According to Ministry of the Environment statistics, Yamagata (Tohoku) has 67 onsen areas and 412 hot-spring sources. This page lists 47 onsen in Yamagata with their water types. The most common water type among them is Chloride Spring (21 onsen).
Source: Ministry of the Environment, FY2024 Hot Spring Utilization Survey (as of March 31, 2025). Best-known onsen = most annual Wikipedia views.
| Water Type | Count | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Chloride Spring | 21 | 45% |
| Unknown | 7 | 15% |
| Sulfate Spring | 6 | 13% |
| Sulfur Spring | 5 | 11% |
| Simple Thermal Spring | 4 | 9% |
| Bicarbonate Spring | 2 | 4% |
| Other | 2 | 4% |
| Facility | Water Type |
|---|---|
| Zao Onsen Grand Open-Air Bath 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. | Sulfur Spring Acidic, sulfur-bearing sulfate/chloride spring |
| Dohmeki Onsen | Chloride Spring Sodium strong chloride spring |
| Ringo Onsen (Apple Onsen) | Chloride Spring Sodium – strong chloride spring |
| Mamurogawa Onsen Bairien | Other Sodium chloride spring |
| Yanagawa Onsen | Sulfate Spring Sulfate spring |
| Kahoku Onsen | Chloride Spring Sodium – chloride spring |
| Himawari Onsen Yu-ra-ra | Unknown |
| Zao Onsen Kamiyu Communal Bathhouse An old-style communal bathhouse maintained by local residents. | Sulfur Spring Acidic sulfur spring |
| Name | What kind of onsen |
|---|---|
| Ubayu Onsen Details | A secluded inn in a ravine of the Azuma mountain range, said to have been discovered in the Kamakura period. Reached by an unpaved mountain road, it is known for its open-air bath enclosed by cliffs. |
| Onsen Town | Summary |
|---|---|
| Zao Onsen National Health Resort | A highland onsen town in Yamagata Prefecture, designated a National Health Resort Onsen. Known as one of Japan's most strongly acidic springs (around pH 1.3), nicknamed the 'beauty-skin spring.' Details |
| Semi Onsen Travelogue | A chloride-spring town in Mogami along the Oguni River, a tributary of the Mogami River. Legend says it was discovered by Minamoto no Yoshitsune's party as they fled to Oshu. Included in the Tohoku chapter of Tsuge Yoshiharu no Onsen. Details |
| Imagami Onsen Travelogue | A single-inn cure retreat deep in the mountains of Tozawa that still bars women. Known as a hidden spring where healing in the sulfate-filled bathhouse is bound up with religious devotion, it also appears in Tsuge Yoshiharu no Onsen. Details |
| Hijiori Onsen Travelogue | A chloride-spring cure retreat on the rim of the Hijiori caldera, known for its morning market that is still held today. Said to date back more than 1,200 years, it is one of Tohoku's oldest hot springs, and is included in the Tohoku chapter of Tsuge Yoshiharu no Onsen. Details |