Photo: Bsx · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons

Nagato Yumoto Onsen

Yamaguchi · 長門湯本温泉

Nagato Yumoto Onsen is a hot spring town in Yamaguchi, Japan. The water leaves the ground at 39°C, comfortably warm. It measures pH 9.62 — strongly alkaline. Officially the water is classed as simple spring. Its sources put out around 36 litres a minute. 12 inns take visitors here.

Getting there

From Kyoto / Osakaabout 3 h

JR PassCovers the train

Train to Nagato-Yumoto Station (JR)

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.

Simple spring

The water here

Simple spring 単純温泉

Mild and low in dissolved minerals. Usually clear and gentle on the skin, which is why these baths are often recommended for first-timers.

More photographs

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

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 — Nagato City Inns with a private bath — Yamaguchi