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Kawamata Onsen

Tochigi · 川俣温泉

Kawamata Onsen is a hot spring town in Tochigi, Japan. The water leaves the ground at 70–94°C, hot enough that it has to be cooled before anyone can get in. Officially the water is classed as chloride spring. 4 inns take visitors here.

Getting there

From Tokyoabout 3½ h
CarNot needed
JR PassNot a JR line
  1. Train to Kinugawa-Onsen Station
  2. Local bus, about 87 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 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.

More photographs

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

Things to see nearby

Ryūzu FallsWaterfall · 13.7 km
Yudaki FallsWaterfall · 9.9 km
OzenumaLake · 14.5 km
Omanago GroupMountain · 11 km
Onsen-ji TempleTemple · 8.8 km
Marunuma Kogen Ski ResortSki area · 13.5 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 — Nikko CityInns with a private bath — Nikko City

More on tattoos and onsen

Where to stay

Onsen inns — Nikko City

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

Meotobuchi OnsenTochigi · 女夫渕温泉2.4 km west
Chloride spring
Okukinu OnsenkyōTochigi · 奥鬼怒温泉郷6 km west
Nikkō Yumoto OnsenTochigi · 日光湯元温泉8.9 km south
Sulfur spring
Yunishigawa OnsenTochigi · 湯西川温泉14.8 km northeast
Simple spring
Chūzenji OnsenTochigi · 中禅寺温泉16.1 km south
Sulfur spring
Hinoemata OnsenFukushima · 檜枝岐温泉16.4 km northwest
Sulfur spring

Similar water elsewhere

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

Hataori OnsenTochigi · 畑下温泉Also chloride
Chloride spring
Arakawa OnsenNagasaki · 荒川温泉Also chloride
Chloride spring
Kinosaki OnsenHyogo · 城崎温泉Also chloride
Chloride spring
Kaike OnsenTottori · 皆生温泉Also chloride
Chloride spring
Awara OnsenFukui · 芦原温泉Also chloride
Chloride spring
Wakura OnsenIshikawa · 和倉温泉Also chloride
Chloride spring

The numbers

Water temperature
70–94°C
Inns
4
Address in Japanese
栃木県日光市川俣

Figures from the town's Japanese Wikipedia article.

Where it is

36.8819, 139.4589 — 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.