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Hōsenji Onsen

Shizuoka · 法泉寺温泉

Hōsenji Onsen is a hot spring town in Shizuoka, Japan. The water leaves the ground at 17.4°C, cool enough that the baths here are usually reheated. It measures pH 9.5 — strongly alkaline. Officially the water is classed as sulfur spring.

Getting there

From Tokyoabout 1½ h
From Kyoto / Osakaabout 1½ h
JR PassCovers the train
  1. Train to Kakegawa Station (Shinkansen)

Fly into Haneda or Narita. Times are rough estimates worked out from station locations, not a timetable — check the exact route on Google Maps.

Sulfur spring

The water here

Sulfur spring 硫黄泉

The classic rotten-egg smell and milky white water. It can tarnish silver jewellery, so take it off.

Things to see nearby

Kakegawa CastleCastle · 5.8 km
Kotonomama HachimangūShrine · 6.4 km
Awa-ga-takeMountain · 5.1 km
Kakegawa Ninomaru Museum of ArtArt museum · 5.7 km
Okuni Shrine (Mori)Shrine · 10.8 km
Kasui-saiTemple · 10.4 km

Places from Wikidata, photographs from Wikimedia Commons. Distances are in a straight line from the town.

With tattoos

Many public baths still turn away visible tattoos, and the rule is set by each bath, not by the town. The reliable way round it is to bathe privately: a room with its own open-air bath, or an inn with a private bath you can book for yourselves.

Rooms with an open-air bath — Kakegawa CityInns with a private bath — Shizuoka

More on tattoos and onsen

Where to stay

Onsen inns — Kakegawa City

Opens Rakuten Travel, which lists inns in English. Onsen Guide earns a commission if you book through these links, at no extra cost to you.

Hot spring towns nearby

Sagarakōmare OnsenShizuoka · さがら子生れ温泉16.2 km southeast
Chloride spring
Kawane OnsenShizuoka · 川根温泉16.3 km northeast
Chloride spring
Yaizu OnsenShizuoka · 焼津温泉28.5 km east
Chloride spring
Kanzanji OnsenShizuoka · 舘山寺温泉37.1 km west
Chloride spring
Yuya OnsenAichi · 湯谷温泉39.8 km northwest
Chloride spring
Sumatakyō OnsenShizuoka · 寸又峡温泉39.9 km north
Sulfur spring

Similar water elsewhere

Towns further away with the same kind of water — useful if this one is hard to reach or fully booked.

Kamegai OnsenToyama · 亀谷温泉Also sulfur, similar pH
Sulfur spring
Tsurugatonneru OnsenFukui · 敦賀トンネル温泉Also sulfur, similar pH
Sulfur spring
Rushin OnsenHokkaido · 留真温泉Also sulfur, similar pH
Sulfur spring
Osōshi OnsenHokkaido · オソウシ温泉Also sulfur, similar pH
Sulfur spring
Shikibidani OnsenTokushima · 四季美谷温泉Also sulfur, similar pH
Sulfur spring
Enzan Hot spaYamanashi · 塩山温泉Also sulfur, similar pH
Sulfur spring

The numbers

Water temperature
17.4°C
pH
9.5 (strongly alkaline)
Address in Japanese
静岡県掛川市上西郷

Figures from the town's Japanese Wikipedia article.

Where it is

34.8272, 138.0144 — open the map

Read more

Japanese Wikipedia

Planning a first soak? Read how an onsen stay works, and what to do if you have tattoos.