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Photo: Pekachu · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Kumanokawa Onsen

Saga · 熊の川温泉

Kumanokawa Onsen is a hot spring town in Saga, Japan. The water leaves the ground at 32.9–38.7°C, comfortably warm. Officially the water is classed as radioactive spring. Its sources put out around 60 litres a minute. 7 inns take visitors here.

Getting there

From Fukuokaabout 2 h
CarNot needed
JR PassCovers the train
  1. Train to Saga Station (JR)
  2. Local bus, about 35 min

Fly into Fukuoka. Times are rough estimates worked out from station locations, not a timetable — check the exact route on Google Maps.

Radioactive spring

The water here

Radioactive spring 放射能泉

Contains trace radon that leaves the water quickly. Also called radium or radon springs.

Things to see nearby

Saga CastleCastle · 14.5 km
Yodohime ShrineShrine · 5 km
Mount SefuriMountain · 14.2 km
Kiyomizu FallWaterfall · 5.1 km
Nan'nyo ShrineShrine · 5.4 km
Kōshō-ji TempleTemple · 8.2 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 — SagaInns with a private bath — Saga

More on tattoos and onsen

Where to stay

Onsen inns — Saga 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

Furuyu OnsenSaga · 古湯温泉3.3 km west
Simple spring
Takeo OnsenSaga · 武雄温泉28.2 km southwest
Bicarbonate spring
Futsukaichi OnsenFukuoka · 二日市温泉28.8 km northeast
Radioactive spring
Funagoya OnsenFukuoka · 船小屋温泉31.9 km southeast
Carbon dioxide springIron spring
Irohajima OnsenSaga · いろは島温泉36.2 km west
Chloride springBicarbonate spring
Ureshino OnsenSaga · 嬉野温泉38.2 km southwest
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.

Oiwake OnsenMiyagi · 追分温泉Also radioactive
Radioactive spring
Yumen OnsenYamaguchi · 湯免温泉Also radioactive
Radioactive spring
Jiseiji OnsenYamaguchi · 持世寺温泉Also radioactive
Radioactive spring
Nose OnsenOsaka · 能勢温泉Also radioactive
Radioactive spring
Murasugi OnsenNiigata · 村杉温泉Also radioactive
Radioactive spring
Meihō OnsenGifu · 明宝温泉Also radioactive
Radioactive spring

The numbers

Water temperature
32.9–38.7°C
Discharge
60 litres a minute
Inns
7
Address in Japanese
佐賀県佐賀市富士町

Figures from the town's Japanese Wikipedia article.

Where it is

33.3656, 130.2417 — 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.