10 Best Places for Onsen in Japan

You can spend an entire week in Beppu Onsen and experience a different type of bath every day. Beppu is considered the hot spring capital with 8 major thermal spring zones, "Beppu Hatto," and a myriad of baths to choose from. Each zone features public baths and ryokan with swimming facilities.

Why not start with a traditional hot water bath, and then proceed to the sand baths where you are covered with naturally heated sand? Next, try a steam bath heated by hot springs, or an indulgent mud bath. All the zones can be reached from Beppu Station by public transport. Beppu Onsen is located near Oita on the island of Kyushu.

The versatile Hakone Onsen, one of Japan's most popular hot spring resorts, is a must-visit destination if you’re in Tokyo. A trip to Japan wouldn’t be complete without a sunset view over Mount Fuji while soaking in an onsen. The onsen at Hotel Green Plaza Hakone offers spectacular views of this great mountain, weather permitting, and the baths are available for both for hotel guests and day-trippers.

If you’re travelling with children, try the Yunessun hot spring theme park with various fun slides. They also have unique coffee and wine baths for the grownups. For the ultimate luxury, visit Hakone Yuryo, a traditional style public onsen with private rooms. Hakone Onsen is located a 90-minute train ride from Tokyo.

The therapeutic waters in Kinosaki Onsen are said to perform miracles. After a few days of soaking in the onsen, you too might believe that there is more to the mystic waters than just minerals. The incredible architecture, softly lit lanes, and authentic hot spring ambience attract both local and international visitors.

If you are up to the challenge and want to feel the most relaxed you have ever felt, try “Onsen Meguri,” an onsen pilgrimage where you walk to and visit all 7 onsen bathhouses in Kinosaki. This beautiful, traditional onsen town, built along a willow-lined river, also boasts a world-class restaurant with panoramic views and a picturesque temple. You can find Kinosaki Onsen in the Kansai region.

The mineral-rich waters in Noboribetsu Onsen in Hokkaido bubble up from the ground and are renowned for their healing properties. According to local folklore, it’s the demons who boil the waters here, and if you take a walk to Jigokudani (Hell Valley), you can see for yourself if that’s true. There’s also a popular hiking trail through a primeval forest.

To sooth your walk-weary muscles and joints, give the salt- and metal-rich pools a try. For soft, glowing skin, hop in the milky-white sulfur-infused waters. All refreshed and relaxed, head to Hakuraku Dori Shoten Gai for some serious shopping and a dinner. Noboribetsu Onsen is located on the northern island of Hokkaido, just south of Sapporo.

The picturesque and charming Kurokawa Onsen is famous for its cosy ryokan baths which are open to both staying guests and other visitors. There are also 2 quite simple, unmanned public bath houses with small indoor baths, Jizoyu and Anayu. You can easily explore this lovely town on foot on your way to onsen. Kurokawa is in a wonderful, forested valley, and boasts traditional wooden buildings, earthen walls, stone stairs, and the river flowing through.

For an overnight stay in a rustic ryokan with an outstanding riverside bath surrounded by a forest, visit Hozantei. For an exotic cave bath and outdoor pools, head to Oku no Yu. Kurokawa Onsen is located on the southern island of Kyushu.

If you’re looking for some peace and quiet, Gero Onsen’s charm and serenity will beckon you to discover its 3 lovely public bath houses and interesting history. You can find additional swimming bliss in the ryokan, which open their bath houses to the public. Also dotted around the town are many free footbaths where you can sit and rest your feet after a hard day of sightseeing.

Onsenji Temple worships the Buddha of healing that is credited to restoring the flow of hot spring water to the town after an earthquake. Climb the stone staircase to the temple gate to get a magnificent view of the town and river. Gero Onsen is located just north of city of Nagoya.

Yunomine Onsen is a quaint little collection of ryokan, tucked away in a lush valley deep in the heart of the sacred mountains of Kumano. The magical waters here are said to change their colour 7 times a day, and they are good not only for swimming but for cooking as well. To make your own lunch, just put eggs and veggies into the public hot spring cooking basin, Yuzutsu, and you’ll have your meal ready in no time.

Thought to be one of the oldest hot springs in Japan, Yunomine boasts a UNESCO World Heritage onsen, Tsuboyu. You can bathe there privately but only for 30 minutes due to its popularity. Yunomine Onsen is in the Wakayama Prefecture.

Known for its open-air baths, Okuhida Onsen offers spectacular views of the surrounding Northern Japan Alps. This onsen consists of 5 onsen towns, Hirayu, Fukuji, Shinhirayu, Tochio, and Shinhotaka, each with its own unique character and hot spring sources.

You can best admire the mountain landscape from Shinhotaka in the Hotaka valley. The water in the oldest Okuhida Onsen town, Hirayu, is said to have particularly healing properties. Here you can also find a great variety of ryokan, from intimate family-run places to large establishments. The extensive local bus network makes it easy to travel between the towns. You can find Okuhida Onsen on the main island of Honshu, just east of the town of Takayama.

The versatile Arima Onsen, surrounded by pristine nature and gorgeous mountains, is ideal for a day trip or weekend getaway from the nearby Kobe and Osaka. This compact town boasts several hot springs, temples, and shrines, and even a small hot spring museum. To find traditional, narrow lanes, weaving roads, and traditional wooden buildings, head to the Arima city centre and take in the authentic Japanese atmosphere.

Arima Onsen is known for its 2 springs: kinsen (gold spring) and ginsen (silver spring). The iron-rich kinsen turns reddish-brown upon oxidising. The carbonated waters of ginsen are transparent. You can enjoy these therapeutic waters at the outdoor swimming facilities of Kin no Yu and Gin no Yu.

The free open-air hot spring in Urami-ga-taki Onsen is tucked away by a waterfall in a semi-tropical forest on Hachijo Island. Described as the wildest onsen in Japan, Urami-ga-taki Onsen’s pool is filled with salty and hot spring water and has a view that looks about 20 yards down onto a small stream and lush vegetation.

This popular onsen is not staffed, so remember to bring anything you need, especially your own swimming suit as this is a mixed gender bath. Fresh water is available to wash off the salt. For a more private and calm experience, go in the morning when it’s less crowded. You can reach Hachijo Island from Tokyo by plane or boat.