Post-Illness Recovery & Onsen | Thermal Therapy to Restore Vitality

Once a desolate area called "Lesser Hell," this land was renamed Kowakidani following a visit by Emperor Meiji, sparking its development as a hot spring resort. This combined source is one of several springs utilized in this historic onsen town. Developed by entrepreneurs in the Meiji era, the area saw the construction of numerous inns and villas. This very source has supplied water to accommodations throughout the Kowakidani area, laying the foundation for Hakone's modern onsen culture.

This private source is located in the renowned Yufuin Onsen, nestled at the foot of Mt. Yufu. Pumped from 200 meters underground, the Yubunosato Ryoso Makibanoie source is a weakly alkaline simple spring with a pH of 8.1. Yufuin has long been cherished as a therapeutic spa town, establishing itself as a tranquil retreat by intentionally avoiding a bustling entertainment district. Embodying this philosophy, the water is exceptionally gentle and kind to the skin. Steeping in these waters allows you to forget the daily hustle and embrace a serene moment, as if held by Yufuin's abundant nature.

Gero Onsen counts among Japan's three famous springs, and legend holds that when its waters once vanished, a white heron alighted on the Masuda riverbank to reveal a new gush sent by the healing Buddha Yakushi. The Gero Onsen Koda pump station source gathers several centrally managed wells and sends them to inns across the Koda district. Its pH 9.4 alkaline water glides softly over the skin and lingers as a light, refreshed feeling afterward, soothing travelers who seek gentle rest.

This hot spring embodies the enduring passion of pioneers, delivered from Kuronagi Onsen in the upper reaches of the Kurobe River to Unazuki Onsen, approximately 7km downstream, after arduous wooden pipe laying construction in Taisho 12 (1923). Gushing at an abundant rate of approximately 2,000 liters per minute, its colorless and transparent waters seem to embody the pristine clarity of the gorge itself. With a soft touch that gently envelops the skin, it slowly warms the body to its core. Ideal for those seeking to unwind their mind and body, embraced by nature, at the various inns and public bathhouses throughout the town.

Osawa Onsen, a famed hot spring in Iwate reportedly beloved by author Kenji Miyazawa, draws from the "Osawa-no-Yu" source. It boasts a silky, lotion-like texture, a gift of its high alkalinity at pH 9.0. Soaking in this smooth water, like a fine lotion, gently exfoliates the skin, leaving it feeling exceptionally smooth after your bath. It's a gentle, healing spring that soothes both mind and body, perfect for those seeking a peaceful escape to unwind and care for themselves.

Myoban Onsen prospered in the Edo period through alum production and still keeps rows of thatched huts where yunohana sulfur flowers are made. Here the Okamotoya Ryokan source gushes naturally at 74.4°C in Myoban 3-kumi; colorless as it emerges, it turns a milky, bluish white once it meets the air in the bath. Its acidity gently loosens old skin cells, leaving a soft, light feeling afterward, and it suits anyone who wishes to steep in dense sulfur water amid mountain steam.

Miharayama Onsen Well No. 5 draws groundwater heated by the still-active Mt. Mihara from roughly 300 m underground. Although it surfaces at over 84°C, its chemistry is gentle: clear, faintly bitter water that wraps the skin softly. Steeping here while gazing across the volcanic island's lava fields suits travelers who want to let the fatigue of a day of island hiking linger away.

Kuronagi Onsen, a major source gushing from the Kuronagi River, a tributary of the Kurobe River, was discovered in 1645 by Tarozaemon of Otozawa Village. During the Edo period, it was renowned as a hidden hot spring of the Kaga Domain. Its colorless, transparent, and soft waters gently envelop the skin, warming the body to its core. After bathing, you feel surprisingly light, with a sense of rejuvenation from within. This blessed spring, whose waters are also delivered to Unazuki Onsen about 7 kilometers away, offers solace to those seeking to liberate mind and body amidst grand nature and rediscover their true self.

This naturally gushing mixed source is located about 7km upstream from Unazuki Onsen, nestled within the Kurobe Gorge's Kuronagi Onsen area. Since its water was first drawn through wooden pipes in Taisho 12 (1923), it has continuously supplied a generous 2,100 liters per minute of hot spring water to the Unazuki Onsen town. Renowned as Japan's clearest, its soft waters gently embrace the skin and offer a restorative warmth that permeates deep into the body. It is highly recommended for those seeking deep relaxation, rejuvenation, and a chance to forget daily fatigue amidst the blessings of magnificent nature.

A local trucking company drilled a well to wash its trucks and struck hot water instead, opening a day-bathing facility in 1999. The No. 1 well flows naturally at 420 L/min. Faintly yellow at the source, it looks like oolong tea in the tub, is almost tasteless with a hint of iron and oily scent, and its mildly alkaline, bicarbonate-based water feels smooth and slippery, recalling the peat-derived moor springs of southern Hokkaido.

Kumanotearaiyu Gensen takes its name from a legend of a wounded bear, fleeing hunters, that soothed its injuries in these waters, and it is regarded as the birthplace of Nozawa Onsen. Said to have been opened in the Kamakura period, the spring still gushes naturally at 251 liters per minute. Its clear water carries a faint sulfur scent and leaves the skin smooth, with a light, refreshed feeling that lingers after bathing — a fitting soak for travelers tracing the roots of Nozawa's bathing culture.

Obuki is the roaring source at the heart of the steaming geothermal field of Tamagawa Onsen, on the southern slopes of Hachimantai. Its output from a single vent is often said to be the largest in Japan, and the fumarole field around it has long produced mineral deposits and the rare hokutolite stone. Every bath in the spa draws on this one source, served either straight or cut with fresh water. At pH 1.13 the water tingles sharply on the skin while warming the body to the core, and it has welcomed long-stay therapeutic bathers for generations, a spring for those who want to meet nature at full strength.

This source, naturally gushing 200 liters per minute from the Toyohira River riverbed in Jozankei Onsen town, began supplying surrounding hot spring facilities in 1997, named after its founder, Jozan Miizumi. Its colorless, clear waters, with a faint hint of sulfur, are characterized by a gentle salt veil that envelops the skin. The heat slowly penetrates to the body's core, providing restorative warmth that lingers long after bathing. It is a renowned spring offering deep relaxation for those seeking to escape daily hustle and warm their mind and body.

Nukabira Gensenkyo spreads near Lake Nukabira on the east side of Daisetsuzan National Park, where each inn has its own source and all offer free-flowing water. Nukabira Onsen Hotel opened in 1929 as the Ryokan Fukushimakan, and the founding family still tends its bath. The source, which flows naturally on the grounds, is clear and nearly tasteless and odorless. With a balance of chloride and bicarbonate, it warms the body while feeling smooth on the skin. Two tubs, hot and medium, let you choose your temperature and linger in the mountain water.

The Ryusenkaku Private Spring is pumped from a drilled well in Utsugidani, on the hillside of Arima Onsen, one of Japan's three oldest spa towns. It rises a pale yellowish brown, then its abundant iron oxidizes in the air and steeps the bath in Arima's signature rusty red. A brine about half as salty as seawater wraps the skin, and the warmth lingers long after bathing, suited to anyone wanting slow, deep warmth on chilly days.

Iwanai Onsen spreads across the heights of Iwanai, a town facing the Sea of Japan, at the foot of Mt. Iwanai in the Niseko range. The town-owned Well No. 5 is pumped at a generous 290 L per minute and supplied to inns such as Takashima Ryokan below. The water is clear and nearly tasteless and odorless, with a balance of bicarbonate and chloride, and its smooth touch has earned it a reputation as a skin-beautifying bath. At Takashima Ryokan the source flows straight into the indoor bath and a wooden outdoor tub, where fine bubbles rise through the fresh water.

Kannawa has long been known as a healing retreat for the wounded, and this hillside source rises on its own as near-boiling 98.1°C water. Rich in sodium and calcium with a balance of chloride and sulfate, the faintly milky water leaves white, scale-like deposits along the tub edges. With 220.0 mg/kg of metasilicic acid, it leaves skin moist and soft, suiting anyone who wants to warm up slowly while gazing over Beppu's rising steam.

Yakumo Onsen lies in forested hills along the Namarikawa River on the Oshima Peninsula. Water from Namarikawa Well No. 3 is rich in bicarbonate and chloride and carries over 410 mg/kg of free carbon dioxide. It carries a faint scent of iron and is concentrated enough for mineral crystals to float on the surface. Slightly salty, it warms the body to the core while leaving the skin moist and smooth, suiting those who want a long, unhurried soak in mineral-rich water to the sound of the river.

Shima Onsen, whose name is said to promise relief from "forty thousand ailments," has long been known as a curative spa for the stomach. This source blends six springs in the Yamaguchi district along the Shima River, all rising to the surface without pumps. The 51.7°C water is clear and colorless, building white, coral-like deposits on spouts and bath rims. It feels squeaky on the skin yet leaves it soft and moist, ideal for those who want water exactly as it emerges, to the sound of the river.

Nestled in Kusatsu Onsen, one of Japan's three most renowned hot springs, Jizo-no-yu has been cherished since ancient times, deeply intertwined with Kusatsu's unique `yumomi` (hot water stirring) culture. This powerful spring, known for its invigorating touch, seems to cleanse away physical and mental stagnation. It provides a deep, restorative warmth that penetrates to the core, offering a refreshing sensation akin to rejuvenation after your bath. Jizo-no-yu offers solace to travelers seeking relief from persistent fatigue or skin discomfort, and those desiring an authentic hot spring experience.

Nestled in Noboribetsu Onsen, famously called the "Department Store of Hot Springs" and rooted in the Ainu "Nupur-pet" (deeply colored river), the historic "Uma no Yu" source has flowed since Taisho 6 (1917). Its faint sulfur aroma gently unwinds the mind and body. The waters, softly enveloping the skin, warm the body to its core, providing restorative warmth that lingers. Overlooking a beautiful Japanese garden, this tranquil spring offers deep relaxation, a serene escape from daily commotion.

Hot springs in Shinshinotsu began with the No.1 well drilled in 1990, whose water had to be heated. In 2015 the No.3 well, reaching 1,600 m, was completed, delivering water above 50°C ready to use. Rising beneath the Ishikari Plain beside oxbow Lake Shinotsu, it is a yellowish-brown, intensely salty water with a faint medicinal note from iodine and bromine. Its dense salts wrap the skin and keep you warm long after bathing, a fine companion for harsh winters.

Asahidake Onsen was discovered in 1914, in a valley the Ainu called Yukomanbetsu, "the river that flows toward the hot water." Hotel Bear Monte, three minutes on foot from the Asahidake Ropeway base station, opened in 2003 and was renewed in 2022. Its clear sulfate water, once classed as a gypsum spring, is known locally as the "healing waters" for its gentle feel, and the large baths offer tubs at different temperatures for resting after hiking or skiing.

The Yubatake source, naturally gushing from Kusatsu Onsen's iconic Yubatake (Kusatsu's central hot-water field), holds a distinguished history. During the Edo period, it was ranked as the highest-ranking Ozeki in the Onsen Banzuke, recognized alongside the Shirahata source as one of Kusatsu's two major hot springs. Its powerful, pH2 water, permeated with a sulfurous aroma, imparts a refreshing, tightening sensation upon the skin. A soak in this historic, renowned hot spring cleanses the body and mind, offering deep relaxation and rejuvenation from daily fatigue. It is a must-visit for those seeking to feel the energy of a historic hot spring and desire a complete refresh.

Kinosaki Onsen's centrally managed mixed spring gathers water from several wells into a large storage tank, where its temperature is steadied before it flows through a looped pipe beneath the streets to the town's public bathhouses and inns. Managed as a shared resource by the Yushima property ward of Kinosaki, this faintly salty water wraps the body in warmth that lingers long after bathing, suiting travellers who stroll from bath to bath in yukata.

This rare, naturally gushing source emerges from beneath 'Gensenkaku,' nestled beside Kusatsu Onsen's iconic Yubatake (Kusatsu's central hot-water field). Despite its strong acidity, its waters offer a remarkably soft bathing sensation, akin to being enveloped in silk floss. The milky-white waters, renowned for having Kusatsu's finest 'yunohana' (hot spring minerals), gently embrace the skin, contributing to silky skin and providing a restorative warmth that lingers deep within the body. Known as a 'phantom spring' for its history of disappearing once during the Taisho era, it now offers a profound escape from daily life, inviting deep relaxation and rejuvenation.

A blessed spring gushing forth in Okuhida Onsen-go, nestled in the heart of the Northern Alps. With a long history of healing the minds and bodies of travelers and bathers, this source is renowned as a 'silky skin spring' due to its abundant bicarbonate ions that smooth the skin. As you immerse yourself, the faint scent of hydrogen sulfide will help release you from the hustle and bustle of daily life. It is recommended for those who wish to refresh both mind and body and seek deep tranquility in nature.

This specific spring, pump-lifted from the underground of Higashi 3-chome in Jozankei Onsen—Sapporo's tranquil retreat—has been affectionately known since ancient times as 'Atsu no Yu,' or the 'Hot Water Spring.' Its unique salt components form a delicate veil on the skin, providing a restorative warmth that gently permeates the body's core. The comforting heat continues long after your bath, aiding in deep relaxation and relieving daily tension. It's a soothing haven for those wishing to escape urban hustle and achieve a profound sense of rejuvenation.

Kinosaki Onsen's centrally managed mixed spring gathers water from several wells into a large storage tank, where its temperature is steadied before it flows through a looped pipe beneath the streets to the town's public bathhouses and inns. Managed as a shared resource by the Yushima property ward of Kinosaki, this faintly salty water wraps the body in warmth that lingers long after bathing, suiting travellers who stroll from bath to bath in yukata.

The Atagoyama Sengen, gushing forth in Arima Onsen—one of Japan's three ancient hot springs—is a prime example of the "Kinsen" (gold spring), which turns a vivid reddish-brown upon contact with air. Its history is deep, having long supported the therapeutic bathing culture of Arima. The water from this source, rich in salt and iron, offers a powerful warmth that heats the body to its core. Steeping in this bath envelops you in a warmth that feels infused with the earth's blessings, a sensation that lingers long after you emerge.

Onsenmura No. 114, a chloride spring drawn from approximately 100 meters underground at Miyanoshita Onsen—one of Hakone's renowned Seven Hot Springs—carries a rich history. This area flourished as a therapeutic hot spring resort since the Edo period, evolving into an international destination during the Meiji era. The spring's unique feature is its gentle embrace, forming a 'salt veil' on the skin that slowly warms the body from its core. The restorative warmth lingers long after your bath, promoting deep relaxation for both mind and body. It is highly recommended for those seeking to soothe daily fatigue while immersing themselves in history.

Takanoyu rises by its own pressure from a drilled well on the northern foot of Mount Asama, right beside the Agatsuma Line, and travels about 80 meters by pipe to the baths. Its signature is balance: chloride, sulfate and bicarbonate dissolve in nearly equal measure, so one soak offers the warmth of a salt spring, the softness of a sulfate spring and the smoothness of a bicarbonate spring. Iron leaves brown deposits on the spouts and turns the water a cloudy green-brown on contact with air, a generous spring made for chilly highland nights.

Kinosaki Onsen's centrally managed mixed spring gathers water from several wells into a large storage tank, where its temperature is steadied before it flows through a looped pipe beneath the streets to the town's public bathhouses and inns. Managed as a shared resource by the Yushima property ward of Kinosaki, this faintly salty water wraps the body in warmth that lingers long after bathing, suiting travellers who stroll from bath to bath in yukata.

This spring rises on a plateau wrapped in old-growth beech forest at the foot of Mt. Akita-Komagatake, the gateway to Nyuto Onsen. Unlike the milky sulfur springs that dominate the area, it is a brownish bicarbonate water that leaves the skin slippery and smooth, with a faint tart taste and a hint of iron. It is warmed in the deep-snow winter months, and invites a side-by-side comparison with the area's white sulfur waters while you take in fresh green or autumn leaves.

The Shari Onsen source gushed from a 1,000 m borehole in 1976 beside the Shari River near the town center of Shari, the gateway to Shiretoko. Drilling began after a slope was spotted where snow melted first each spring, and the water has since been piped to local inns, a community rest house and nearby homes. Clear and pale brown like oolong tea, this moor water carries plant-derived humus, and its slippery touch leaves skin soft and smooth, gently easing the fatigue of travel.

Yamashiro Onsen, said to have been opened by the monk Gyoki some 1,300 years ago, draws this water from two wells: the No. 7 source gushing in Katsuradani-machi and the No. 8 source in Yamato-machi, blended at a relay tank in the town. The Yamashiro No. 7 and No. 8 blend is clear, gently alkaline and rich in sulfate, calcium and sodium, a soak whose warmth lingers long after bathing, well suited to travellers unwinding after a day among Kutani pottery studios.

The Yuhanazawa No.3, No.5 and No.6 Combined Source gathers three springs welling up in the Yuhanazawa district of Takayu Onsen, a spa said to have opened in the Keicho era and once counted among the "Three Takayu of Oshu" alongside Zao and Shirabu. Tart at pH 2.6 and scented with powdery sulfur, its water gushes from the spouts in a blizzard of white mineral flakes, steeping the tubs in a milky blue. It suits travelers seeking a genuine mountain sulfur soak.

Drawn from Ogama, the boiling pools where villagers still cook vegetables and eggs, this clear water carries a strong sulfur scent and flakes of white mineral bloom. Sulfate-rich and alkaline, it warms deeply and feels smooth on the skin: a hard-working spring that has served village life for centuries.

Shiobetsu Onsen was first claimed in 1901; the Nomura mining company built a staff retreat here in 1960 and opened it to the public as "Ryokan Tsurutsuru Onsen" in 1970. The water blends two wells, Nomura No. 5 and No. 7, which pour into the indoor bath and flow generously into a spacious open-air bath reached by a small bridge. At pH 9.6 it is strongly alkaline with a faint egg-like scent, leaving skin slippery-smooth — "tsurutsuru," just as the name promises.

Murasugi Onsen is said to have been found in 1335, when Araki Masataka, a retainer of the Ashikaga clan fleeing war, dreamed of the Healing Buddha seven nights in a row, giving the spa some 700 years of history. Yakushinoyu No. 3 Well carries that name, gushing from a drilled well in Murasugi and supplying the inns of the spa town. Known since the Taisho era for its rich radon, the clear, mild water seems ordinary, yet soaking and breathing its steam lets a gentle warmth spread from within, suiting anyone seeking an unhurried toji stay among quiet cedar groves.