Photo: Kamakura · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Hanayama Onsen

Wakayama · 花山温泉

Hanayama Onsen is a hot spring town in Wakayama, Japan. The water leaves the ground at 25.2°C, cool enough that the baths here are usually reheated. It measures pH 6.3 — close to neutral. Officially the water is classed as chloride spring, carbon dioxide spring and iron spring. Its sources put out around 118 litres a minute. 1 inns take visitors here.

Getting there

From Kyoto / Osakaabout 2 h

CarNot needed

JR PassCovers the train

Train to Wakayama Station (JR)
Local bus, about 15 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 springCarbon dioxide springIron 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.

Carbon dioxide spring 二酸化炭素泉

Fine bubbles cling to your skin. Rare in Japan, and usually cooler than other springs.

Iron spring 含鉄泉

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

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 — Wakayama Inns with a private bath — Wakayama