Beautiful Japanese Onsen Baths in Seaside Caves

Imagine yourself inside a cavern with the aroma of hot sulfurous water bubbling into Japanese baths and views of the Pacific Ocean. The cave opens three meters above sea level, so the roar of unrestrained marine movement enters the cave along with cooling sea breezes. Rolling waves splash onto islets, sending splatters of white sea foam toward the blue sky. 

Cave baths at Spa Bokido, Wakayama Prefecture, Japan

The contrast of natural hot water warming your entire body and the glimpses of the cold sea outside stimulate and refresh. You are soaking in an onsen facility that stands out in a country with thousands of hot springs. The photograph above shows Spa Bokido, one of the two cave bathing areas at Hotel Urashima. The hotel's other cave for bathing is named Spa Genbudo. Both are mind-blowing yet rejuvenating.

Spa Genbudo

Hotel Urashima Resort and Spa is a sprawling complex of four buildings connected by tunnels and long hallways on a peninsula along Katsuura Bay, a quiet tuna fishing town in Wakayama, Prefecture. A cute boat carries passengers from Katsura Port to the hotel for free. The atmospheric ride is only five or ten minutes. You'll pass Japan's largest tuna market and listen to the screech of black kites circling above the bay or perched on poles while seeking prey from the sea. 

Spa Hamayuu

Spa Bokido is the main attraction for onsen addicts like me. Nearly all guidebooks specializing in Japanese onsens include Bokido. Coming here was a long-time goal. Although Nachikatsuura is famous for its World Heritage Sites, including sections of Kumanokodo, a celebrated pilgrimage route, not many tourists visit it due to its remote location. Luckily, I had a work assignment that brought me nearby. When the job finished, I headed toward Hotel Urashima to fulfill an onsen lover's dream.

Spa Isonoyu

Having to catch a train to return home at noon,  I just had time for a higaeri onsen experience, or a short day trip. My time was limited to exploring and enjoying only two bathing areas, while the hotel has at least six spa facilities. Sections of the building are in caves. The slightly aged resort hotel would have been an appropriate setting for a James Bond movie from the sixties. It reminded me of scenes from You Only Live Twice. A Shinto wedding scene that appeared in the film was filmed nearby. 

Spa Takinoyu features a waterfall pouring into the bath

The day-use fee was 1,500 yen, around 10 USD, and if I hadn't had to catch a train, I could have spent almost the entire day there. Bokido was my goal, and I was so happy while walking through a long underground corridor to the locker room, where I undressed and stepped through the doors to the cavernous bathing area, which held at least six baths. The sun entering the cave was bright at the opening; bathers at the bath closest to the sea were silhouetted by the glow, a memorable view. A walk through a tunnel brought me to another section where three more baths were located. Despite approximately thirty or forty bathers, everyone had enough space and privacy to stretch out and relax. 

One of the long hallways in the sprawling resort complex

I entered Bokido around nine in the morning, and it would close at ten for cleaning, so after relishing the beauty of this exceptional onsen, I headed at a little before ten for Spa Genbudo, which was empty. I was the only bather for about fifteen minutes. The long, narrow bath was white and sulfurous, but I discovered that the hot water pouring into a rock-lined bath at the outer lip of the cave was clear. It was either filtered or from a different source. The view was also spectacular. I spotted an arch at the tip of a tiny peninsula jutting into the sea in front of me, and I could also hear kites screeching in the sky as they circled above me. Two others, one Japanese and one French, joined me in the bath. We exchanged head nods and silently absorbed and appreciated being in the moment in one of Japan's best bathing areas.  

Spa Youhounoyu offers splendid mountain- and seascapes

Transportation to the hotel from Katsuura Pier

View from the boat heading to the onsen resort

Getting There:

The closest airport is Nanki-Shirahama Airport, and Kii-Katsuura Station is the nearest train station. Walking to Katsuura Pier takes about fifteen minutes, but taxis gather at the tiny train station when trains arrive.

More on coastal hot springs

Japan has numerous hot springs on its coast. Look below for links to some others I have written about. I would love to read your comments and suggestions regarding Japanese onsens. Please write something in the comment section of this blog. Thanks for reading. 

Onsen (Hot Spring) Addict in Japan: Multisensory Pleasures in Hot Springs on the Izura Coast

Onsen (Hot Spring) Addict in Japan: Adventures On the Way to a Bath

Onsen (Hot Spring) Addict in Japan: Seaside Japanese Hot Spring on Yakushima, Kagoshima

Onsen (Hot Spring) Addict in Japan: Hot Spring on an Island (Ioujima, Nagasaki)

Photographs of the baths were provided by the hotel. I took the other pictures. My positive review of the hotel was unpaid. I received nothing in exchange and paid my entrance fee. 

The Premier Hot Spring Artist of Arima Onsen

Bathers can slide the shoji to view a garden and listen to flowing water.

After being invited to assist a Canadian company in making a documentary about Japanese onsens, I spent a few soothing nights in Arima Onsen. Much of my "work" time was spent in baths, peering into baths, and studying baths. Several baths were especially notable for their beauty and creativity. I would call some of those baths, designed for both able-bodied and disabled individuals, inspirational artworks. The man responsible for these one-of-a-kind baths is Hironobu Kanai.

Kanai wants everyone to benefit from Japanese onsens' relaxing and healing powers. His teacher, mentor, and long-time friend suffered from a severe illness. He asked Kanai to design baths that even very ill people could enjoy. Kanai took that suggestion to heart. Besides designing baths for everyone to enjoy, he also had his staff learn how to best care for guests with special needs. 

The wooden wall slides away to reveal a system that carries disabled individuals into the bath.

Kanai is the descendant of a ryokan-running family that has lived in Arima for at least 15 generations. He generously arranged for us to enter areas of the town that are usually off-limits and allowed us to visit several private baths at his incredible ryokan, Tocen Goshoboh, and other associated properties: Hotel Hanakoyado and Gosho Besso.

The railing and gentle slope from a private room allow easy access to this bird's nest-like bath.

The creativity, dedication to history, and attention to detail Kanai applies to his onsen designs lead to astounding bathing experiences. The bath in the picture directly above was inspired by the legend that Arima Onsen was discovered by crows. The same legend and details of Japanese bathing history and culture are expressed in the intricate tile work shown in the images below. 

The photograph below shows one bath Kanai planned so men and women can enjoy being together while maintaining their own spaces. A sloping wall allows companions on each side to converse and watch each other. Shy people can stay behind the higher wall sections. 

Rooms and Food

The baths, meals, and rooms are spectacular. The photographs below show some of the incredible dishes and rooms his hotels provide guests. These photographs show only a tiny slice of the entire range of accommodations and amenities. 

Prices: Rates vary depending on the type of room, number of guests, and the season. Check rates with your preferred travel website or contact Tocen Goshoboh directly at http://goshoboh.com. 

Getting to Arima Onsen:

Click here for directions from Kansai International Airport, Osaka, Kyoto, and Himeji.

Disclosure: I stayed one night and enjoyed dinner and breakfast for free. But I would still rave about the facilities here even if I did not receive such generosity. I am honestly impressed. 

One of the Best Hot Springs on Aichi Prefecture's Chita Peninsula

The blues and roses of the sunset sky melted with the arrival of stars above. Lights from night-fishing squid boats bounced and glittered on the horizon when I tilted my head downward. I was sitting in a traditional Japanese cedar-wood bath on the tenth-floor roof of a gorgeous Japanese-style hotel named Genji Koh in Minamichita, Japan. If you are driving along the coastal road, look for the sign below. Directions for drivers and train riders are here. My friends and I were searching for an onsen for an evening soak and chose to try this one because of the seaside location and the hotel's attractive exterior. Many fine Japanese hotels allow both overnighters and visitors to enjoy the baths. We paid 1,600 yen (around US $11.00 at writing time) to enjoy the baths, a relaxation room, and towels. 

Two birds called to each other in their private language somewhere in the sky. When the birds ceased conversing, I  heard gentle waves rhythmically slapping Yamami Dolphin Beach below. A gentle wind off the sea kept my head cool while I soaked in the higher-than-40-degree warmth of a natural Japanese onsen.

My evening goal was to test the temperature and mood of each bath.

Each one was soothing.

The ripples spreading across the surface of the hot water surface represented the stress fleeing my body and soul as the view and Earth's thermal goodness worked their healing magic on me. According to the hotel's information, the spring water contains sodium, calcium, chloride, and saline that help cure or reduce pains related to arthritis, neuralgia, and poor circulation. 

Wellness experiences like these are the principal reason I  reside in Japan. Other incentives are the beauty of Japanese art and the deliciousness of superb restaurants  I discover in remote locations, often by chance. Not only did the hotel have soothing baths with expansive natural vistas, but the owners had filled the lobby and hallways with gorgeous arts and crafts, for example, check out the closeup photograph of a traditional kimono on display in the hotel. 

This magnificent afternoon started with taking guests to a seaside pizza restaurant I guessed would be worth visiting. Pizzeria Passo Avanti blew us away with the sea view from the dining room and sensational cooking. The head chef apparently won pizza-making awards in Italy. Notice the trophy in the image below the pizza maker. 

      

The area I have written about in this post is part of the Chita Penisula, south of Nagoya. Despite being close to the Chubu Centrair International Airport (which has an airport bathing facility), only a few international visitors know much about this charming region. Another incredible aspect of Chita Penisula is the considerable number of days ending with gorgeous sunsets. 

Sunset and a nori seaweed farm

A fisherman watches the sun dance on the horizon

If you are in Nagoya City and need refreshment, try the bathing facilities below, but the information needs updating.

Raku Spa Garden

Nagoya Crown Hotel

Dainagoyaonsen

Healthy Black Water in Tokyo Community Onsen: Mikokuyu Onsen

Many community bathing facilities have Mt. Fuji illustrations

Mikokuyu Onsen is one of many soothing community onsens scattered throughout the busy hodgepodge of the Greater Tokyo Metropolitan Area. 

Despite being close to the popular, densely-touristed Asakusa Temple area, Mikokuyu is a friendly oasis for locals and sojourners seeking serenity in hectic Tokyo, stress reduction, and the pleasant sensation of a clean, rejuvenated body.  

Relaxed elegance on the 4th floor

Mikokuyu's naturally black mineral water is from a source of hot water that lies just one hundred meters below the concrete sidewalks and asphalt roadways you encounter everywhere in the urban jungle of Tokyo City. "The mineral-rich water is stained by leaves and other organic materials in the soil," explained a staff person at the entrance counter. 

Depending on the material of the different onsen tubs, the water may appear purplish, black, or the color of a cup of strong black tea. 

The semi-outside bath in the corner was my favorite of the three bathing areas I tried in the men's section. Wooden slats permitted privacy while letting cool air in, steam escape, and bathers enjoy views of the sky. I could view Tokyo Sky Tree in the distance. 

Fifth-floor bath for the elderly and disabled. Reservations required.

The onsen has more baths than I could experience during my one limited-time visit, so I plan to return for more bathing research. There are jet baths, bubble baths, a sauna, and an open-air bath. 

This is a hangout for locals, but visitors are welcome. According to reviews, this onsen does not shun visitors with tattoos. 

The entrance to relaxation and cleanliness in Tokyo

Admission for adults is 460 yen and 180 yen for children. Towels and robes can also be rented.  Considering the quality of the water, the beauty of the old building that has been renovated quite stylishly, and the care that goes into maintenance and cleaning, fees are amazingly low. 

Mikokuyu is located in Sumida-ku, Tokyo.  The nearest subway station is Honjo- azumabashi Station, which is on the Toei Asakusa Line. From there, you can walk to the onsen in approximately ten minutes.

Location on Google Maps: https://maps.app.goo.gl/a9EfNV5VoMXxtkyD8

Myoko Kogen in Niigata Prefecture has another amazing onsen with black water. This one is in a mountainous area. To learn more, read this post and then go to Myoko for a more immersive experience. 

Japanese onsens come in a variety of colors. This post discusses this colorful topic.

Do you have comments or recommendations on Japanese onsens? Please write them in the comment section below. Thank you in advance.

Does Heaven Have Japanese Hot Springs?

Are Japanese onsens part of the topography of heaven? 

Authentic Japanese hot springs are heavenly: They bring us closer to the earth, eliminate stress like sunlight melting ice cream, soothe aching muscles, heal injuries and other physical ailments, and let us slow down and be aware and grateful for our surroundings. 

Some of us in Japan can't imagine life without onsens. Japanese hot springs are our ikigai, our passion, or, as the French say, raison d'être.  

The person who chose the etching on this gravestone probably shared this feeling. When I discovered this artwork while strolling through a culturally rich, historic cemetery within Nagoya's fantastic Heiwa Koen (koen means park), her passion transmitted across time and nationality to my heart. Though I never met her, maybe I know something about her.

I imagine a woman luxuriating in a hot spring bath. Perhaps she is in a traditional ryokan (one in Shizuoka?) with views of Mt. Fuji and cherry trees. It must be spring since blossoms are falling. She has prepared a small container of sake in a wooden bucket floating on the water's surface. She is at peace with the world. For her, she is experiencing heaven on earth. 

The image reminds me of my experience at a Shizukoka ryokan soon after arriving in Japan. I was alone in a rock-lined onsen bath on the side of a cliff. The moon above shone a beam that flashed across the sea in my direction. Elegant, perfectly manicured pine trees and towering Mt. Fuji were silhouetted against the evening sky. 

A Japanese man in his seventies walked naked toward the bath. He passed by me and stared into Mt. Fuji. Then, he sang in a melodious voice a traditional country song about Mt. Fuji. This moment became one of my most memorable cultural immersions in Japan.

Another heavenly bath     Photograph by Peter Locke

Even though I have bathed in over six hundred hot springs in Japan, I will always remember that special moment. Japanese onsens became my ikigai and my relaxation. 

The photograph above shows me experiencing another moment of heaven on Earth. The name of the hot spring is Yunohira Onsen. It is one of the best natural hot springs in Japan. Going there requires a four-hour-one-way hike.

If you read this post while in Nagoya, check out Raku Spa Garden, Nagoya Airport's Bath, and the Nagoya Crown Hotel in Fushimi.

Please continue reading my blog and share your best onsen memories with me and my readers. A comment field is located at the bottom of my posts. I look forward to your contribution. 

Wellness in Mie and East Nara: Hiking to Waterfalls and Soaking in a Japanese Onsen

 

An indoor bath with forest views

Vast stretches of lush green forests, sparkling rivers, and mountains with soothing hot springs make the border of Mie Prefecture and the eastern section of Nara Prefecture a go-to location for wellness adventures. After a refreshing day of forest strolling, soaking in Hotel Sansuien's hot baths, and savoring healthy local cuisine, months of accumulated big-city-induced stress melted away. This soothing experience took place in the outskirts of the verdant city of Nabari, Mie.

After receiving towels in the main building on the exquisite Japanese garden grounds of Sansuien, my friend and I walked outside. Peering at the gate leading to the bathing facilities, I could not stop feeling ukiuki, which is Japanese for excitement, happiness, or cheerfulness. The thoughtful designers of the garden and hotel created a harmonious atmosphere that blends with the natural surroundings and respects the heritage of the area. 

The gate to the bathing area

Notice the rustic structure surrounding the indoor bath, shown in the first photograph. Soaking in the wide tub, I saw swaying trees and flickering light dappling through the branches and windows of the wooden building. A greenish hue to the thermal mineral water matched the outdoor leaves. 

The immaculate outdoor bath exuded a feeling of being in nature because of the greenery, natural building materials, and fresh breezes blowing from the woods. In the background of this photograph, you can see two ribbons of water pouring into the bath. Bathers stand or sit under the falling mineral water to be massaged by the pressure and heat. Called utaseyu in Japanese, this is a positive addictive experience. Thermal water also enters the bath from a hole in a rock, seen in the foreground. I found the temperature to be at the border between pleasure and pain. A nearby wooden sauna room facilitates healthy sweating and bodily cleansing for those seeking dry heat.

Outdoor bath with utaseyu

The photographs above show the baths for men on the day of my visit. Many Japanese bathing facilities alternate public bathing areas so men and women can enjoy different baths without being exposed to members of the opposite sex. 

For those who wish to bathe with only family or friends, regardless of gender identity, Sansuien provides guests with a private bath called a kazokuburo, which translates as a family bath. 

Family bath for private bathing with intimate companions

Sansuien is located a short drive or bicycle ride (3 km or 1.86 mi) from a meandering path that follows the course of a river into which 48 gorgeous waterfalls pour. This magnificent canyon in Nabari City, Mie Prefecture, is known as the Akame 48 Waterfalls. The stunning views of waterfalls, woods, and sparkling water, paired with the sounds of splashing and streaming water, enthrall the spirit and calm the soul. 

Soothing hiking path

Nabari and other areas of Mie and East Nara are relatively unknown and barely visited, compared to Osaka, Kyoto, Nara, and Nagoya. By train, Nabari is less than two hours from the four cities above, so tour companies focusing on wellness and independent travelers can easily reach this region.

Being off the typical tourist map means this area retains its natural charm. Yoga, hiking, bathing, herbal tea and medicine workshops, ninja training workshops, and green tea preparation workshops are available to those who visit this wellness oasis. Lines, long waits, and crowds are rare. The astounding beauty of autumn leaves does draw people from afar. At that time, there may be traffic jams in the most popular areas. 

Sansuien's hot springs are open to overnighters and day visitors, too. Adults and children can enjoy the baths for 800 and 500 yen on weekdays from 10:00-21:00 and weekends/holidays from 10:00-15:00. 

My recommendation for day visitors is to combine a meal of regional cuisine and a bath. Spend 1,650 yen or more and receive a 300 yen discount on the baths. 

Sansuien has a wide variety of accommodations and meals. If you can read Japanese, visit the Sansuien website for details and prices. Otherwise, compare online hotel reservation sites.

The Hot Spring Addict was not paid by the Sansuien Hotel for this positive review. I was honestly impressed, which motivated me to write about it. The hotel did provide photographs of the baths. Tourism authorities in Nabari and East Nara covered accommodation, transportation, and meals while traveling for this trip. I was not required to provide such a glowing review of this onsen hotel. In fact, I visited two onsen facilities on this trip but decided to write about this one only. 

Best Outdoor Hot Spring of 2022-2023 Winter

Peaceful Bathing

Bathing in a Japanese onsen on the side of a mountain is a soothing experience, but when surrounded on almost all sides by vast expanses of idyllic snowy forests, the experience is transcendental. The view and the hot water melt concrete walls of urban stress from your pores, and waves of relaxation and pure joy splash inward. This is what I experienced at a rustic cabin named Apple Pension in Zao Onsen, Yamagata, Japan. 

Relaxing and healing

Snow monster habitat

Driving to Zao took several hours from my home in Niigata. Upon arrival, we went straight to the Zao Onsen Ski Resort to visit the icy jewels of Zao Resort, nicknamed "snow monsters." These are giant trees that have acquired mysterious shapes after repeated freezing and exposure to tons of snow and crafty winds. A storm blew in soon after we reached the top, temperatures dropped to minus eight degrees Celsius, and my hands were numbed to the bone. 

An emergency immersion into the local thermal waters was required. My body sent the following message to my brain: "Urgent soaking in hot mineral water required. Quick! Direct the car immediately to our accommodation and head to the outdoor bath." 

Perfect for couples and close friends

My mind responded accordingly. Within five minutes from one of the Zao Ski Resort parking lots, we arrived at Pension Apple, a quaint wooden cabin perched on a plateau encircled by white trees and white mountains. Apple has an indoor bath (uchiyu in Japanese) and an outdoor bath (rotenburo in Japanese). We checked in, reserved the rotenburo, grabbed our towels, and headed for the outdoor bath.

Guests can reserve the bath, so one can be alone or with friends and family. My wife and I shared the bath with a trusted friend from England. This was his first experience bathing outdoors in a snowy region. He was amazed, and I, although I have bathed in more onsens than I can count, thought the location and scenery were superb. 

Evening view from our room

This small, reasonably-priced accommodation is run by Masayuki Sato, an enthusiastic Zao native, and his wife, Michiko, who prepares hearty meals in a dining room with wide windows for savoring the scenery. They also encourage friendly conversations between different guests through the abundant sharing of wine, cheese, and sake. Guests who choose to eat Michiko's sumptuous breakfast and dinner will pay about US $100 per night. 

The evening soak was so good that we decided to wake up early and watch the morning light spread across the sky from the vantage point of the rotenburo. 

Morning onsen

Zao has a wealth of outdoor pleasures to choose from depending on the season: skiing, snowboarding, ice fishing, snowshoeing, hot spring bathing, fishing, flower viewing, hiking, wild mountain vegetable picking, bicycling, outdoor meditation, and yoga, among many others. 

After our morning bath, we snowshoed in a nearby park and observed ice fishers catching wakasagi (Hypomesus nipponensis--Japanese smelt), and followed that up with another bath in a local public bath. Zao is sprinkled with hot springs. Many are free although it is hoped that bathers will place 200 yen into a box outside of each facility to help pay for upkeep. Follow the smell of sulfur or whisps of steam to find them.

For more on beautiful winter hot springs in Japan, here are links to other posts about winter bathing spots in Japan: The Cloud Sea Bath, Hot Springs for Swallows, Zao Onsen, Intercultural Bathing in Hokkaido, Various Winter Springs, Black Onsen Water in Myoko Kogen, and Tainai, Niigata. 

Google Map Link: https://maps.app.goo.gl/TDjTV1v8t2Zhv1877

The hot spring addict did not receive any cash or services for this favorable review. 

If you have comments about Zao or other hot spring areas in Japan, please write them below.