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Photo: 紫煙 · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Yokomuki Onsen

Fukushima · 横向温泉

Yokomuki Onsen is a hot spring town in Fukushima, Japan. The water leaves the ground at 39.9°C, comfortably warm. It measures pH 6.2 — close to neutral. Officially the water is classed as simple spring, bicarbonate spring and sulfur spring. Its sources put out around 27 litres a minute. 3 inns take visitors here.

Getting there

From Tokyoabout 3 h
CarTaxi from the station
JR PassCovers the train
  1. Train to Inawashiro Station (JR)
  2. 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 springBicarbonate springSulfur 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.

Bicarbonate spring 炭酸水素塩泉

Smooth, slightly slippery water. Often nicknamed bihada-no-yu, the water for beautiful skin.

Sulfur spring 硫黄泉

The classic rotten-egg smell and milky white water. It can tarnish silver jewellery, so take it off.

Things to see nearby

Nihonmatsu CastleCastle · 16.5 km
Namekawa Great FallsWaterfall · 13.9 km
Mount KimenMountain · 2.1 km
Adatara ResortSki area · 7 km
Chōshi FallsWaterfall · 8.5 km
ALTS Bandai Snow ResortSki area · 21.2 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 — FukushimaInns with a private bath — Fukushima

More on tattoos and onsen

Where to stay

Onsen inns — Inawashiro 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

Washikura OnsenFukushima · 鷲倉温泉1.4 km north
Sulfate spring+3
Shin-Noji onsenFukushima · 新野地温泉1.8 km northeast
Sulfur spring
Akayu Onsen (Fukushima)Fukushima · 赤湯温泉1.8 km north
Simple spring+2
Noji OnsenFukushima · 野地温泉1.8 km northeast
Sulfur spring
Makukawa OnsenFukushima · 幕川温泉3.3 km north
Simple springSulfur spring
Kurogane OnsenFukushima · くろがね温泉4.3 km southeast
Acidic spring

Similar water elsewhere

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

Sagae OnsenYamagata · 寒河江温泉Also sulfur and simple, similar pH
Simple spring+3
Shiobara-Motoyu OnsenTochigi · 塩原元湯温泉Also sulfur and bicarbonate, similar pH
Chloride spring+2
Hidanyūkawa OnsenGifu · 飛騨にゅうかわ温泉Also sulfur and bicarbonate, similar pH
Bicarbonate springSulfur spring
Yunomine OnsenWakayama · 湯の峰温泉Also sulfur and bicarbonate, similar pH
Chloride spring+2
Yakeyama OnsenNiigata · 焼山温泉Also sulfur and bicarbonate, similar pH
Chloride spring+2
Yunotai OnsenHokkaido · 湯ノ岱温泉Also bicarbonate, similar pH
Bicarbonate spring

The numbers

Water temperature
39.9°C
pH
6.2 (close to neutral)
Discharge
27 litres a minute
Inns
3
Address in Japanese
福島県耶麻郡猪苗代町若宮

Figures from the town's Japanese Wikipedia article.

Where it is

37.6566, 140.2549 — 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.