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Ōshuku Onsen

Iwate · 鶯宿温泉

Ōshuku Onsen is a hot spring town in Iwate, Japan. The water leaves the ground at 57–62°C, hot. Officially the water is classed as sulfur spring. 23 inns take visitors here.

Getting there

From Tokyoabout 3½ h
CarNot needed
JR PassCovers the train
  1. Train to Shizukuishi Station (Shinkansen)
  2. Local bus

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

Sulfur spring

The water here

Sulfur spring 硫黄泉

The classic rotten-egg smell and milky white water. It can tarnish silver jewellery, so take it off.

Things to see nearby

Morioka CastleCastle · 20.9 km
Akita-KomagatakeMountain · 16.7 km
Tazawako Ski AreaSki area · 18.8 km
Shizukuishi Ski ResortSki area · 16.3 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 — Iwate

More on tattoos and onsen

Where to stay

Onsen inns — Shizukuishi Town

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

Iwate Morioka Tsunagi Hot SpringIwate · 盛岡つなぎ温泉9.7 km northeast
Sulfur spring
Yahaba OnsenIwate · 矢巾温泉13.3 km east
Simple spring
Kunimi OnsenIwate · 国見温泉14.5 km northwest
Bicarbonate springSulfur spring
Azumane OnsenIwate · あづまね温泉16 km southeast
Simple spring
Minamiamihariarine OnsenIwate · 南網張ありね温泉17.5 km north
Chloride spring+2
Natsuse OnsenAkita · 夏瀬温泉18.8 km west
Sulfate spring

Similar water elsewhere

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

Harazuru OnsenFukuoka · 原鶴温泉Also sulfur
Sulfur spring
Kitayuzawa OnsenHokkaido · 北湯沢温泉Also sulfur
Sulfur spring
Akanko OnsenHokkaido · 阿寒湖温泉Also sulfur
Sulfur spring
Shimofuro OnsenAomori · 下風呂温泉Also sulfur
Sulfur spring
Tōsenji OnsenNara · 湯泉地温泉Also sulfur
Sulfur spring
Ikenotaira OnsenNiigata · 池の平温泉Also sulfur
Sulfur spring

The numbers

Water temperature
57–62°C
Inns
23
Address in Japanese
岩手県岩手郡雫石町

Figures from the town's Japanese Wikipedia article.

Where it is

39.6394, 140.9193 — 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.