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Obara Onsen

Miyagi · 小原温泉

Obara Onsen is a hot spring town in Miyagi, Japan. The water leaves the ground at 47–67°C, hot. Officially the water is classed as chloride spring and sulfate spring. 2 inns take visitors here.

Getting there

From Tokyoabout 2½ h
CarNot needed
JR PassCovers the train
  1. Train to Shiroishi Station (Shinkansen)
  2. Local bus, about 20 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.

Chloride springSulfate spring

The water here

Chloride spring 塩化物泉

Salty water. The salt leaves a thin film on the skin, so you stay warm well after leaving the bath.

Sulfate spring 硫酸塩泉

Clear water with a faintly bitter taste. Known for holding heat.

Things to see nearby

Shiroishi CastleCastle · 5.3 km
Tamura ShrineShrine · 5.1 km
Amatsuka YamaMountain · 5.8 km
Manzō Inari ShrineShrine · 9.4 km
OkamaLake · 19.7 km
Nametsu FallsWaterfall · 15 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 — MiyagiInns with a private bath — Miyagi

More on tattoos and onsen

Where to stay

Onsen inns — Shiroishi 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

Kamasaki OnsenMiyagi · 鎌先温泉4.8 km north
Chloride spring+2
Shiroishiyuzawa OnsenMiyagi · 白石湯沢温泉5.6 km southwest
Sulfate spring
Tōgatta OnsenMiyagi · 遠刈田温泉15.7 km north
Chloride springSulfate spring
Aone OnsenMiyagi · 青根温泉18.2 km north
Simple springSulfate spring
Gaga OnsenMiyagi · 峩々温泉18.7 km north
Bicarbonate springSulfate spring
Anabara OnsenFukushima · 穴原温泉18.9 km southwest
Simple spring

Similar water elsewhere

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

Tōgō OnsenTottori · 東郷温泉Also sulfate and chloride
Chloride springSulfate spring
Kira OnsenNiigata · 雲母温泉Also sulfate and chloride
Chloride springSulfate spring
Shima OnsenGunma · 四万温泉Also sulfate and chloride
Chloride springSulfate spring
Asamushi OnsenAomori · 浅虫温泉Also sulfate and chloride
Chloride springSulfate spring
Yamashiro OnsenIshikawa · 山代温泉Also sulfate and chloride
Chloride springSulfate spring
Hawai OnsenTottori · はわい温泉Also sulfate and chloride
Chloride springSulfate spring

The numbers

Water temperature
47–67°C
Inns
2
Address in Japanese
宮城県白石市

Figures from the town's Japanese Wikipedia article.

Where it is

37.9829, 140.5626 — 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.