Japan Onsen Notebook

A communal bathhouse run by the city of Kobe. The iconic outer bath of Arima Onsen, where visitors can easily enjoy the reddish-brown 'gold spring' water.

Also run by the city of Kobe, this communal bathhouse offers the clear, colorless 'silver spring' (a carbonated, radium-bearing spring).

Famous for its huge mixed-bathing hall built entirely of Hiba cypress; a renowned hot spring of the Hakkoda mountains open for day bathing, and Japan's first-designated National Health Resort.

A town-run communal bathhouse named for the White Heron legend, symbolic of Gero Onsen.

Known for its strongly acidic water at around pH 1.2, one of the most acidic in Japan, drawing therapeutic bathers ('toji') from across the country; day bathing available.

A free open-air bath on the riverbank of the Mitoku River, symbolic of Misasa Onsen, known for having some of the highest radon content in the world.

A day-use bathing facility representative of the Naruko Onsen area, built after research into the local spring sources conducted by Waseda University students.

The symbolic town-run communal bathhouse of Ureshino Onsen, known for its silky 'beautiful-skin' water.

An open-air bath formed by damming a river, with a strongly acidic water known for a nearly 1,900-year history since the hot spring's founding.

A neighborhood public bathhouse using spring water from Atami Onsen, well loved by locals.

The communal bathhouse at the heart of Yamashiro Onsen, symbolic of this historic hot spring representative of the Hokuriku region.

The symbolic wooden communal bathhouse of Dogo Onsen, whose history spans 3,000 years and which is associated with Natsume Soseki (an Important Cultural Property of Japan).

A free mixed-bathing open-air bath welling up on the riverbank of the Asahi River, one of the finest in western Japan and symbolic of Yubara Onsen.

A facility symbolic of Ibusuki Onsen, offering the rare natural sand-steam bath experience found almost nowhere else in the world.

A communal bathhouse with over 1,300 years of history, the birthplace of Nasu Onsen, lined with several baths of differing temperatures.

Founded in 1879, the city-run communal bathhouse representative of Beppu Onsen, also famous for its sand-bath treatments.

A mineral spring meeting the standards of Japan's Hot Spring Act.

An outer bath of Shirahama Onsen, one of Japan's oldest hot springs, known for its open-air bath overlooking the Pacific Ocean.

A day-use bathing facility in Unazuki Onsen, serving as a base for sightseeing in the Kurobe Gorge.

A day-use bathing facility in the center of Noboribetsu Onsen town, offering the sulfur spring that is one of Noboribetsu's most representative water types among its many mineral springs.

A day-use hot spring facility near Lake Okutama, a rarity within central Tokyo.

The central communal bathhouse of Shibu Onsen's 'nine-bath pilgrimage,' a symbol of its outdoor-bathhouse culture.

Regarded as the first bath of the nine-bath pilgrimage, a communal bathhouse.

The central communal bathhouse of Nozawa Onsen's '13 outdoor baths' circuit, a symbol of the town with Edo-period architecture.

A communal bathhouse beside Asagama, the town's source-spring site known for its near-90°C water.

A newer outer bathhouse next to Dogo Onsen Honkan, built with an Asuka-period motif.

An old-style communal bathhouse maintained by local residents.

A day-use hot spring facility in a traditional farmhouse style near Hakone-Yumoto, known for its open-air rock bath.

A complex of natural hot-spring baths and stone saunas, known for its dark-brown water and the carbonated 'Tansan Kohaku-yu' (carbonated amber bath).

A complex of natural hot-spring baths and stone saunas, known for its dark-brown water.

A day-use hot spring facility in the Chichibu area.

Free-flowing source water derived from fossil seawater, given top ratings for water quality and supply method by the Japan Spa Association and others.

A day-use bathing facility representative of Kusatsu Onsen, known for its 'awase-yu' method of gradually acclimating bathers to the hot water temperature.

A vast open-air bath within Sainokawara Park.

A long-established inn with three bathing areas and milky-white water, welling up at 1,800 m with one of the highest sulfur concentrations in Japan.

A day-use hot spring facility run by Fuefuki City, using spring water from Isawa Onsen.

The symbolic wooden communal bathhouse of Iizaka Onsen, considered one of Japan's Three Ancient Hot Springs.

A day-use hot spring facility in the Minami-Boso Onsen area.

A communal bathhouse in Echigo-Yuzawa Onsen, an old-style bathhouse used by locals and travelers alike.

A communal bathhouse with a thousand-year history as the sacred water of Naruko Onsen Shrine.

A town-run day-use hot spring facility in the Okukuji Onsen area.

A day-use bathing facility in the Sanage Onsen area.

A day-use bathing facility in Yunoyama Onsen, spread across the foot of Mt. Gozaisho.

An open-air day-bathing facility partway up Mt. Kurama, a quiet spring away from central Kyoto.

A day-use bathing facility in Yuki Onsen, on the outskirts of Hiroshima city.

A town-run day-use bathing facility in Kurokawa Onsen.

A locally managed communal bathhouse passed down in Dai Onsen, part of the Hanamaki Minami Onsen valley.

A town-run day-use hot spring facility at the heart of Awara Onsen.

A day-use bathing facility in Katata, on the shore of Lake Biwa.

A town-run day-use hot spring facility in the Tamatsukuri Onsen district.

A day-use bathing facility in Harazuru Onsen, spread along the Chikugo River.

A day-use bathing facility near Unzen Jigoku, known for its milky-white sulfur spring.

A day-use bathing facility in Nanjo City, Okinawa Prefecture.

A day-use bathing facility in the Minoh Onsen area, known for Minoh Falls.

A day-use bathing facility in the Dorogawa Onsen area at the foot of Mt. Omine.

A day-use bathing facility in Yuda Onsen, welling up in the center of Yamaguchi City.

A day-use bathing facility in the Minami-Awa Onsen area of southern Tokushima Prefecture.

A day-use bathing facility in Konpira Onsen Village, the approach town to Kotohira-gu Shrine.

A day-use hot spring facility in Yusuhara Town.

A day-use bathing facility on the Ebino Plateau in the Kirishima mountain range.