Photo: photo: Qurren (talk) Taken with Canon IXY 430F (Digital IXUS 245 HS) · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Kawaba Onsen

Gunma · 川場温泉

Kawaba Onsen is a hot spring town in Gunma, Japan. The water leaves the ground at 39°C, comfortably warm. It measures pH 9.2 — strongly alkaline. Officially the water is classed as simple spring.

Getting there

From Tokyoabout 2 h

CarTaxi from the station

JR PassCovers the train

Train to Numata Station (JR)
By car or 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 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.

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 — Gunma Inns with a private bath — Gunma