with Yatsugatake, Mt Kayagatake and the Southern Alps beyond, and after dark the carpet of city lights is certified as a 'Japan Night View Heritage' site. The water is a translucent tea-brown alkaline simple spring containing organic matter from ancient plants, smooth on the skin. Indoor bath, open-air bath, lie-down bath and sauna; adults ¥850, children ¥500; open late, 10:00–23:00 (last entry 22:30), so you can watch dusk turn to night from the tub. Closed only for maintenance days. The restaurant's hōtō noodles, chicken giblet stew and Kōshū wine-beef set, and the farm produce shop, are popular. About 10 minutes by car from Kōfu-minami IC or 7 minutes from JR Kai-Ueno Station. In summer you may even catch the Ichikawamisato fireworks from the open-air bath.
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 day spa on Route 202 in Karatsu, right beside Niji-no-Matsubara, one of Japan's three great pine groves, and an easy 10-minute walk from JR Niji-no-Matsubara Station. The mildly alkaline simple spring is used free-flowing and lives up to its 'beauty bath' name with a silky feel. There are tepid and hot tubs, an open-air bath, sauna and cold plunge, plus three private family baths (rock, barrel and so on; extra charge, booking until 20:00). Adults ¥800, children ¥450; open 10:00–22:00 (last entry 21:30), closed the third Thursday (open daily in January, February and August; special closure on December 31). The restaurant serves set meals with Karatsu fish, and as a pilgrimage spot for the anime 'Yuri!!! on Ice' the building has a fan display corner. Fits between Karatsu Castle, the Yobuko morning market and a drive along the pines, or as the finish to a day trip from Fukuoka — about an hour by car from the city. 50 parking spaces.
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 hot-spring resort on the Rurikei plateau in Nantan at about 500 m, roughly an hour by car from Kyoto city, at the entrance to the scenic Rurikei gorge trail. Formerly 'Kyoto Rurikei Onsen for REST RESORT', it was renovated and renamed in 2025. The water is a mildly radioactive radon spring; besides the gender-separated 'Ruri-yu' halls, open-air baths and single-person ceramic pot baths, there is a swimwear zone where couples and families bathe together, along with a pool and saunas. Day admission (including the pool and swimwear area) is ¥800 for adults and ¥400 for children on weekdays, ¥950 and ¥500 on weekends and holidays; towel set ¥300, swimwear rental ¥400. Bedrock baths and the lantern terrace cost extra. Open 11:00–20:00 on weekdays and 10:00–21:00 on weekends and holidays, every day. Barbecue, a kids' area, the GRAX glamping site and a hotel share the grounds, and at night the 'Synesthesia Hills' illumination is a draw. Keihan Kyoto Kōtsū bus to 'Rurikei Onsen', or about 30 minutes by car from Kameoka IC.
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 mainly day-use hot-spring house at Senami Onsen in Murakami, Niigata, famous for sunsets over the Sea of Japan. Its own source 180 m down yields abundant water at about 94 °C, and although it is a seaside spa the water has a faint whiff of sulphur and leaves the skin silky. There is an indoor bath, a rugged rock-built outdoor bath and a mist sauna, and even the showers run spring water; in winter the outdoor bath becomes a snow-viewing bath. Private family baths, rentable rooms, weekday day plans with a meal (from ¥4,800) and overnight stays are also available. Adults ¥900, children ¥500, towel hire ¥210; open 09:00–22:00 (last entry 21:00), irregular closures. About 10 minutes by bus from JR Murakami Station or 12 minutes by car from Murakami-Senami-Onsen IC; 100 parking spaces. Combine with Murakami's salmon cuisine, its merchant townhouses and a sunset walk on Senami beach.
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.
An inn perched on a slope at Yunoyama Onsen in Komono, Mie, at the foot of Mt Gozaisho, proud of a bathing hall that looks across Ise Bay to the Chita Peninsula. Certified by the health ministry as a spa-based health-promotion facility, it admits day bathers without reservation — buy a ticket at the shop — for a modest ¥600 (children ¥300, infants ¥200). The water is Yunoyama's alkaline radium-bearing simple spring; from the indoor bath and panoramic open-air bath you get the Yokkaichi cityscape and sea at dusk and city lights at night. Riding the funicular-style incline elevator up the slope to the main building is part of the fun. Day bathing 11:00–20:00 (last entry 19:00); closing days are irregular, so check ahead. Restaurant and shop on site. About 5 minutes by shuttle (call ahead) from Kintetsu Yunoyama-Onsen Station or 5 minutes by car from Komono IC on the Shin-Meishin. Pairs well with the Gozaisho Ropeway — a soak after coming down the mountain.
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 hot-spring complex on a rise in Haruno, Kōchi city, about 30 minutes by car from Kōchi Station, looking out over rice fields. Its big open-air bath fed by an abundant natural spring is the draw, with an indoor bath, a sand bath that warms you to the core, and in July–August a swimwear spa zone (pair baths, a children's spa and so on — ten in all), so families are many. Day bathing: adults ¥700, children ¥300, over-65s ¥500; open 10:00–21:00 (last entry 20:15), every day apart from occasional maintenance. The Haru Noie restaurant serves a weekly lunch, and a lodging wing with open-air-bath rooms starts at ¥8,650 with breakfast; being near the Haruno sports park it also hosts training camps. About 40 minutes by car from Kōchi Ryōma Airport, or 15 minutes on foot from the terminus of the Tosaden bus for JA Haruno; 60 parking spaces. A rare large open-air bath within Kōchi city, easy to fit between Katsurahama and the Niyodo Blue river.
A day bath at the entrance to Sakunami Onsen, 'Sendai's back parlour' up the Hirose River about 40 minutes by car from Sendai Station. Among Sakunami's large ryokan it is a rare place to drop in without staying, though it has lodging too. The bathroom is compact, but the clear, soft water is 100 % natural spring, free-flowing and quietly overflowing. A set with the natural-stone bedrock bath costs ¥2,000, and the women's powder room stocks cosmetics and even face masks, which guests appreciate. Day bathing: adults ¥800, children ¥600 (a ¥500 rate for under an hour); open 10:00–19:00 (last entry 17:00), closed Wednesdays and Thursdays. Bath towels can be hired. About 5 minutes by car from Sakunami Station on the Senzan Line, or by Sendai city bus to 'Sakunami Onsen Iriguchi', right by the stop. Combine with a tour of the Nikka Miyagikyo whisky distillery or the autumn colours of the Hōmei Forty-eight Falls.
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.
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 town-run community centre at the gateway to Ōwani Onsen, a spa with 800 years of history south of Hirosaki. Just 2 minutes on foot from Ōwani-Onsen Station on the JR and Kōnan lines, its day bath Wani no Yu has an indoor pool, open-air bath, bubble bath and sauna. The clear sodium-calcium chloride and sulfate spring warms you to the core, and in winter the outdoor bath becomes a snow-viewing tub. Admission is a modest ¥550 for adults and ¥270 for children (town residents ¥400/¥200), and long hours of 9:00–22:00 are a strong point; two reservable family baths, Hagikatsura and Kawasemi, rent by the hour. Closed the third Thursday. Inside are a farm-produce corner, free rest areas with tables and tatami, and a lunch-only restaurant serving dishes and souvenirs made with the famous Ōwani onsen bean sprouts. Free parking for 80 cars. Open late enough to drop by after dinner in Hirosaki – a handy base for Hirosaki Castle or the Ōwani ski slopes.
Miyakojima is often assumed to have no hot springs, yet inside the Shigira Seven Miles Resort on the island's south coast lies one of Japan's southernmost and westernmost natural onsen. Golden sodium-chloride water rises undiluted from 1,250 m underground into separate men's and women's open-air baths and saunas wrapped in subtropical greenery, plus a swimsuit 'jungle pool' and lookout bath where families and couples can soak together – there are even floats for a full resort mood. Adults (12+) pay ¥2,000 and children 4–11 ¥1,000; guests of Shigira Resort hotels pay ¥1,600/¥800. Swimsuit rental is ¥510 and towels are rented for a fee. Open 11:00–22:00 (last entry 21:30), from 12:00 between mid-November and mid-March, every day, with a restaurant and relaxation salon on site. About 15 minutes by car from Miyako Airport, with resort shuttle buses in the evening. Combine it with Shigira Beach, south-coast sunsets and stargazing.
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.
The lookout open-air bath of a long-established hotel crowning Shiroyama hill above Kagoshima city. Facing Sakurajima across Kinkō Bay, the outdoor bath is celebrated as one of Kagoshima's finest views, and after dark the city lights and the smoking volcano's silhouette are magical. The bicarbonate spring from 1,000 m underground is a skin-smoothing 'beauty bath', offered in indoor and outdoor pools plus the 'Ion Spa' hot spring sauna. Day bathing runs 13:00–21:00 and costs ¥3,500 for adults (tax and bathing tax included), ¥3,350 for junior-high students, ¥1,750 for elementary pupils and ¥800 for infants. It is pricey, but face and bath towels are included and you can use the hotel lounge, the Ippinkan gift shop and restaurants, making it a popular splurge for the view alone; reservable private baths start at ¥4,950 on weekdays for day guests. A free shuttle bus takes about 15 minutes from Kagoshima-Chūō Station, or 10 minutes by car from Tenmonkan. Pair it with the Shiroyama observatory and Saigō Takamori's historic sites and make a soak facing Sakurajima the highlight of your trip.
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 city-run day spa (Niigata City Iwamuro Health Promotion Centre) at Iwamuro Onsen, a spa at the eastern foot of Mt. Yahiko in Niigata's Nishikan ward, often called 'Niigata's back parlour'. Set on a rise at the edge of the spa town, its main bath and open-air bath look out over the Echigo plain toward Mt. Kakuda and Mt. Yahiko. The indoor pool is heated tap water, but the small rock-lined outdoor tub is fed with rich, free-flowing sulfur-bearing sodium-calcium chloride spring (hypertonic, mildly alkaline) whose faint sulfur scent and floating mineral flakes feel unmistakably like real onsen. Admission is ¥650 for adults and ¥390 for children, and a face and bath towel set is included, so arrive empty-handed. Open 10:00–20:00 (last entry 19:30), closed the second and fourth Wednesdays (next day if a holiday) and 29 December to 3 January. An upstairs lounge allows re-entry, and there are rental rooms and a snack corner; free parking for 80 cars. About 10 minutes by car from Iwamuro Station on the JR Echigo Line or 20 minutes from Maki-Katahigashi IC. Pair it with Yahiko Shrine and Niigata's sake breweries.
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.