Onsen (Hot Spring) Addict in Japan: My Favorite Seaside Hot Spring in Murakami, Niigata

Early Evening in Murakami

Comparing hot springs is a complicated job that requires much research. An outside hot spring on a mountaintop and an inside hot spring in a fancy resort are as different as white wine and red wine or cats and dogs. Living in hot-spring abundant Niigata, Japan, friends often ask me about my favorite hot spring, or onsen, in Niigata. I usually respond that deciding which is the best is impossible. Niigata has a wealth of springs. However, when I am asked which is my favorite seaside hot spring that does not require a long drive from my home, my answer is Taikanso Senanminoyu (大観荘せなみの湯) in Murakami, Niigata. Senami Onsen is a tiny onsen village in Murakami City.

The photograph above shows the Japanese hot spring in which I have soaked while orange sunbeams decorated the blue sky, and the orb of the sun disappeared slowly into the ink-blue sea. In below freezing temperatures, I have stayed toasty warm while hail bounced off the rocky rim of the bath or snowflakes fell like cold feathers onto my skin. In summer, I have watched fishermen and swimmers enjoying the sea. The outdoor bath is broken into two ten-meter-wide segments that face the beach. Artfully placed shrubs and small pine trees provide privacy while still allowing bathers a panoramic view. Sweating in the outdoor sauna, one can also enjoy sea views through windows.

The hot spring belongs to a fancy hotel that permits day visitors to use the baths for 1,000 yen (close to U.S. $10.00). For that low price, you can spend hours relaxing amidst the indoor bath, outdoor baths, saunas, showers, massage and other comfortable chairs in the rest areas. Sunset views from this area of Niigata entice many evening visitors.

The entrance to the hotel introduces visitors to an essential aspect of Murakami culture, which is salmon. Locals have been catching salmon for thousands of years, and Murakami chefs have developed unique recipes for preparing and cooking the fresh catch. In Murakami, many shops and homes display salted salmon that the owners hang outside from eaves to dry in the wind. The popular mascot of Murakami is a character named Sakerin. A salmon protrudes from the top of its head. Manhole covers in the Murakami streets feature salmon, too.

Salmon Hanging Out in Murakami

The hotel is both luxurious and quirky, as you can see in the photographs. Murakami is a relaxing place to stroll and enjoy ashiyu (足湯), which means foot baths.