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Guides

The practical side: what happens at an onsen, what the rules are, and what to do about the things that stop people going.

Our top 3 picks

The 3 best onsen in AkitaTamagawa, Nyūtō and Yuze: the three best-known onsen in Akita, and all three reachable without a car. The most
The 3 best onsen in AomoriSukayu, Asamushi and Komaki: the three best-known onsen in Aomori, and all three reachable without a car. The
The 3 best onsen stops between Tokyo and KyotoAtami, Tsurumaki and Itō: the three onsen towns that pass a simple test for breaking the Tokyo–Kyoto trip — li
The 3 best onsen in ChibaYōrō-keikoku, Shirako and Kameyama: the three Chiba onsen that pass a simple test — no car needed and the best
The 3 best onsen in FukushimaIizaka, Bandai Atami and Dake: the three best-known onsen in Fukushima Prefecture, all reachable without a car
The 3 best onsen towns in GunmaKusatsu, Ikaho and Shima: the three Gunma onsen towns that pass a simple test — no car needed and the best kno
The 3 best onsen towns on the Izu PeninsulaAtami, Shuzenji and Izu-Nagaoka: the three Izu onsen towns that pass a simple test — no car needed and the bes
The 3 best onsen in NaraDorogawa, Totsukawa and Nosegawa: the three Nara onsen that pass a simple test — no car needed and the best kn
The 3 best onsen towns near FukuokaUreshino, Takeo and Yuda: the three onsen towns near Fukuoka that pass a simple test — about two hours from Ha
The 3 best onsen near Furano and BieiTokachidake, Shirogane and Fukiage: the three best-known onsen towns around Furano and Biei that you can reach
The 3 best onsen near HakubaŌmachi Onsenkyō, Himekawa and Hakuba-Happō: the three best-known onsen towns in the Hakuba Valley that you can
The 3 best onsen towns near HiroshimaDōgo, Yunotsu and Yuda: the three onsen towns near Hiroshima that pass a simple test — within 100 km, no car n
The 3 best onsen towns near KanazawaAwara, Kaga Onsen (Yamanaka, Yamashiro, Katayamazu, Awazu) and Wakura: the three onsen areas near Kanazawa tha
The 3 best onsen near KaruizawaKirizumi, Hoshino and Kawarayu: the three best-known onsen within 25 km of Karuizawa Station that you can reac
The 3 best onsen towns near Mount FujiIsawa, Hakone and Shimobe: the three onsen towns within 35 km of Mount Fuji's summit that you can reach withou
The 3 best onsen towns near NagoyaGero, Hirugami and Yunoyama: the three onsen towns near Nagoya that pass a simple test — about two hours or le
The 3 best onsen towns near NikkoKinugawa, Yunishigawa and Kawaji: the three onsen towns in Nikko City that need no car and are the best known
The 3 best onsen towns near Osaka and KyotoArima, Kinosaki and Ogoto: the three onsen towns near Osaka and Kyoto that pass a simple test — about two hour
The 3 best onsen towns near SendaiGinzan, Akiu and Zao: the three onsen towns near Sendai that pass a simple test — within 50 km, no car needed,
The 3 best onsen towns near TokyoIkaho, Kinugawa and Bessho: the three onsen towns near Tokyo that pass a simple test — about two hours away, n
The 3 best onsen in NisekoGoshiki, Niseko Konbu and Niseko Yumoto: the three best-known onsen towns around Niseko that you can reach wit
The 3 best onsen in OkayamaYunogō, Yubara and Okutsu: the three best-known onsen in Okayama that you can reach by JR train. Why all three
The 3 best onsen towns for skiing in JapanKusatsu, Manza and Zao: the three onsen towns with a ski area within 2 km, no car needed, and the best known.
The 3 best onsen towns in Japan for a first tripKusatsu, Arima and Kinosaki: the three onsen towns in Japan that pass a simple test for a first visit — within
The 3 most unusual onsen waters in JapanToyotomi, Tamagawa and Kusatsu: the best-known towns for each of Japan's three rarest water types — iodine, ca

All guides

Are onsen mixed gender? Konyoku in Japan, where it is left, and the rulesAlmost every onsen in Japan is split by gender. Where mixed baths (konyoku) are left, why the big towns like H
Arima onsen: the gold and silver water, the two public baths, and getting thereArima is the old hot spring town behind Mount Rokkō, an hour from Osaka. What the gold and silver water really
Atami onsen: day baths, free foot baths, Hashiri-yu, and how it compares with HakoneAtami is the best-known onsen in Shizuoka and under an hour from Tokyo on the Shinkansen. Where to bathe for a
Beppu onsen: the eight districts, the hells, and finding the water you came forBeppu is a whole city of onsen on the Kyushu coast, with five water types in our records and the 100 °C Kannaw
Can you go to an onsen on your period? The rules, tampons, and how to still get in the waterIn a shared onsen bath the custom in Japan is to sit it out while you have your period, and each bath sets its
Can you onsen after eating or drinking? When to soak, how long, and how many times a dayThe notice on every onsen changing-room wall says not to bathe right before or after a meal or after drinking.
Can you wear a swimsuit in an onsen? The rule, where swimsuits are allowed, and what to do if you would rather not be nakedIn an ordinary onsen bath, no swimsuit, no underwear and no towel wrapped round you. Where a swimsuit is allow
Dogo onsen: the old bathhouse, which of the three public baths, and getting there from Hiroshima, Okayama or TokyoDōgo is the old onsen district of Matsuyama in Shikoku, built around the Honkan bathhouse. Honkan, Asuka-no-Yu
Driving to an onsen in Japan: the licence, winter tyres and where cars stopShould you rent a car for an onsen trip in Japan? How many onsen towns can only be reached by car, which towns
Gero onsen: the hot alkaline water, the bath pass, and getting there from Nagoya, Kyoto or TakayamaGero is a riverside onsen town in Gifu on the railway between Nagoya and Takayama, and one of Japan's "three f
Ginzan onsen: the lamp-lit street, the evening rules, and the waterGinzan is the snowy street of wooden inns and gas lamps in Yamagata. Why staying the night matters more than a
Going to an onsen alone: booking, eating and bathing soloWhy a ryokan shows no rooms for one guest when it has rooms for two, what a solo plan costs, and which onsen t
Going to an onsen with tattoosMany Japanese hot springs still refuse tattooed guests. What the rule is really about, how to read a no-tattoo
Hakone onsen: which area to stay in, and the water in eachHakone is not one hot spring but a valley of them, with five water types. Which area suits a first night, wher
Hiking to an onsen in Japan: the hot springs you can only reach on footThe Japanese hot springs at the end of a trail, from a 15-minute walk to a two-day trek: Mikurigaike, Babadani
Hirayu onsen: the 90 °C water, the bus hub for Kamikochi, and getting there from Takayama or MatsumotoHirayu is the biggest of the Okuhida onsen villages in the mountains of Gifu, and the bus hub for Kamikochi an
Hokkaido onsen: which towns, how far, and the waterTwo thirds of Hokkaido's onsen towns are hot at source, more than anywhere in Japan. Which ones you can reach
How an onsen stay actually worksWashing first, going in with nothing on, what the towel is for, and what a night at a ryokan includes. The thi
How are onsen heated? Volcanoes, deep rock and the boiler behind Japan's hot springsJapanese hot springs get their heat in three ways: from volcanoes (Kusatsu, Noboribetsu, Beppu), from deep roc
How hot is onsen water? Source and bath temperatures in Japan, town by townHow hot an onsen bath is (usually about 40 to 42°C), and how hot the water is at the source: from 6.3°C to 105
Ibusuki onsen: the sand bath, the water, and getting there from Kagoshima and FukuokaIbusuki, at the southern tip of Kyushu, has 82 °C chloride water and 53 inns, more than any other onsen place
Ikaho onsen: the stone steps, the golden and silver water, day baths, and Ikaho or KusatsuIkaho is the second best-known onsen town in Gunma and about two hours from Tokyo. How the 365 stone steps wor
Is onsen water clean? How Japanese baths are kept clean, chlorine, and what cloudy water really isShared onsen water is regulated: inns must keep chlorine at about 0.4 mg/L, change recirculated tubs at least
Japanese Alps onsen: Nagano, Gifu, Toyama and the waterSnow monkeys, Nozawa, Shirahone, Okuhida, Gero, Kurobe: which Japanese Alps onsen are actually hot, how you re
Jozankei onsen: Sapporo's own onsen town — the bus, day trip or a night, and Jozankei or NoboribetsuJozankei is the onsen town inside Sapporo city, about an hour by bus from Sapporo Station in a river gorge. Wh
Kinosaki onsen: the seven baths, the hot salt water, and getting thereKinosaki is a town you bathe in on foot, going between seven public baths in a yukata. How hot its water is by
Kinugawa onsen: the gorge, the empty hotels, day baths, getting there from Asakusa, and Kinugawa or KusatsuKinugawa is the best-known onsen town in Tochigi and about two hours from Asakusa. Why some of its big hotels
Kurokawa onsen: the bath-hopping pass, the hot sulfur water, and getting there without a carKurokawa is a river valley of inns in the mountains north of Mount Aso in Kumamoto, where the bath-hopping pas
Kusatsu onsen: the yubatake, the acid water, and getting thereKusatsu is one compact town built around one very hot, very acidic water supply. How rare that water is, what
Kyushu onsen: Beppu, Yufuin, Kurokawa, and the waterNear Fukuoka, 1 of 12 onsen towns is hot at source; 50 to 100 km out, 15 of 19 are. How Beppu, Yufuin and Kuro
Lake onsen in Japan: Toya, Kawaguchiko, Biwa and the hot spring towns on a lake shoreJapan's lake onsen towns compared with the numbers: Lake Toya (50.3°C chloride, about 2 h from Sapporo), Kawag
Naruko onsen: four kinds of water, five districts, public baths, and getting there from SendaiNaruko in Miyagi is recorded with four water types, one of 38 onsen places in our records with four or more, a
Noboribetsu onsen: six water types, Hell Valley, day trip or a night, and getting there from SapporoNoboribetsu is Hokkaido's most visited onsen town, beside the steaming crater of Jigokudani. What its six wate
Nozawa onsen: the thirteen free baths, the scalding sulfur water, and getting thereNozawa is a ski village with thirteen free public baths run by the villagers. How hot the water really is, how
Nyuto onsen: seven inns in the forest, five kinds of water, and how to bathe your way through themNyuto is a cluster of seven inns in beech forest above Lake Tazawa in Akita, recorded with five water types, o
Onsen day trips: bathing without staying the nightDay-visitor hours end earlier than you think. How higaeri bathing works at ryokan, public bathhouses and day s
Onsen eggs: what onsen tamago is, and where the hot spring cooks themOnsen tamago is a soft egg with a set yolk and a loose white, served at ryokan breakfasts. The black eggs of H
Onsen etiquette: the rules the usual lists leave outWash first and keep the towel out of the water, yes. But also: the cold tap, slippery floors, village baths wi
Onsen hopping in Japan: the towns built for it, and how the bath passes workOnsen hopping, yumeguri, means walking from bath to bath in one town. Which towns work for it (Kinosaki, Nozaw
Onsen in Japanese: what the word means, the kanji, and how to read onsen town namesOnsen is written 温泉, "warm spring". What the two kanji mean, how to say onsen and ryokan, the onsen words you
Onsen in Kamakura and Enoshima: where to bathe, and where the hot water isKamakura has one onsen in the city, Inamuragasaki by the Enoden line (18°C, heated), and Enoshima has a seasid
Onsen in Kyoto and Osaka: is there hot spring water inside the cities?Kyoto City has four onsen in our records, from Arashiyama (35.2°C) to Kurama (15°C); Osaka City has none, and
Onsen in Nagoya: is there hot spring water inside the city?Nagoya City has no onsen town in our records. Within 30 km of Nagoya Station there are nine, and four reach 42
Onsen in Okinawa: the seven hot springs on record, and which you can actually useOkinawa has very few onsen, and some on the lists are closed or guests-only. The seven hot springs in our reco
Onsen in Takayama: is there real hot spring water in the old town?Takayama's old town has hotel baths on drilled wells, but no hot onsen town. The hot water is an hour out: Hir
Onsen in Tokyo: is there real hot spring water inside the city?Yes, but it is not what you might picture. Tokyo has 13 onsen in our records: deep wells under the city centre
Onsen near Japan's airports: what is really close to Haneda, Narita, Kansai, New Chitose, Fukuoka and CentrairHow far real hot-spring water is from Japan's main airports, measured from our records: nothing at 42°C within
Onsen near Kyoto and Osaka: which water is actually hotOf 105 onsen towns within 150 km of Kyoto or Osaka, only 24 come out of the ground hot enough to bathe in. Whi
Onsen near Tokyo: travel times and what the water is likeFifty-eight onsen towns sit within 100 km of Tokyo Station. Honest travel times, real source temperatures and
Onsen water types: reading the sign in the changing roomThe ten Japanese hot spring water types, how common each really is, why most towns mix several, and how to rea
Onsen with children: ages, family baths and water that suitsWhich bath a child uses at what age, why many inns turn away toddlers in nappies, how to book a family bath, a
Onsen with monkeys: where Japan's monkeys (and capybaras) really batheOnly two places in Japan have monkeys sitting in hot water: Jigokudani in Nagano and a botanical garden in Hak
Onsen, sento or super sento? How to tell them apartA sento can use hot spring water, and an onsen can be cold at the source. What each word really means, what it
Outdoor onsen in Japan: what a rotenburo is, the big public ones, and bathing in snowWhat a rotenburo (outdoor onsen bath) is, how it fits with the indoor bath, the kinds you can visit (large pub
Planning a first onsen trip: nights, towns and bookingWhere an onsen night fits in an itinerary you have already half-planned: how many towns are near each base cit
Private onsen baths: the three kinds, and which water you actually getKashikiri, kazoku-buro and rooms with their own tub are not the same booking. How to reserve one, what an hour
Ryokan meals: what "two meals included" really meansDinner is a fixed hour, not an open kitchen, and at most onsen there is nowhere else to eat. How ryokan meals
Shibu onsen: the nine public baths, the key, the snow monkeys, and getting thereShibu is the old lane of wooden inns in the Yudanaka-Shibu valley in Nagano, near the snow monkeys. How the ni
Shima onsen: the quiet valley in Gunma, what the water is like, Shima or Kusatsu, and getting there from TokyoShima is a long, quiet onsen village in a river valley in Gunma, about three hours from Tokyo. What its hot, c
Shirahama onsen: the 85 °C beach resort in Wakayama, Sakinoyu, and how to get there from OsakaNanki-Shirahama is Wakayama's best-known onsen town, a beach resort with water recorded at 32 to 85 °C and a r
Shirahone onsen: the milky water above Matsumoto, the buses in, day baths, and Shirahone or HirayuShirahone is a village of 12 inns in the mountains west of Matsumoto, known for milky bicarbonate and sulfur w
Shuzenji onsen: Hakoyu, Tokko-no-yu, the bamboo path, a day trip, and Shuzenji or HakoneShuzenji is the old temple onsen town in the hills of the Izu Peninsula, about two hours from Tokyo. Getting t
Sulfur onsen in Japan: milky, clear, and where to find eachNot every sulfur spring is the milky, eggy bath in the photos. How to read the label, why most sulfur water is
Tamatsukuri onsen: the water, the riverside town, Izumo Taisha, and getting there from Matsue and OkayamaTamatsukuri in Shimane is the most read-about onsen town in western Honshu in our records, with chloride and s
The Spirited Away bathhouse: which onsen inspired it, and what each one is really likeWhich real onsen inspired the bathhouse in Spirited Away? What is documented and what is only a story: Kodakar
The oldest onsen in Japan: Dōgo, Arima, Shirahama, and what "oldest" meansWhich is the oldest onsen in Japan? Dōgo, Arima and Shirahama, the "three ancient springs" in the 8th-century
The yukata, and everything else waiting in a ryokan roomWhich way the yukata folds, what size to ask for, whether it goes to dinner or into town, and what the tea set
Tohoku onsen: Ginzan, Nyuto, Sukayu, and the waterTohoku's onsen run hotter and more acidic than almost anywhere in Japan. Which towns you can reach from a Shin
Unzen onsen: the sulfur hells of Nagasaki, public baths, and how to get there from Nagasaki and FukuokaUnzen is a sulfur onsen town high on a volcano in Nagasaki, built around about 30 steaming "hells". What the n
Ureshino onsen: Siebold-no-yu, onsen tofu, tea, a day trip, and Ureshino or TakeoUreshino is the tea-country onsen town in Saga, about 70 minutes from Hakata and under half an hour from Nagas
What a night at an onsen ryokan actually costsRates are quoted per person, not per room, and the same room changes price with the day of the week. How a num
When to go to an onsen: snow, autumn leaves, quiet monthsSnow baths book out months ahead and some mountain inns close all winter. What each season really changes at a
Where Japan's hot springs actually areEvery one of Japan's 47 prefectures has hot spring towns, but only some regions have water that comes out of t
Yufuin onsen: a lot of gentle water, the morning mist, and Yufuin or Beppu or KurokawaYufuin is a valley onsen town under Mount Yufu in Ōita, with one mild simple spring and the largest flow of an
Yunomine onsen: the 92 °C pilgrims' spring on the Kumano Kodo, Tsuboyu, and how to get thereYunomine is a small onsen village on the Kumano Kodo in Wakayama, with water recorded at 92 °C, one of five Ka
Zao onsen: the acid water, the big outdoor bath, and getting thereZao is a ski town in Yamagata on one of the rarest kinds of water in Japan. What the acidic sulfur water does,