Miai Onsen

Kagawa · 美合温泉

Miai Onsen is a hot spring town in Kagawa, Japan. The water leaves the ground at 10.6°C, cool enough that the baths here are usually reheated. It measures pH 8.6 — mildly alkaline, the slippery kind. Officially the water is classed as carbon dioxide spring. Its sources put out around 246 litres a minute. 1 inns take visitors here.

Getting there

From Kyoto / Osakaabout 3 h

CarNot needed

JR PassCovers the train

Train to Kotohira Station (JR)
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.

Carbon dioxide spring

The water here

Carbon dioxide spring 二酸化炭素泉

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

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 — Kagawa Inns with a private bath — Kagawa