Kyōtotakenosato Onsen is a hot spring town in Kyoto, Japan. The water leaves the ground at 41.5°C, comfortably warm. It measures pH 8.04 — mildly alkaline, the slippery kind. Officially the water is classed as simple spring and bicarbonate spring. Its sources put out around 137 litres a minute.
Getting there
From Kyoto / Osakaabout 1 h
CarNot needed
JR PassCovers the train
Train to Rakusaiguchi Station
Local bus
Fly into Kansai (KIX) or Itami. Times are rough estimates worked out from station locations, not a timetable — check the exact route on Google Maps.
Simple springBicarbonate spring
The water here
Simple spring 単純温泉
Mild and low in dissolved minerals. Usually clear and gentle on the skin, which is why these baths are often recommended for first-timers.
Bicarbonate spring 炭酸水素塩泉
Smooth, slightly slippery water. Often nicknamed bihada-no-yu, the water for beautiful skin.
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.