Minatoyama Onsen is a hot spring town in Hyogo, Japan. The water leaves the ground at 28°C, cool enough that the baths here are usually reheated. Officially the water is classed as chloride spring and bicarbonate spring.
Getting there
From Kyoto / Osakaabout 1½ h
CarNot needed
JR PassCovers the train
Train to Kōbe 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.
Chloride springBicarbonate 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.
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.