As one of the quintessential aspects of Japanese culture, hot springs, or onsen, consist of volcanic spring water full of natural minerals that benefit the body. They can help with clearer skin, detoxification, better blood circulation and more. Japan has around 2,3000 onsen, many of them in traditional inns, or ryokan, so it’s not difficult to find an onsen near you. Here are a few of the best onsen destinations or onsen towns in Japan.
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Kurokawa Onsen
This town in Kyushu is one of the most picturesque onsen destinations in Japan. There are nearly 30 onsen baths for visitors to indulge in. Kurokawa Onsen Association has also created a special token system that allows visitors to access up to three different outside onsens for ¥1,300. The pass comes in the form of a wooden local cedar token that you can hang around your neck. You can also access individual onsens starting from around ¥500. You can also rent private baths at hot spring hotels from ¥1,000 to ¥2,500 per bath.
Unlike other resort towns that might be dominated by massive concrete hotels, neon advertisements and loud colors, Kurokawa Onsen has preserved its ancient 300-year-old history in its wooden buildings, stone stairs and natural colors. Daimyos used to come here and recuperate on their travels between Hita and Taketa in Oita. Shops and ryokans line the river, lighting up each night with warm glowing lanterns, transporting visitors to the Edo-era.
Since this is such a popular destination, you should book early. In busy seasons like New Year’s and Golden Week, you need to book up to a year in advance. A trip here can be combined with a visit to Mount Aso, Kikuchi Gorge or Kuju Flower Park.
Since there aren’t any direct trains to get to Kurokawa Onsen, you must take a bus from Fukuoka Airport. It takes roughly two-and-a-half hours and costs ¥3,150 for a one-way ticket.
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Beppu Onsen
The hot spring capital of Japan, Beppu consists of eight onsen areas. It has the greatest number of hot spring sources in the world and the highest yield of hot spring water in Japan. What sets Beppu apart is the variety of baths including mud, steam and even sand baths. Shoningahama beach has the Beppu Beach Sand Bath, where you can submerge yourself in volcanically heated sand while listening to the sound of gently-crashing waves.
You can also experience the Hells of Beppu, which is a tour of eight “hells” found in Beppu. The spring gushes out 100 degrees Celsius of fumarolic gas and thermal mud. Steam of this high temperature also rises. The water ranges from deep red to cobalt blue due to the mineral components in the springs. A joint admission ticket costs 2,000 yen. Some areas also have foot bath facilities that can be used for free.
By reservation, you can take Hell Tour buses around the hot springs. Buses depart every day from Beppu Station at 9:20 and 14:00 for a total ride time of approximately three hours. It costs 3,650 yen (including an admission ticket for seven hells).
To get to Beppu, it takes 1 hour and 40 minutes from Haneda Airport to Oita Airport, then a 45-minute bus ride to the bus stop Beppu Kitahama. You can also take the shinkansen from Tokyo Station, which takes five hours.
Kinosaki Onsen
Voted “best hot spring town” by Lonely Planet, Kinosaki Onsen has seven natural hot springs that are all tattoo-friendly. Hot springs were discovered here in the 8th century and since then, the willow-lined rivers have made this a pleasant hot spring town in Hyogo Prefecture. Guests in the evenings will stroll around in their yukata and geta, or wooden clogs, visiting the public baths and vintage arcades. Kinosaki Onsen is also special because they provide English maps that come with a page for stamping all your local onsen stops. Aside from hot springs, visitors can participate in activities ranging from guided zazen meditations to green tea picking, all with English-speaking guides available.
Although you can come any time of the year, the town is most popular in July and August when visitors come to see festivals and fireworks and in the winter, when crabs are in season and there is snow in January and February.
It takes 2.5 hours via a limited express train from Kyoto or three hours by train from Osaka.
Kusatsu Onsen
Kusatsu Onsen allows visitors to experience nature in the mountains all year round. Although the population is only 7,000, three million tourists visit every year. It’s considered the foremost onsen in Japan because the waters are quite acidic and are said to make your skin feel very smooth and be able to “cure every illness but lovesickness.” Since the water is so hot, there’s a special stirring procedure to cool it, rather than adding cold water, which would dilute the potency of the minerals. This stirring method is called Yumomi and it’s showcased as a performance at certain times.
The most prominent feature of Kusatsu is the Yubatake area. This is the first place tourists usually visit and once here, you can watch the stream of steaming blue-green water flow into the “hot spring fields.”
You can visit multiple hot springs free of admission fees, but the most popular public hot spring is Sai no Kawara Rotenburo. You can enjoy a view of the forest and pure, steaming water for just ¥600.
You can also head to Mt. Shirane for hiking in the spring and summer and skiing in the winter. Kusatsu Snow & Spa Resort is open from early December to mid-April.
You can get there by highway bus from Tokyo in about four hours or by direct limited express train via Ueno Station taking 2.5 hours.
Atami Onsen
The 1000-year-old town of Atami is known for its large quality of hot spring water. Its onsens were once used by feudal generals and lords, including Edo Shogun Tokugawa Ieyasu. The sulfate and salt-rich hot springs help relax your body and heal minor pains and aches. Tokugawa loved the healing properties so much that he tried to re-create the onsen back in Edo (now Tokyo). The town is also famous for its fireworks shows, which you might be lucky to see from the bath in your room.
You should also check out the many shops in town and try fresh-fish barbeque, which is popular among travelers and native Japanese alike.
You can take the Kodama Tokaido Shinkansen, the limited express Odoriko, regular Tokaido trains or the bus. The shinkansen takes only 50 minutes, making this a popular day-trip destination. The highway bus is cheaper but takes around three hours.
Hakone Onsen
Hakone boasts 17 hot spring resorts, giving it the nickname “onsen theme park.” About 25,000 tons of hot springs flow out each day, placing it 5th place in Japan by the amount of hot spring water available in the area. There are about 20 different types of hot springs, such as alkaline, sodium chloride, calcium-sulfate hot springs and others. There are hundreds of baths each with its own qualities, history and appeal for every traveler. Whether you’re looking for a onsen or ryokan to go as a family, a couple or alone, Hakone has an onsen for you.
It’s surrounded by many sites of natural beauty, including Mt. Kami-yama, Mt. Komagatake, Lake Ashino-ko, Mt. Fuji and the beautiful Suruga-wan and Sagami-wan bays. Due to its remarkable location and stunning scenery, it’s popular among native Japanese and overseas travelers. Since it’s so well-known, it can get crowded but that also means it’s tourist-friendly. You can find many shops and restaurants nearby.
It’s one hour by train from Tokyo. You should get a Hakone Free Pass so you can ride the transportation for free and get discounts on many tourist attractions. The free pass includes train fare from several stations in and around Tokyo.
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