Photo: Michael Tsutsui · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Tateshina Onsenkyō

Nagano · 蓼科温泉郷

Tateshina Onsenkyō is a hot spring town in Nagano, Japan. The water leaves the ground at 30–90°C, hot enough that it has to be cooled before anyone can get in. It measures pH 2–3 — strongly acidic, the kind that stings on a cut. Officially the water is classed as simple spring, chloride spring, bicarbonate spring and sulfate spring.

Getting there

From Tokyoabout 2½ h

CarNot needed

JR PassCovers the train

Train to Chino Station (JR)
A short walk

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 springBicarbonate springSulfate 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.

Bicarbonate spring 炭酸水素塩泉

Smooth, slightly slippery water. Often nicknamed bihada-no-yu, the water for beautiful skin.

Sulfate spring 硫酸塩泉

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

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 — Chino City