Isobe Watakano Onsen

Mie · 磯部わたかの温泉

Isobe Watakano Onsen is a hot spring town in Mie, Japan. The water leaves the ground at 32°C, cool enough that the baths here are usually reheated. It measures pH 8.2 — mildly alkaline, the slippery kind. Officially the water is classed as chloride spring. Its sources put out around 300 litres a minute. 3 inns take visitors here.

Getting there

From Nagoyaabout 2 h

From Kyoto / Osakaabout 3 h

CarNot needed

JR PassNot a JR line

Train to Ugata Station
Many inns send a car to the station — ask when you book

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

Chloride spring

The water here

Chloride spring 塩化物泉

Salty water. The salt leaves a thin film on the skin, so you stay warm well after leaving the bath.

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 — Mie Inns with a private bath — Mie