Photo: 663highland · CC BY 2.5 · Wikimedia Commons

Arima Onsen

Hyogo · 有馬温泉

Arima Onsen is a hot spring town in Hyogo, Japan. The water leaves the ground at 40–98°C, hot enough that it has to be cooled before anyone can get in. Officially the water is classed as chloride spring, bicarbonate spring, iron spring and radioactive spring.

Getting there

From Kyoto / Osakaabout 1 h

CarNot needed

JR PassNot a JR line

Train to Arima Onsen Station
A short walk

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.

Chloride springBicarbonate springIron springRadioactive 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.

Bicarbonate spring 炭酸水素塩泉

Smooth, slightly slippery water. Often nicknamed bihada-no-yu, the water for beautiful skin.

Iron spring 含鉄泉

Turns reddish brown as the iron meets air. The water is clear at the source.

Radioactive spring 放射能泉

Contains trace radon that leaves the water quickly. Also called radium or radon springs.

More photographs

From Wikimedia Commons. Tap a photo for the photographer and licence.

Things to see nearby

Mount RokkōMountain · 2.7 km

Nunobiki FallsWaterfall · 11 km

Itami CastleCastle · 15.9 km

Hyōgo Prefectural Museum of ArtArt museum · 11.3 km

Hirota ShrineShrine · 9.9 km

Tsuzumigataki ParkWaterfall · 1 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 — Kobe City Inns with a private bath — Kobe City