Onsen in Japan: hot spring areas by region

Noboribetsu Onsen

Hokkaido's best-known spa town, fed by the steaming volcanic valley of Jigokudani with several types of spring water.

Jōzankei Onsen

Gorge-side spa within the city limits of Sapporo, named after the monk Jōzan who developed it in the 1860s.

Tōyako Onsen

Resort on the southern shore of Lake Tōya, close to the active volcano Usu and the craters of its 2000 eruption.

Yunokawa Onsen

Seaside spa on the edge of Hakodate, near the airport and reached by tram from the city centre.

Sōunkyō Onsen

Spa in a columnar-basalt gorge on the north-east side of Daisetsuzan, base for the Kurodake ropeway.

Akanko Onsen

Lakeside spa town with the Akan Ainu Kotan, the largest Ainu community settlement in Hokkaido.

Kawayu Onsen

Strongly acidic springs beneath the sulphur vents of Mount Iō (Atosanupuri), between Lakes Kussharo and Mashū.

Sukayu Onsen

Acidic spring at about 900 m in the Hakkōda Mountains, known for its large wooden hiba-cypress bathhouse and deep winter snow.

Aoni Onsen

Secluded valley inn near Kuroishi lit by oil lamps instead of electric light.

Asamushi Onsen

Seaside spa town on Mutsu Bay within Aomori city, long the hot-spring resort of the prefectural capital.

Furōfushi Onsen

Iron-rich spring at Cape Kogane on the Sea of Japan coast, with an open-air bath on the rocks at the water's edge.

Tsuta Onsen

Beech-forest inn south of Hakkōda where the water wells up through the floorboards of the bath.

Yagen Onsen

Valley hot spring on the Shimokita Peninsula, traditionally associated with the Nanbu and later the Tonami settlers.

Hanamaki Onsen area

A cluster of a dozen hot springs west of Hanamaki, including Osawa Onsen with its old self-catering bathhouse.

Namari Onsen

Part of the Hanamaki group, known for a deep bath in which bathers stand, fed from below by the spring.

Tsunagi Onsen

Morioka's own hot-spring resort on the shore of Lake Gosho, with views of Mount Iwate.

Matsukawa Onsen

A small milky-water spa at Hachimantai beside Japan's first commercial geothermal power station (1966).

Geto Onsen

Riverside open-air baths in a mountain valley west of Kitakami, closed in the snowy months.

Naruko Onsen

Group of spa villages in Osaki with an unusually wide range of spring types, the Naruko Gorge and a long kokeshi tradition.

Akiu Onsen

Spa within Sendai city, counted with Iizaka and Naruko among the three famous baths of Oshu; the Akiu Great Falls are nearby.

Sakunami Onsen

Riverside spa on the road from Sendai to Yamagata, near the Miyagikyo whisky distillery.

Togatta Onsen

Spa town at the foot of Zao, home of the Togatta kokeshi lineage and gateway to the Zao Echo Line.

Kamasaki Onsen

Small old spa in Shiroishi with wooden inns, traditionally used for healing.

Nyuto Onsen area

Seven small hot-spring inns in beech forest at the foot of Mount Nyuto, among them the thatched Tsurunoyu with its milky outdoor bath.

Tamagawa Onsen

A strongly acidic spring in Hachimantai with a very high flow from a single source, known for rock-bed bathing on hot ground.

Goshogake Onsen

A traditional hot-spring cure lodge on the Hachimantai plateau beside fumaroles and mud pots.

Oyasukyo Onsen

A spa in a gorge in Yuzawa where hot water and steam burst from the rock walls at Daifunto.

Oga Onsen

A hot-spring village at the tip of the Oga Peninsula, with Namahage performances for visitors.

Zao Onsen

Strongly acidic sulphur springs at the foot of the Zao ski slopes, one of the oldest spa towns of the region.

Ginzan Onsen

Narrow gorge village in Obanazawa lined with multi-storey wooden inns from the early twentieth century, named after a former silver mine.

Kaminoyama Onsen

Castle and post town south of Yamagata whose springs lie in the town centre.

Tendo Onsen

Spa district of the shogi-piece town of Tendo, developed after a hot spring was struck in 1911.

Akayu Onsen

Spa town of Nan'yo in the Okitama basin, surrounded by vineyards and wineries.

Hijiori Onsen

Remote tōji (therapeutic) spa village near Gassan, with a morning market and some of the deepest snow in the prefecture.

Yunohama and Yutagawa

Tsuruoka's seaside spa on the Sea of Japan and its quiet valley spa, both old bathing places of the Shonai domain.

Onogawa and Shirabu

The two spa villages of Yonezawa, the second high on the slopes of the Azuma mountains.

Higashiyama Onsen

Riverside hot-spring town in a valley south-east of Aizu-Wakamatsu, long used by the Aizu domain.

Ashinomaki Onsen

Hot springs on the Okawa gorge south of Aizu-Wakamatsu, near the Aizu Railway station known for its cat stationmaster.

Iizaka Onsen

Large hot-spring town in northern Fukushima city, visited by Basho; public bathhouses and a streetcar-style railway line from the city centre.

Takayu Onsen

Milky sulphur springs at about 750 m on the slopes of the Azuma range.

Tsuchiyu Onsen

Mountain hot-spring village on the road to Urabandai and one of the home towns of kokeshi wooden dolls.

Iwaki Yumoto Onsen

Ancient spring on the edge of the former Joban coalfield, next to the Spa Resort Hawaiians leisure complex.

Bandai-Atami Onsen

Hot-spring town in western Koriyama along the Gohyaku River.

Fukuroda Onsen

A small hot-spring area by Fukuroda Falls in the Okukuji valley.

Tsukubasan Onsen

Inns on the slopes below Tsukuba-san Shrine, with views over the Kanto Plain.

Kinugawa Onsen

Large resort of hotels along the Kinu River gorge, reached directly by Tobu limited express from Asakusa.

Kawaji Onsen

Quieter spa upriver from Kinugawa at the confluence of the Kinu and Oji rivers.

Yunishigawa Onsen

Remote valley village said to have been founded by refugees of the defeated Heike clan.

Okunikko Yumoto Onsen

Sulphurous springs at about 1,500 m on Lake Yunoko, at the end of the Nikko valley road.

Shiobara Onsen

A string of spas along the Hoki River valley with waterfalls and suspension bridges.

Nasu Onsen

Old spa on the slopes of the Nasu volcanoes; its Shika-no-yu bathhouse is said to have been found by a wounded deer.

Kusatsu Onsen

Highly acidic springs with one of Japan's largest natural flows, around the yubatake in the town centre.

Ikaho Onsen

Hillside spa on Mount Haruna, famous for its stone stairway of 365 steps and iron-rich 'golden' water.

Minakami Onsen

Group of spas on the upper Tone, including Takaragawa with its large riverside open-air baths.

Shima Onsen

Quiet valley spa whose name promises cures for 'forty thousand ailments'; its Sekizenkan inn is among Japan's oldest wooden inns.

Manza Onsen

High-altitude sulphur springs at about 1,800 m on the flank of Kusatsu-Shirane.

Hoshi Onsen

A single historic inn in the Mikuni mountains, with a wooden bathhouse where water wells up through the pebbles.

Yoro Keikoku Onsen

Inns in the Yoro valley with dark 'black water' (kuroyu) springs rich in organic matter.

Kamogawa Onsen

Seaside resort hotels on the Pacific coast of southern Boso.

Tokyo's black-water baths

Dark, mineral-rich hot water drawn from wells under the southern wards, served in neighbourhood sento around Ota.

Izu Oshima

Volcanic island with open-air baths looking out to sea and to Mount Mihara.

Hachijojima

Subtropical island with several public hot springs, some beside waterfalls or the ocean.

Hakone Onsen

Around twenty hot-spring villages, from Yumoto and Tonosawa to Miyanoshita, Gora and Sengokuhara.

Yugawara Onsen

Valley spa on the Shizuoka border, favoured by writers and painters of the Meiji and Taisho eras.

Tsurumaki Onsen

Calcium-rich springs at the foot of the Tanzawa mountains, on the Odakyu line.

Nanasawa Onsen

Quiet mountain spa near Atsugi, a base for hiking in Tanzawa and Oyama.

Echigo-Yuzawa

Hot-spring and ski town on the Jōetsu Shinkansen, setting of Kawabata's Snow Country.

Tsukioka

Sulphurous spring near Shibata with emerald-green water, a popular retreat from Niigata City.

Iwamuro

Old spa at the foot of Mount Yahiko with a geisha tradition.

Matsunoyama

Saline mountain spring in Tōkamachi, counted among Japan's three great medicinal springs.

Akakura (Myōkō Kōgen)

Spa and ski resort on the slopes of Mount Myōkō.

Senami

Seaside spring at Murakami facing sunsets over the Sea of Japan.

Unazuki

Hot-spring town at the mouth of the Kurobe Gorge and terminus of the gorge railway.

Mikurigaike

Mountain lodge spring at about 2,400 m near Murodō on Tateyama, among the highest in Japan.

Shōgawa

Riverside springs in the Shō gorge near Tonami.

Himi

Seaside springs facing the Tateyama range across Toyama Bay.

Yamanaka

Spa town above the Kakusenkei gorge, praised by Bashō; part of Kaga Onsen-kyō.

Yamashiro

Spa town around a central public bath, linked with Kutani porcelain and Rosanjin.

Katayamazu

Lakeside spring on Lake Shibayamagata facing Hakusan.

Awazu

Old spa in Komatsu, traditionally said to have been opened by Taichō in 718.

Wakura

Saline seaside spring on Nanao Bay, Noto's main resort.

Awara

Fukui's main spa town, founded in 1883 when hot water was struck while digging an irrigation well; close to Tōjinbō and Maruoka.

Isawa

Large spa town in Fuefuki, which grew after hot water gushed from a vineyard in 1961.

Nishiyama Onsen Keiunkan

Inn in the mountains of Hayakawa, traditionally dated to 705 and regarded as one of the oldest hotels in the world.

Shimobe

Lukewarm spring in the Fuji River valley, said to have healed Takeda warriors.

Yumura

Old spa on the edge of Kōfu associated with Shingen.

Masutomi

Radium spring below the Mizugaki mountains in Hokuto.

Nozawa Onsen

Ski village with thirteen communal public baths, the soto-yu, maintained by the villagers.

Shibu and Yudanaka

Old spa lanes near Jigokudani, where Japanese macaques bathe in hot springs.

Bessho

Ancient spa near Ueda with Kamakura-period temples, called the Kamakura of Shinshū.

Shirahone

Milky-white springs in the mountains near Norikura, in Matsumoto.

Asama Onsen

Matsumoto's own spa town at the edge of the city.

Hakuba Happō

Alkaline spring at the foot of the Hakuba ski slopes.

Gero

Spa town on the Hida River, counted with Arima and Kusatsu among Japan's three great hot springs since the Edo period.

Okuhida Onsen-gō

Five spa villages including Hirayu and Shin-Hotaka below the Northern Alps, known for open-air baths.

Nagaragawa

Riverside spa in Gifu City facing the cormorant-fishing grounds and the castle hill.

Hirase

Mountain spring near Shirakawa-gō at the foot of Hakusan.

Atami

Historic spa city at the neck of the Izu Peninsula, favoured by the Tokugawa.

Itō

Large seaside spa on the east coast of Izu, near the Jōgasaki coast.

Shuzenji

Riverside spa town in the hills of central Izu, founded according to tradition by Kūkai.

Atagawa

Coastal spa where steam rises from towers along the shore.

Kanzanji

Resort on the shore of Lake Hamana.

Umegashima

Mountain spring at the head of the Abe River valley in Shizuoka City.

Nishiura

Seaside spa on a small peninsula in Mikawa Bay at Gamagōri.

Yuya

Riverside spring in the Mikawa highlands at Shinshiro, said to have been found by a mountain ascetic.

Sanage

Hot spring at the foot of Mount Sanage in Toyota.

Yunoyama Onsen

Mountain spa at the foot of the Suzuka range, with a ropeway to Gozaisho-dake.

Nagashima Onsen

Large resort spa in Kuwana beside an amusement park, close to Nagoya.

Sakakibara Onsen

Old spa in Tsu praised in Heian-period writing, where pilgrims purified themselves before visiting Ise.

Toba and Kashikojima

Hot-spring hotels along the Ise-Shima coast overlooking the islands of Toba Bay.

Ogoto Onsen

Lakeside spa town at the foot of Mount Hiei in Otsu, said to have been opened by Saichō.

Sugatani Onsen

Iron-rich spring near the Odani Castle ruins in Nagahama, linked to the Azai clan.

Nagahama Taikō Onsen

Lakeside hot-spring hotels near Nagahama's reconstructed castle, named after Toyotomi Hideyoshi, the town's founder.

Yunohana Onsen

Mountain spa near Kameoka, within an hour of Kyoto city.

Arashiyama Onsen

Hot-spring inns along the Katsura River in western Kyoto.

Kurama Onsen

Open-air bath in the forested valley below Kurama-dera, north of the city.

Yūhigaura Onsen

Beach-side spa on the Kyōtango coast known for sunsets over the Sea of Japan and winter crab.

Amanohashidate Onsen

Hot springs at the southern end of the sandbar in Miyazu.

Minoo Onsen

Spa resort at the entrance of the Minoo valley in the northern suburbs.

Inunaki-san Onsen

Mountain spa in Izumisano near the Shugendō temple of Shippō-ryū-ji.

Tenpōzan and city bathhouses

Hot-spring bathhouses drilled deep beneath the city, such as those in the bay area.

Arima Onsen

One of Japan's oldest spas, behind Mount Rokkō in Kobe, with iron-rich "kinsen" (gold) and clear "ginsen" (silver) waters.

Kinosaki Onsen

Willow-lined canal town in Toyooka with seven public bathhouses, visited in yukata.

Yumura Onsen

Mountain spa in Shin'onsen with the 98 °C Arayu spring, where eggs are boiled.

Sumoto Onsen

Seaside hot springs at Sumoto on Awaji Island.

Totsukawa Onsen

Riverside springs deep in the Kii Mountains; the village's baths use unmodified flowing spring water.

Dorogawa Onsen

Old inn town at the foot of Mount Ōmine, base for pilgrims climbing Sanjō-ga-take.

Shionoha Onsen

Remote spring on the shore of Ōsako Dam lake in Kawakami village.

Shirahama Onsen

One of Japan's three ancient hot springs, beside the white-sand Shirarahama beach.

Kawayu Onsen

Hot water rises through the riverbed; in winter a huge open-air bath (Sennin-buro) is dug in the river.

Yunomine Onsen

Ancient pilgrims' spa near Kumano Hongū, with Tsuboyu, the only World Heritage-listed public bath.

Nachi-Katsuura Onsen

Hot springs around Katsuura Bay, including cave baths facing the sea.

Ryūjin Onsen

Mountain spa on the Hidaka River, counted among Japan's "three beauty-skin baths".

Misasa Onsen

A riverside spa town in the Tenjin valley whose springs are among the most radon-rich in Japan; base for visiting Mitoku-san.

Kaike Onsen

A seaside resort on Yonago's beach with salty springs that rise from the sea floor.

Hawai Onsen and Tōgō Onsen

Twin spa resorts on the shores of Lake Tōgō in central Tottori.

Iwai Onsen

One of the oldest spa towns in San'in, near Uradome, known for the custom of pouring water over the head with ladles to a work song.

Tamatsukuri Onsen

An ancient spa south of Lake Shinji, praised in the Izumo Fudoki and known for skin-softening water and its magatama-making tradition.

Matsue Shinjiko Onsen

Hotels on the lakeshore of Matsue, with a free foot bath by the water.

Yunotsu Onsen

A narrow spa-and-port town that shipped Iwami silver; part of the World Heritage property.

Arifuku Onsen

A small hillside spa near Gōtsu with stone-stepped lanes and public bathhouses.

Yubara Onsen

A spa town on the Asahi River in Maniwa, known for its free open-air bath, Sunayu, below a dam.

Okutsu Onsen

A riverside spa in the Yoshii valley, with springs rising directly beneath the bath floor at its oldest inns.

Yunogō Onsen

The largest of the three Mimasaka spas, legend says discovered by a white heron.

Miyahama Onsen

A small seaside spa in Hatsukaichi facing Miyajima across the bay.

Yuki Onsen

A riverside spa in the mountains of Hiroshima city's Saeki ward.

Yuda Onsen

A spa within Yamaguchi city, legend says discovered by a white fox; frequented by the Restoration activists.

Nagato-Yumoto Onsen

A riverside spa in Nagato, one of the oldest in the prefecture, with the rebuilt public bath Ontō at its heart.

Tawarayama Onsen

A traditional therapeutic spa village with communal bathhouses rather than baths in the inns.

Kawatana Onsen

A spa in northern Shimonoseki, home of kawara soba.

Iya Onsen

A hot spring at the bottom of the Iya gorge, reached from the inn by a small cable car.

Ōboke Onsen

Riverside inns above the Ōboke gorge of the Yoshino River.

Kotohira Onsen

Hot-spring inns at the foot of Kotohira-gū.

Shionoe Onsen

A mountain spa in southern Takamatsu, said to have been discovered by Gyōki.

Dōgo Onsen

One of Japan's oldest hot springs, in Matsuyama, with the three-storey wooden Honkan of 1894, an Important Cultural Property.

Okudōgo Onsen

A spa in the Ishite River valley a short drive beyond Dōgo.

Futsukaichi Onsen

An old spa in Chikushino close to Dazaifu, known since the age of the Man'yōshū, which includes a poem by Ōtomo no Tabito set at its springs; within easy reach of Fukuoka City.

Harazuru Onsen

A riverside spa on the Chikugo River in Asakura, known for cormorant fishing in summer.

Chikugogawa Onsen

A quiet spa area on the upper Chikugo River in Ukiha.

Takeo Onsen

A spa with over a thousand years of history, entered through a vermilion tower gate designed by Tatsuno Kingo.

Ureshino Onsen

Known for its smooth, sodium-rich water, reputed to soften the skin, and for green tea from the surrounding hills.

Furuyu Onsen

A tranquil spa with lukewarm springs in the mountains north of Saga City.

Unzen Onsen

Sulphurous spring village among steaming 'hells' (jigoku) at about 700 m, developed as a hill resort for foreign residents in the Meiji era.

Obama Onsen

Seaside hot spring on Tachibana Bay with very hot, salty water and a long public foot bath.

Shimabara Onsen

Springs of the castle town of Shimabara at the foot of Unzen.

Kurokawa Onsen

Rustic riverside village north of Aso known for its outdoor baths and a pass allowing visits to several inns' baths.

Yamaga Onsen

Old post-town spa with the Sakura-yu public bath and the lantern festival.

Tsuetate Onsen

Steep gorge spa on the Oita border, with carp streamers strung across the river in spring.

Uchinomaki Onsen

Largest hot-spring area inside the Aso caldera.

Hinagu Onsen

Coastal spa in Yatsushiro said to date from the fifteenth century, once favoured by the poet Taneda Santōka.

Hitoyoshi Onsen

Springs along the Kuma River in the former castle town of the Sagara clan.

Beppu

Eight hot-spring districts, the Beppu Hattō, with steam vents, mud and sand baths and the coloured "hells".

Yufuin

Basin spa beneath Yufu-dake, deliberately kept low-rise, with Lake Kinrin and many small inns.

Nagayu

Taketa spa with carbonated water, bathed in and drunk.

Amagase

Riverside spa in the Kusu River gorge near Hita, with open-air baths on the riverbank.

Kuju highland springs

Sujiyu, Hōkyōzan and other small spas in the Kokonoe highlands, close to the Hatchōbaru geothermal plant.

Kyōmachi Onsen

Small spa town in Ebino at the foot of the Kirishima volcanoes.

Ebino Plateau

Highland spa at about 1,200 m in the Kirishima group, starting point for Karakuni-dake.

Aoshima Onsen

Seaside spa hotels opposite Aoshima island on the Nichinan coast.

Kirishima Onsen area

A group of mountain hot springs on the slopes of the Kirishima volcanoes, with sulphurous waters and steaming vents.

Ibusuki

Seaside spa town known for its sand baths, where bathers are buried in naturally heated sand.

Myōken Onsen

Riverside hot springs along the Amori River in Kirishima, with carbonated waters and old inns.

Kagoshima city

Most public bathhouses in the capital draw on natural hot springs, making it one of Japan's hot-spring-richest prefectural capitals.