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

Nakabusa Onsen

Nagano · 中房温泉

Nakabusa Onsen is a hot spring town in Nagano, Japan. The water leaves the ground at 56–97°C, hot enough that it has to be cooled before anyone can get in. Officially the water is classed as sulfur spring. Its sources put out around 770 litres a minute.

Getting there

From Tokyoabout 3 h
CarNot needed
JR PassCovers the train
  1. Train to Hotaka Station (JR)
  2. Local bus, about 40 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.

Sulfur spring

The water here

Sulfur spring 硫黄泉

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

More photographs

From Wikimedia Commons. Tap a photo for the photographer and licence.

Things to see nearby

Mount TsubakuroMountain · 3.4 km
Ariakeyama ShrineShrine · 6.5 km
Matsuo-ji TempleTemple · 7.7 km
Owada ShrineShrine · 8.9 km
Mangan-ji TempleTemple · 9.6 km
Azumino Jansem MuseumArt museum · 9.9 km

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.

Rooms with an open-air bath — NaganoInns with a private bath — Nagano

More on tattoos and onsen

Where to stay

Onsen inns — Azumino City

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

Yumata OnsenNagano · 湯俣温泉5.9 km west
Sulfur spring
Kuzu OnsenNagano · 葛温泉10.8 km north
Simple springSulfur spring
Takamagahara OnsenToyama · 高天原温泉15.5 km west
Sulfur spring
Kamikōchi OnsenNagano · 上高地温泉19.7 km southwest
Sulfur spring
Shinhotaka OnsenGifu · 新穂高温泉21.8 km southwest
Chloride spring+2
Tateyama OnsenToyama · 立山温泉24.3 km northwest
Bicarbonate spring

Similar water elsewhere

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

Kurokawa OnsenKumamoto · 黒川温泉Also sulfur
Sulfur spring
Nozawa OnsenNagano · 野沢温泉Also sulfur
Sulfur spring
Onneyu OnsenHokkaido · 温根湯温泉Also sulfur
Sulfur spring
Harazuru OnsenFukuoka · 原鶴温泉Also sulfur
Sulfur spring
Babadani OnsenToyama · 祖母谷温泉Also sulfur
Sulfur spring
Kami-Suwa OnsenNagano · 上諏訪温泉Also sulfur
Sulfur spring

The numbers

Water temperature
56–97°C
Discharge
770 litres a minute
Address in Japanese
長野県安曇野市穂高有明7226

Figures from the town's Japanese Wikipedia article.

Where it is

36.3942, 137.7466 — open the map

Read more

Japanese Wikipedia

Planning a first soak? Read how an onsen stay works, and what to do if you have tattoos.