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Tōwa Onsen

Iwate · 東和温泉

Tōwa Onsen is a hot spring town in Iwate, Japan. The water leaves the ground at 43°C, hot. It measures pH 8 — mildly alkaline, the slippery kind. Officially the water is classed as simple spring.

Getting there

From Tokyoabout 3 h

CarNot needed

JR PassCovers the train

1. Train to Tsuchizawa Station (JR)
2. Walk, about 15 min

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

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.

Things to see nearby

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.

More on tattoos and onsen

Where to stay

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

Similar water elsewhere

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

The numbers

Water temperature

43°C

pH

8 (mildly alkaline)

Address in Japanese

岩手県花巻市東和町

Figures from the town's Japanese Wikipedia article.

Where it is

39.3832, 141.2203 — open the map

Read more

Japanese Wikipedia