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Photo: 松岡明芳 · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Yokawa Onsen

Hyogo · 吉川温泉

Yokawa Onsen is a hot spring town in Hyogo, Japan. The water leaves the ground at 32.2°C, cool enough that the baths here are usually reheated. Officially the water is classed as chloride spring and bicarbonate spring. Its sources put out around 50 litres a minute.

Getting there

From Kyoto / Osakaabout 1½ h
CarNot needed
JR PassCovers the train
  1. Train to Shin-Sanda Station (JR)
  2. Local bus, about 30 min

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.

Things to see nearby

Miki CastleCastle · 15.5 km
Chōkō-ji TempleTemple · 8.9 km
Mount RokkōMountain · 17.6 km
Amatsu ShrineShrine · 2.8 km
Shakubu TempleTemple · 6 km
Goryō ShrineShrine · 7.3 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 — HyogoInns with a private bath — Hyogo

More on tattoos and onsen

Where to stay

Onsen inns — Miki City

Opens Rakuten Travel, which lists inns in English. Onsen Guide earns a commission if you book through these links, at no extra cost to you.

Hot spring towns nearby

Konda Yakushi OnsenHyogo · こんだ薬師温泉12.8 km north
Chloride springRadioactive spring
Arima OnsenHyogo · 有馬温泉14.9 km southeast
Chloride spring+3
Takedao OnsenHyogo · 武田尾温泉16.6 km east
Simple spring
Kuwatani OnsenHyogo · 鍬渓温泉19.3 km west
Chloride springIron spring
Hakūndani OnsenHyogo · 白雲谷温泉19.4 km west
Chloride spring
Rokkōnunobiki OnsenHyogo · 六甲布引温泉21 km south
Chloride springBicarbonate spring

Similar water elsewhere

Towns further away with the same kind of water — useful if this one is hard to reach or fully booked.

Kasagi OnsenKyoto · 笠置温泉Also bicarbonate and chloride
Chloride springBicarbonate spring
Ōtaku no Kuroyu OnsenTokyo · 大田区の黒湯温泉Also bicarbonate and chloride
Chloride springBicarbonate spring
Teshiogawa OnsenHokkaido · 天塩川温泉Also bicarbonate and chloride
Chloride springBicarbonate spring
Yōrō-keikoku OnsenChiba · 養老渓谷温泉Also bicarbonate and chloride
Chloride springBicarbonate spring
Shoya OnsenNagano · 初谷温泉Also bicarbonate and chloride
Chloride springBicarbonate spring
Shikotsuko OnsenHokkaido · 支笏湖温泉Also bicarbonate and chloride
Chloride springBicarbonate spring

The numbers

Water temperature
32.2°C
Discharge
50 litres a minute
Address in Japanese
兵庫県三木市吉川町吉安222番地

Figures from the town's Japanese Wikipedia article.

Where it is

34.8847, 135.1222 — open the map

Read more

Japanese Wikipedia

Planning a first soak? Read how an onsen stay works, and what to do if you have tattoos.