Sano Onsen is a hot spring town in Fukui, Japan. The water leaves the ground at 64°C, hot. It measures pH 8.4 — mildly alkaline, the slippery kind. Officially the water is classed as sulfate spring. Its sources put out around 153 litres a minute. 1 inns take visitors here with room for about 132 guests.
Getting there
From Kyoto / Osakaabout 2½ h
CarNot needed
JR PassCovers the train
Train to Fukui Station (JR)
Local bus, about 30 min
Fly into Kansai (KIX) or Itami. Times are rough estimates worked out from station locations, not a timetable — check the exact route on Google Maps.
Sulfate spring
The water here
Sulfate spring 硫酸塩泉
Clear water with a faintly bitter taste. Known for holding heat.
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.