Photo: 投稿者撮影 · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Kamasaki Onsen

Miyagi · 鎌先温泉

Kamasaki Onsen is a hot spring town in Miyagi, Japan. The water leaves the ground at 31°C, cool enough that the baths here are usually reheated. Officially the water is classed as chloride spring, sulfate spring and iron spring.

Getting there

From Tokyoabout 2 h

CarNot needed

JR PassCovers the train

Train to Shiroishi-Zaō Station (Shinkansen)
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 springIron 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.

Iron spring 含鉄泉

Turns reddish brown as the iron meets air. The water is clear at the source.

Things to see nearby

Shiroishi CastleCastle · 4.4 km

Sankai FallsWaterfall · 12.8 km

Mount ZaōMountain · 17.4 km

OkamaLake · 16.6 km

Kattamine ShrineShrine · 7.3 km

Tamura ShrineShrine · 8.3 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 — Miyagi Inns with a private bath — Miyagi