Hamajima Onsen is a hot spring town in Mie, Japan. The water leaves the ground at 40.6°C, comfortably warm. Officially the water is classed as chloride spring and bicarbonate spring. About 282,636 people a year come to bathe.
Salty water. The salt leaves a thin film on the skin, so you stay warm well after leaving the bath.
Bicarbonate spring 炭酸水素塩泉
Smooth, slightly slippery water. Often nicknamed bihada-no-yu, the water for beautiful skin.
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.