Sakuyama Onsen

Tochigi · 佐久山温泉

Sakuyama Onsen is a hot spring town in Tochigi, Japan. The water leaves the ground at 55°C, hot. It measures pH 7.9 — mildly alkaline, the slippery kind. Officially the water is classed as simple spring, chloride spring and sulfur spring.

Getting there

From Tokyoabout 2 h

CarTaxi from the station

JR PassCovers the train

Train to Yaita Station (JR)
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 springChloride 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.

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.

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.

Rooms with an open-air bath — Tochigi Inns with a private bath — Tochigi