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Photo: Piccolo · CC BY 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Tōgatta Onsen

Miyagi · 遠刈田温泉

Tōgatta Onsen is a hot spring town in Miyagi, Japan. The water leaves the ground at 70°C, hot. It measures pH 7 — close to neutral. Officially the water is classed as chloride spring and sulfate spring.

Getting there

From Tokyoabout 2½ h
CarNot needed
JR PassCovers the train
  1. Train to Shiroishi-Zaō Station (Shinkansen)
  2. Local bus, about 50 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.

More photographs

From Wikimedia Commons. Tap a photo for the photographer and licence.

Things to see nearby

Sankai FallsWaterfall · 4.4 km
Shiroishi CastleCastle · 13.9 km
Mount ZaōMountain · 11.9 km
Kattamine ShrineShrine · 0.1 km
OkamaLake · 11.3 km
Yamagata Zao Onsen Ski ResortSki area · 16.7 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 — Zao TownInns with a private bath — Miyagi

More on tattoos and onsen

Where to stay

Onsen inns — Zao 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

Aone OnsenMiyagi · 青根温泉4.4 km northwest
Simple springSulfate spring
Gaga OnsenMiyagi · 峩々温泉7.1 km west
Bicarbonate springSulfate spring
Kamakura OnsenMiyagi · 鎌倉温泉8.6 km east
Simple spring
Kamoshika OnsenMiyagi · かもしか温泉9.8 km west
Kamasaki OnsenMiyagi · 鎌先温泉11 km south
Chloride spring+2
Sasaya Hot spaMiyagi · 笹谷温泉12.2 km northwest
Sulfate springIron spring

Similar water elsewhere

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

Niseko Niimi OnsenHokkaido · ニセコ新見温泉Also sulfate and chloride, similar pH
Chloride springSulfate spring
Kira OnsenNiigata · 雲母温泉Also sulfate and chloride, similar pH
Chloride springSulfate spring
Tottori OnsenTottori · 鳥取温泉Also sulfate and chloride, similar pH
Chloride springSulfate spring
Furutōbe OnsenAomori · 古遠部温泉Also sulfate and chloride, similar pH
Chloride springSulfate spring
Kirinzan OnsenNiigata · 麒麟山温泉Also sulfate and chloride, similar pH
Chloride springSulfate spring
Kanose OnsenNiigata · かのせ温泉Also sulfate and chloride, similar pH
Chloride springSulfate spring

The numbers

Water temperature
70°C
pH
7 (close to neutral)
Address in Japanese
宮城県刈田郡蔵王町遠刈田温泉

Figures from the town's Japanese Wikipedia article.

Where it is

38.1239, 140.5771 — 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.