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Sawaoto Onsen

Miyagi · 沢乙温泉

Sawaoto Onsen is a hot spring town in Miyagi, Japan. The water leaves the ground at 18–19°C, cool enough that the baths here are usually reheated. It measures pH 9 — strongly alkaline. Officially the water is classed as simple spring. 1 inns take visitors here.

Getting there

From Tokyoabout 2½ h
CarTaxi from the station
JR PassNot a JR line
  1. Train to Sendai station (Shinkansen)
  2. By car or taxi, about 30 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.

Simple spring

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

Sendai CastleCastle · 12.8 km
Sendai Daikannon TempleTemple · 11.8 km
Zuigan-ji TempleTemple · 10.2 km
Shiogama ShrineShrine · 6.1 km
Sendai Tōshō-gūShrine · 8.8 km
Miyagi Museum of ArtArt museum · 11.9 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 — Rifu 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

Daigamori OnsenMiyagi · 台ヶ森温泉16.2 km northwest
Chloride springSulfur spring
Akiu OnsenMiyagi · 秋保温泉23.8 km southwest
Chloride spring
Jōge OnsenMiyagi · 定義温泉26 km west
Simple spring
Sakunami OnsenMiyagi · 作並温泉29.3 km west
Chloride springSulfate spring
Kamakura OnsenMiyagi · 鎌倉温泉33.3 km southwest
Simple spring
Sasaya Hot spaMiyagi · 笹谷温泉39.9 km west
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.

Genjiinomori OnsenFukuoka · 源じいの森温泉Also simple, similar pH
Simple spring
Iwashita OnsenYamanashi · 岩下温泉Also simple, similar pH
Simple spring
Ogawa OnsenSaitama · 小川温泉Also simple, similar pH
Simple spring
Kuzuryū OnsenFukui · 九頭竜温泉Also simple, similar pH
Simple spring
Genkaisatsuki OnsenFukuoka · 玄海さつき温泉Also simple, similar pH
Simple spring
Nebuta OnsenIshikawa · ねぶた温泉Also simple, similar pH
Simple spring

The numbers

Water temperature
18–19°C
pH
9 (strongly alkaline)
Inns
1
Address in Japanese
宮城県宮城郡利府町

Figures from the town's Japanese Wikipedia article.

Where it is

38.3414, 140.9488 — 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.