Once voted the number one hot spring destination by a Japanese travel industry magazine, Hokkaido's Noboribetsu boasts 11 different types of hot springs-including all of the types listed in this article except the simple spring.
Getting There:
Situated about an hour and a half's drive south of Sapporo. To get there by transit, take the JR Line from Sapporo (1 hour 20 minutes) or from Shin-Chitose Airport (47 minutes) to Noboribetsu Station. A 15 minute ride by bus or taxi will bring you to the onsen-gai, or hot spring town.
Kinugawa is located on the west bank of a river of the same name, which runs through Tochigi Prefecture. The mildly alkaline simple springs are said to have been discovered in 1752. Today, along with Kawaji Onsen across the river, it forms an accessible hot spring destination for those living in the Tokyo area.
Getting There:
There is a Limited Express on the Tobu Isesaki-Nikko-Kinugawa Line, which takes 1 hour and 30 minutes from Asakusa Station to Kinugawa-onsen Station.
Kusatsu is located at the southeastern foot of Mount Shirane in the northwestern part of Gumma Prefecture. The hot spring became well known about 120 years ago when Dr. Balz, a doctor of medicine from Germany, found its acidic waters to be very effective for skin conditions and neuralgia. The hot spring town is built around one of the major sources known as Yu-batake (hot water garden), which is illuminated at night.
Getting There:
Naganohara-Kusatsuguchi Station is 1 hour 10 minutes from Ueno Station by JR's new limited express Kusatsu.
An ancient hot spring town in Gunma Prefecture. The town is built around old stone steps leading down to the source, a golden sulfate spring.
Getting There:
From Ueno Station, take the Joetsu Shinkansen or Nagano Shinkansen to Takasaki Station. From there, take the Joetsu Honsen to Shibukawa Station. A 20 minute bus ride will get you to Ikaho. The trip takes about 2 hours in total.
Situated in Kanagawa Prefecture, there are 17 hot springs in the area, due to the volcanic activity of Mount Hakone. First opened in the year 738, these springs have appeared time and time again in Japanese history: they have been a hiding place for Minamotono-Yoritomo, and a resting place for Hideyoshi Toyotomi's army during the siege of Odawara Castle.
Getting There:
Take either the JR Kodama from Tokyo Station (40 min) or Odakyu "Romance Car" from Shinjuku Station (70 min) to Odawara Station. From there, take the Hakone Tozan Line (12 min) to Hakone Yumoto Station.
A hot spring that originates along the banks of Hida River, in Gero City, Gifu Prefecture. Legend has it that the spring stopped flowing after a major earthquake, but its return was heralded by a white heron standing at the new source for several days. It is classified as a mildly alkaline simple spring, with a temperature of 84°C.
Getting There:
From Ueno Station, take the Joetsu Shinkansen or Nagano Shinkansen to Takasaki Station. From there, take the Joetsu Honsen to Shibukawa Station. A 20 minute bus ride will get you to Ikaho. The trip takes about 2 hours in total.
Nestled between the sea and mountains on the east side of Izu Peninsula, this spectacular hot spring town consists of seven main sources, mostly sodiumand calcium sulfate springs. The waters from these springs were often presented as gifts to the shogunate.
Getting There:
From Tokyo Station, take any of the Tokaido Lines (Hikari, Kodama or Limited Express) to Atami Station. Hikari is the fastest at 35 minutes, but there are only a few trains per day.
Another historically significant hot spring in Japan, Nanki Shirahama is mentioned in writing as early as 658, as having been visited by emperors. It is a group of five springs along Shirahama Beach in Wakayama Prefecture, and is easily accessed from the Kansai area.
Getting There:
The hot springs are 10 minutes by bus from the JR Kisei Honsen Shirahama Station. There are also direct buses from Osaka Station and Namba Station.
An ancient hot spring located north of Kobe City, on the other side of Rokko Mountain. There is a ggoldh spring and a clear, colorless gsilverh spring. The former has a high concentration of iron as well as salt, causing it to change color when it comes into contact with outside air.
Getting There:
From Kobe, take the Kobe Dentetsu train to Arima Onsen Station, or take a bus from Umeda, Ashiya, Takarazuka, or Sannomiya. If you are not in a hurry, the cable car and ropeway going up Rokko Mountain is very scenic. For the physically fit, there is a trail that goes over the mountain which used to be used by seafood vendors transporting fresh fish to Arima.
Possibly the oldest recorded hot springs in Japan, Dogo consists of numerous springs in and around the Dogo flatlands, in the vicinity of Matsuyama City in Ehime Prefecture. Here too is a legend of a white heron that visited the springs daily to nurse its wounded leg.
Getting There:
From Tokyo, take the Nozomi to Okayama Station (3 hours 20 minutes). From there, take the super express Shiokaze to Matsuyama City (2 hours 40 minutes), where you can take a trolley bus to Dogo
Beppu is located in Oita Prefecture on the island of Kyushu, between Beppu Bay and Mount Tsurumi. It boasts the highest number of sources and gush volume in Japan, and is second in the world to Yellowstone National Park. Here also you can take the Jigoku (Hell) Tour, which takes you to various hellish-looking volcanic phenomena-blue, cool-looking yet superh o t pools, blood-red springs, bubbling mudpots, geysers and vents.
Getting There:
There is an airport bus from Oita Airport which takes about 40 minutes. If travelling by train, take the Shinkansen to Kokura Station. There are several trains connecting Kokura and Beppu, and they take about 1 hour.
Ibusuki, located in the southeastern end of the Satsuma Peninsula, is a beautiful seaside hot spring resort on the southern island of Kyushu. It is famous for its sand baths, as hot springs percolate through the sand on the beaches and facilities exist where staff, armed with shovels, can help to bury you in "hot sand."
Getting There:
From Kagoshima Airport, there is a direct bus that takes about 1 hour and 35 minutes to Ibusuki.
