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Meotobuchi Onsen

Tochigi · 女夫渕温泉

Meotobuchi Onsen is a hot spring town in Tochigi, Japan. The water leaves the ground at 60°C, hot. Officially the water is classed as chloride spring. Its sources put out around 1,200 litres a minute.

Getting there

From Tokyoabout 3½ h
CarNot needed
JR PassNot a JR line
  1. Train to Kinugawa-Onsen Station
  2. Local bus, about 95 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.

Things to see nearby

Ryūzu FallsWaterfall · 13.5 km
Yudaki FallsWaterfall · 9.2 km
OzenumaLake · 12.4 km
Omanago GroupMountain · 11.9 km
Marunuma Kogen Ski ResortSki area · 11.4 km
Onsen-ji TempleTemple · 7.9 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 — 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

Kawamata OnsenTochigi · 川俣温泉2.4 km east
Chloride spring
Okukinu OnsenkyōTochigi · 奥鬼怒温泉郷3.6 km west
Nikkō Yumoto OnsenTochigi · 日光湯元温泉8.1 km south
Sulfur spring
Hinoemata OnsenFukushima · 檜枝岐温泉16 km north
Sulfur spring
Chūzenji OnsenTochigi · 中禅寺温泉16.5 km south
Sulfur spring
Yunishigawa OnsenTochigi · 湯西川温泉16.9 km northeast
Simple spring

Similar water elsewhere

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

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
Katayamazu OnsenIshikawa · 片山津温泉Also chloride
Chloride spring
Atagawa OnsenShizuoka · 熱川温泉Also chloride
Chloride spring

The numbers

Water temperature
60°C
Discharge
1,200 litres a minute
Address in Japanese
栃木県日光市川俣荒井田

Figures from the town's Japanese Wikipedia article.

Where it is

36.8789, 139.4319 — 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.