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Kagoiwa Onsen

Tochigi · かご岩温泉

Kagoiwa Onsen is a hot spring town in Tochigi, Japan. The water leaves the ground at 38.5°C, comfortably warm. It measures pH 8.6 — mildly alkaline, the slippery kind. Officially the water is classed as simple spring and sulfur spring.

Getting there

From Tokyoabout 2 h

CarNot needed

JR PassMost of the way

1. Train to Yaita Station (JR)
2. Change for Shin-Takatoku Station — a private line, not covered by the JR Pass
3. Local bus, about 5 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.

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.

Sulfur spring 硫黄泉

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

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.

More on tattoos and onsen

Where to stay

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

Similar water elsewhere

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

The numbers

Water temperature

38.5°C

pH

8.6 (mildly alkaline)

Address in Japanese

栃木県日光市高徳

Figures from the town's Japanese Wikipedia article.

Read more

Japanese Wikipedia