Snow-Viewing Onsen Index
Based on the Japan Meteorological Agency's station-level climatological normals (1991–2020), this collects the snow conditions around onsen in heavy-snow or high-elevation areas. For facilities with no representative nearby station, the snow figure is marked “no data.” Still an early, 14-entry feature.
How the categories work
- “Famous” means the facility appears in the day-trip bath dataset's national Top 30 popularity ranking, or has a confirmed annual Wikipedia view count. Everything else is classed as “Obscure.”
- “Hard to reach” means an elevation of 1,500 m or higher, a JMA-normal deepest snow depth of 200 cm or more, or a confirmed strong access constraint such as a winter road closure. Otherwise it's classed as “Easy to reach.”
- Crossing these two axes gives four categories: Classic Pick (famous × easy to reach), Pilgrimage Site (famous × hard to reach), Hidden Gem (obscure × easy to reach), and True Hidden Spring (obscure × hard to reach). Where neither axis has enough confirmed evidence, the category is left blank rather than guessed.
- Snow-depth normals are reference values from the nearest JMA observation station, not measurements at the onsen facility itself, and may differ from conditions at the facility's own elevation. Facilities with no representative nearby station (e.g. Tamagawa Onsen, Zao Onsen, Shibu Onsen) are marked “no data” for snow depth.
14 onsen listed (Beta)
Sukayu Onsen – Hiba Sennin-buro (Aomori)
- Elevation
- —
- Deepest Snow Depth, Normal (1991–2020)
- 373cm(Feb monthly normal)
- Category
- Pilgrimage Site
- Basis for Classification
- Famous, with 46,295 annual Wikipedia views. The nearby Sukayu station's February deepest-snow normal is 373 cm (this station publishes no annual figure). Classed as hard to reach due to heavy snow.
- Source
- 気象庁 酸ヶ湯 平年値(最深積雪)
Tamagawa Onsen – Main Bathhouse (Akita)
- Elevation
- —
- Deepest Snow Depth, Normal (1991–2020)
- No data
- Category
- Pilgrimage Site
- Basis for Classification
- Famous, with 34,997 annual Wikipedia views. No representative snow-depth station exists nearby, but National Route 341 to the facility is closed to general vehicles (scheduled bus only) from roughly early December to mid-April each year — classed as hard to reach on that basis.
- Source
- 鹿角エリア周辺道路 夜間・冬季通行止めのご案内 - 旅するかづの
Zao Onsen – Great Open-Air Bath (Yamagata)
- Elevation
- —
- Deepest Snow Depth, Normal (1991–2020)
- No data
- Category
- —
- Basis for Classification
- Famous, with 17,062 annual Wikipedia views. No representative snow-depth station could be confirmed — the Mt. Zao summit station has no published normal, and the low-elevation Yamagata city station is not representative — nor could elevation be confirmed, so accessibility could not be classified.
- Source
- —
Zao Onsen – Uwayu Public Bath (Yamagata)
- Elevation
- —
- Deepest Snow Depth, Normal (1991–2020)
- No data
- Category
- —
- Basis for Classification
- No confirmed annual Wikipedia views and not in the national ranking, so classed as obscure. No representative snow-depth station could be confirmed, so accessibility could not be classified.
- Source
- —
Otakinoyu (Kusatsu Onsen) (Gunma)
- Elevation
- —
- Deepest Snow Depth, Normal (1991–2020)
- 99cm(annual normal)
- Category
- Hidden Gem
- Basis for Classification
- No confirmed annual Wikipedia views and not in the national ranking, so classed as obscure. The Kusatsu station's annual deepest-snow normal is 99 cm, under the 200 cm threshold, and no strong access constraint was confirmed — classed as easy to reach.
- Source
- 気象庁 草津 平年値(最深積雪)
Sainokawara Rotenburo (Kusatsu Onsen) (Gunma)
- Elevation
- —
- Deepest Snow Depth, Normal (1991–2020)
- 99cm(annual normal)
- Category
- Hidden Gem
- Basis for Classification
- No confirmed annual Wikipedia views and not in the national ranking, so classed as obscure. The Kusatsu station's annual deepest-snow normal is 99 cm, under the 200 cm threshold, and no strong access constraint was confirmed — classed as easy to reach.
- Source
- 気象庁 草津 平年値(最深積雪)
Manza Onsen – Nisshinkan (Gunma)
- Elevation
- 1,800m
- Deepest Snow Depth, Normal (1991–2020)
- No data
- Category
- True Hidden Spring
- Basis for Classification
- No confirmed annual Wikipedia views and not in the national ranking, so classed as obscure. No representative snow-depth station exists, but the facility's own official site places it at roughly 1,800 m elevation, above the 1,500 m threshold — classed as hard to reach on that basis.
- Source
- 万座温泉 日進館 公式(泉質・立地)
Hakuba Happo Onsen (Nagano)
- Elevation
- —
- Deepest Snow Depth, Normal (1991–2020)
- 100cm(annual normal)
- Category
- Classic Pick
- Basis for Classification
- Classed as famous based on 3,097 confirmed annual Wikipedia views. The Hakuba station's annual deepest-snow normal is 100 cm, under the 200 cm threshold, and no strong access constraint was confirmed — classed as easy to reach.
- Source
- 気象庁 白馬 平年値(最深積雪)
Shibu Onsen – Oyu (Nagano)
- Elevation
- —
- Deepest Snow Depth, Normal (1991–2020)
- No data
- Category
- —
- Basis for Classification
- No confirmed annual Wikipedia views and not in the national ranking, so classed as obscure. No representative station could be found near Shibu Onsen / Shiga Kogen, and elevation could not be confirmed, so accessibility could not be classified.
- Source
- —
Shibu Onsen – Ichibanyu (Hatsuyu) (Nagano)
- Elevation
- —
- Deepest Snow Depth, Normal (1991–2020)
- No data
- Category
- —
- Basis for Classification
- No confirmed annual Wikipedia views and not in the national ranking, so classed as obscure. No representative station could be found near Shibu Onsen / Shiga Kogen, and elevation could not be confirmed, so accessibility could not be classified.
- Source
- —
Nozawa Onsen – Oyu (Nagano)
- Elevation
- —
- Deepest Snow Depth, Normal (1991–2020)
- 205cm(annual normal)
- Category
- True Hidden Spring
- Basis for Classification
- No confirmed annual Wikipedia views and not in the national ranking, so classed as obscure. The Nozawa Onsen station's annual deepest-snow normal is 205 cm, at or above the 200 cm threshold — classed as hard to reach.
- Source
- 気象庁 野沢温泉 平年値(最深積雪)
Nozawa Onsen – Asamaki-no-Yu (Nagano)
- Elevation
- —
- Deepest Snow Depth, Normal (1991–2020)
- 205cm(annual normal)
- Category
- True Hidden Spring
- Basis for Classification
- No confirmed annual Wikipedia views and not in the national ranking, so classed as obscure. The Nozawa Onsen station's annual deepest-snow normal is 205 cm, at or above the 200 cm threshold — classed as hard to reach.
- Source
- 気象庁 野沢温泉 平年値(最深積雪)
Yamanoyu (Echigo-Yuzawa Onsen) (Niigata)
- Elevation
- —
- Deepest Snow Depth, Normal (1991–2020)
- 208cm(annual normal)
- Category
- True Hidden Spring
- Basis for Classification
- No confirmed annual Wikipedia views and not in the national ranking, so classed as obscure. The Yuzawa station's annual deepest-snow normal is 208 cm, at or above the 200 cm threshold — classed as hard to reach.
- Source
- 気象庁 湯沢 平年値(最深積雪)
Shirakawa-go no Yu (Gifu)
- Elevation
- —
- Deepest Snow Depth, Normal (1991–2020)
- 177cm(annual normal)
- Category
- Classic Pick
- Basis for Classification
- Classed as famous based on 968 confirmed annual Wikipedia views. The Shirakawa station's annual deepest-snow normal is 177 cm, under the 200 cm threshold, and no strong access constraint was confirmed — classed as easy to reach.
- Source
- 気象庁 白川 平年値(最深積雪)
Snow-depth data is from the Japan Meteorological Agency's station-level climatological normals (1991–2020), “Normal Values (by year and month).” Each facility references the nearest observation station to its onsen town, not a measurement at the facility itself. Categories (Classic Pick, Pilgrimage Site, Hidden Gem, True Hidden Spring) are an editorial guide, not an official rating. Operating status and access conditions vary year to year — always check current official information before visiting.