Top 15 Hot Spring Destinations for Winter in Japan

Okayama Prefecture

Yubara Onsen was created to treat a beloved concubine of Toyotomi Hideyoshi, a great Japanese general and samurai. Today, it lies in a natural, remote setting in the shadow of a massive dam.

Its stunning outdoor onsen bath, Suna-Yu, is open 24-hours-a-day and located in the riverbed of the Asahi River. This unique bath is a konyoku, or mixed-gender, and free! Bathers can go fully nude or cover up in a towel or sarong and tattoos are totally acceptable, as this is open to the public and not a facility per se. Every Valentine’s Day, over 600 candles are lit along the outdoor baths, illuminating the snowy scenery and creating a warm and romantic atmosphere for lovers who bathe together.

It is surreal in snow, however, the winter snowfall isn’t constant, so check the weather before you go.

• Where to bathe: Suna-Yu
• http://bit.ly/yubaraonsen
• Take a 2.5-hour bus from JR Okayama Station to Yubara Onsen. (Bus stop depends on the time of day and route)

Hyogo Prefecture

On the coast of the Sea of Japan lies a charming and old-fashioned onsen town called Kinosaki. Here, guests stroll along the river wearing yukata (a light kimono), marveling at the historic buildings and—in winter—the immaculate snow enveloping the town. In the colder months, you’ll want to put on your winter kimono and embrace the snowscape.

Visitors staying at any local ryokan (Japanese inn) can use Kinosaki’s seven public bathhouses for free. Even better, all of these public onsen facilities allow tattoos. In winter, the famous local crab is at its freshest, so don’t leave without giving some a try!

• Where to bathe: Kinosaki's seven public onsen are Kouno-Yu, Mandara-Yu, Goshono-Yu, Ichino-Yu, Yanagi-Yu, Jizou-Yu and Satono-Yu.
• Easily reached in about three hours from Kyoto. Just take a train to Kinosaki Onsen Station and you're there!

Nagano Prefecture

In the Japan Alps mountain range lies Shirahone, a remote hot spring town that is known as a “secret spa.” Located in a gorgeous river valley, Shirahone is a majestic area surrounded by lush nature.

The name Shirahone means “white bone” and refers to the cream-colored water that characterizes the area. Awano-Yu is the town’s most iconic bath. Both genders are allowed to bathe together in one of three outdoor baths, as the spring’s blueish milky waters match the hue of the powdery snow. The area is rich in nature, with famous ski fields Norikura Highlands and another onsen village called Hirayu. In the warmer months, it is also a perfect location to stay and do hiking at Kamikochi.

• Where the bathe: Awano-Yu
• Take a bus from Matsumoto station for about an hour and a half.
• Bus timetable: http://bit.ly/ShirahoneBus

Nagano Prefecture

You’ve probably heard of this area even if you don’t realize it. Shibu Onsen is super famous for its proximity to the sightseeing spot where cute snow monkeys bathe like humans, Jigokudani Monkey Park. In fact, this onsen town is the gateway to that very attraction.

In winter, the cobblestone lanes and traditional ryokan that make up the town become a scenic snowscape. Nine public baths span the 1300-year-old town. The largest of these is O-yu, a centrally located facility with hot, relaxing spring water and is the only onsen open to day visitors. If you’re short on time, just dip your cold feet in the town’s free foot bath.

• Where to bathe: O-yu
• From Yudanaka Station it's a five-minute bus ride.

Gunma Prefecture

Located on Mount Shirane, this onsen is renowned for its healing qualities and is one of the best areas near Tokyo for a scenic outdoor bath in winter. In the warmer months, it offers supreme views from its walking trails, but that’s swapped out for snow sports and below-freezing temps in mid-December through April.

Manza Onsen’s sulfuric water is very acidic and a distinct turquoise color, providing therapeutic benefits like improving metabolism and blood circulation. Manza Onsen Nisshinkan is a large inn and bathing facility with nine unique baths, all of which are separated by gender. Traveling to the outdoor baths requires a short walk which turns out to be quite the serene journey during the snowy months. Countless stars stretch across the heavens above the fantastic mountain scenery at night, so don’t forget to look up.

• Where to bathe: Manza Onsen Nisshinkan
• About a 45-minute bus ride from Manza-Kazawaguchi Station to the Manza Bus Terminal bus stop. If you are staying in the area, it is likely your hotel will offer a shuttle bus.
• Another, slightly faster—and more expensive—option is to take the bullet train to Karuizawa and then take a bus during the rest of the way.

Gunma Prefecture

• Minakami is one of our Top 10 Travel Destinations in Japan for 2020!

While most visitors flock to the foothills of the popular Minakami mountains in search of the area’s well-known powder snow, it’s the secret assort of rustic hot springs that end up being the real draw. Beyond the area’s rugged peaks—and any cell phone reception to speak of — several lone hot spring ryokan lie secluded in the woods. In particular, Osenkaku in Takaragawa Onsen and Chojukan in Hoshi Onsen are both Ghibli-esque inns in which twisting wooden walkways lead to outdoor baths overlooking the river. The snow falling and the steam rising from the baths creates a mystic atmosphere, especially at night.

Both places are tattoo-friendly and have mixed-gender (konyoku) baths. Osenkaku’s konyoku is outdoors, lets bathers wear towels and drink beer in the bath. Chojukan has no beer and requires full nudity but its konyoku, Hoshi no Yu, is one of Japan’s oldest wooden indoor baths, built during the Meiji period and registered as a tangible cultural property.

• Where to bathe: Onsenkaku (Takaragawa Onsen) and Chojukan (Hoshi Onsen) on either side of the valley
• By train, it takes about 3 hours from central Tokyo to Minakami station.
• For Takaragawa, take the bus from Jomo Kogen Station to Minakami Station, then transfer to a bus to Takaragawa Iriguchi, then change to a bus for Takaragawa Onsen. For Hoshi Onsen, take the bus from Jomo Kogen Station (on the Joetsu Shinkansen Line) to Sarugakyo Onsen, then transfer to a shuttle bus.
• There is a tourism desk inside each of the stations where you can find out the timetable — online information is scarce.

Niigata Prefecture

Matsunoyama Onsen is one of the Top 3 medicinal hot springs in Japan. The water is said to keep skin looking beautiful, heal cuts and burns, and even prevent ailments like hemorrhoids and nerve damage. Whether or not you believe the hype, it’s hard to argue against the serene ambiance of the place when it’s totally blanketed deep in pristine, white snow. Ski and snowboarding lessons are available nearby, making Matsunoyama a little-known but extremely cozy spot for a winter excursion.

Some of the ryokan provide pure spring water baths, such as Izumiya, a lovely local inn with public and private onsen. If it’s an exceptional winter scene and pampered visit you seek, try the Hinanoyado Chitose Ryokan in the heart of Matsunoyama Onsen, with its outdoor “moon bath.”

• Where to bathe: Hinanoyado Chitose Ryokan
• Around 30 minutes by bus from Matsudai station

Fukushima Prefecture

Takayu Onsen is a small resort town that sits atop a plateau not all that far from Fukushima City. Its hot spring source is used by nine inns and one public bath.

The town’s Tamago-Yu (Egg Spring) is named after the water’s magical properties—it’s said to give bathers skin as smooth as a soft-boiled egg. The milky water also smells faintly eggy due to its healing minerals. Located inside a traditional thatched roof hut, there are both segregated and mixed baths, as well as indoor and outdoor facilities. Similar to the baths in Matsunoyama Onsen, 100 percent of the natural spring water flows directly from the source without added water to the baths—a rare occurrence.

You can stay the night at Tamago-Yu or daytrippers can use the bath for up to an hour. If it’s closed for winter cleaning, typically on Mondy and Friday, take a dip in the town’s public bath Attayu instead. It even has some private rotenburo you can rent by reservation only if you don’t feel like sharing.

• Where to bathe: Tamago-Yu
• http://www.takayuonsen.jp/en
• From Fukushima Station, take a 45-minute bus to Highland Mae bus stop.

Yamagata Prefecture

Ginzan Onsen is a secluded hot spring town that looks like something straight out of a storybook, especially when it snows. The town has become a popular winter attraction with traditional wooden ryokan and pedestrian-only streets lining the Ginzan River.

At night, the main street is lit by gas lamps and guests wander in traditional robes. Adventurers can hike a nature trail past the town’s towering waterfall to a historic silver mine and explore some of the caverns within. Shirogane-Yu is the best public bathing facility, with triangle-shaped baths and lovely views of the town below.

• Where to bathe: Shirogane-Yu
• From Oishida station in Yamagata, you can take a 35-minute bus ride to Ginzan Onsen.

Yamagata Prefecture

This ski resort is all about enjoying winter to the fullest. Positioned on the slopes of a volcano, Zao Onsen is known for its highly acidic water which makes it one of the most high-quality onsen in Japan. This may sound dangerous, but it’s actually a lot safer than the winter sports the spot is also known for. The sulfur content of the water is good for rejuvenating skin and blood vessels.

Shinzaemon no Yu is a day spa with acidic indoor baths and scenic outdoor baths, as well as a restaurant. While in Zao, don’t miss out on a rare phenomenon here along the mountainside known as Snow Monsters—trees so heavily coated in snow they take on a bizarre form.

• Where to bathe: Shinzaemon no Yu
• Take a 40-minute bus ride from Yamagata station to Zao Onsen bus terminal.

Iwate Prefecture

With its lush green scenery draped in snow, Hanamaki Onsen is connected by three adjacent hotels. Guests staying at any are granted full access to the other two’s baths, giving visitors a range of relaxation options. Daytrippers can also make use of the healing baths, so no worries if you don’t want to stay overnight. There’s a free show every evening that’s always different, so you never know whether you’re going to witness a skit or a traditional dance. This is truly one of the most family-friendly winter onsen getaways in Japan.

Also worth exploring is Hanamaki Onsen Rose Park, complete with a shrine, waterfall, and snowy landscapes all winter. If that wasn’t enough, located in the Hanamaki area are more than nine other onsen. Some of the best choices include Osawa Onsen, which has a more rustic vibe and scenic rotenburo, and the Osawa-no-Yu open-air bath that faces the river and allows for mixed-gender bathing.

• Where to bathe: Koyokan or Osawa-no-Yu
• https://www.hanamakionsen.co.jp/en/
• Take a 2-hour, 45-minute bus ride from Sendai station to Hanamaki onsen bus stop.

Akita Prefecture

The breathtaking winter scenery is what draws visitors to this secluded onsen. Hidden deep in the mountains, Magoroku Onsen—one of the inns located in Nyuto Onsen Town—requires a short hike to get to, but it’s worth the trip.

The most isolated of Nyuto’s onsen, Magoroku is quiet and peaceful in the winter. The outdoor women-only bath provides a relaxing and breathtaking view of the snow-covered scenery up close. Magoroku’s baths have medicinal properties and one is even said to forecast the weather: clear water signals a clear day and muddy water predicts clouds.

• Where to bathe: Magoroku Onsen
• Forty-five minutes from JR Tazawako Station by bus

Aomori Prefecture

Truly get away in the deep secluded wilderness of Sukayu Onsen. Located in the Hakkoda Mountains, this retreat is one of the snowiest places on earth and is a skier’s paradise from December through February.

There’s no better place for snow bunnies to relax after a long day than the hyperbolic Senninburo or “Bath of 1,000 Bathers.” The traditional konyoku bath made of beech wood is so big it can fit not quite a thousand people but about 150. Thankfully, this main attraction is not usually too crowded, and the gigantic, wooden bath is seriously something to behold.

• Where to bathe: Senninburo
• It's about 70 minutes from JR Aomori Station by bus

Hokkaido Prefecture

Situated in Japan’s northernmost and coldest prefecture is Noboribetsu. Hokkaido’s most famous hot spring resort is as beautiful as it is surreal. Overlooking a landscape known as Jigokudani, “Hell Valley”, this volcanic valley is a patchwork of rust-colored hills, bubbling pits, smoking craters, and—best of all—piping hot onsen.

Noboribetsu transforms into an even more spectacular destination in winter, when snow blankets the harsh landscape. Marvel at it from the warm comfort of Dai-ichi Takimotokan, Noboribetsu’s most superb public onsen, with seven different types of baths and views overlooking the valley.

• Where to bathe: Dai-ichi Takimotokan
• From New Chitose Airport station, take the New Chitose Airport Limousine Bus about 1 hour and 10 minutes to the central area. Bus stop is "Noboribetsu Onsen Chuo."

Hokkaido Prefecture

From January to March the town of Sounkyo hosts the incredible Sounkyo Ice Waterfall Festival, featuring an intricate complex of caverns made from ice. A skiing and snowboarding hot spot, the onsen resort is located in Sounkyo Valley and takes about five and a half hours to get to via highway bus from Hokkaido’s main airport, New Chitose Airport. Yet, the dramatic soundings—hanging cliffs and rushing waterfalls—make this trip completely worth the haul. The popular onsen resort has one public bathhouse, Kurodake-no-Yu, with indoor and outdoor options but go to one of the ryokan onsen for the best views.

Sounkyo Kanko Hotel offers baths that use 100 percent hot spring water, with no outside water used to cool it down. The natural water is about 60 degrees Celsius at the source. Try the rocky rotenburo called “Utari” among many other large indoor and outdoor baths for a relaxing dip. However, not all baths nor the sauna are open to day-trippers, so you may just want to get cozy and stay the night cuz, baby, it’ll be cold outside.

• Where to bathe: Sounkyo Kanko Hotel's Utari Rotenburo
• You can take a bus (from Sapporo or from New Chitose Airport) to Obihiro Eki Bus Terminal. From there, take another bus for about two hours to Sounkyo bus stop.