Photo: Totti · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Kutsuno Onsen

Nagano · 沓野温泉

Kutsuno Onsen is a hot spring town in Nagano, Japan. The water leaves the ground at 75°C, hot. Officially the water is classed as simple spring, chloride spring, sulfate spring and sulfur spring. 5 inns take visitors here.

Getting there

From Tokyoabout 2½ h

CarNot needed

JR PassNot a JR line

Train to Yudanaka Station
Local bus, about 10 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 springSulfate 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.

Sulfate spring 硫酸塩泉

Clear water with a faintly bitter taste. Known for holding heat.

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 — Nagano Inns with a private bath — Nagano