Shichikama Onsen is a hot spring town in Hyogo, Japan. The water leaves the ground at 46.5°C, hot. It measures pH 7.18–7.4 — close to neutral. Officially the water is classed as sulfate spring. 19 inns take visitors here.
Getting there
From Kyoto / Osakaabout 3½ h
CarNot needed
JR PassCovers the train
Train to Hamasaka Station (JR)
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.
Sulfate spring
The water here
Sulfate spring 硫酸塩泉
Clear water with a faintly bitter taste. Known for holding heat.
More photographs
From Wikimedia Commons. Tap a photo for the photographer and licence.
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.