Makukawa Onsen
Makukawa Onsen is a hot spring town in Fukushima, Japan. The water leaves the ground at 74–80.5°C, hot enough that it has to be cooled before anyone can get in. It measures pH 7.2–7.8 — close to neutral. Officially the water is classed as simple spring and sulfur spring. 2 inns take visitors here.
The water here
Simple spring
Mild and low in dissolved minerals. Usually clear and gentle on the skin, which is why these baths are often recommended for first-timers.
Sulfur spring
The classic rotten-egg smell and milky white water. It can tarnish silver jewellery, so take it off.
Things to see nearby
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.
Where to stay
Hot spring towns nearby
Similar water elsewhere
The numbers
- Water temperature
- 74–80.5°C
- pH
- 7.2–7.8 (close to neutral)
- Inns
- 2
- Address in Japanese
- 福島県福島市土湯温泉町字鷲倉山
Figures from the town's Japanese Wikipedia article.
Where it is
37.6851, 140.2440 — open the map
Read more
Planning a first soak? Read how an onsen stay works, and what to do if you have tattoos.