Western Japan, the island of Kyushu in particular, is onsen heaven. You can hardly drive a couple of miles before stumbling across yet another one. Kyushu is also fairly rural, and as such the hot spring towns tend be very picturesque. The island is also home to several active volcanoes, which also lend the place an air of mystery. My idea of a perfect holiday would be to just ride round Kyushu on a large motorbike (A Yamaha V Max or Suzuki Bandit 1200 are my personal recommendations), stopping at every onsen that I pass. I'm lucky enough to have been to this paradise on 5 occasions, but more trips are the cards. So many onsens, so little time. Well, read on.
Iya onsen is located on the Iya river valley right in the centre of the island of Shikoku, and is, scenically, one of the most spectacular onsens you can visit. At this point, the river valley consists of a vertical drop of about 200 metres from the hotel, at road level, down to the river, at river level. The open air bath is alongside the rapids, and can only be reached by a 5 minute rack railway journey down the rock face. The view from the bath is as good as any bath I've been to, although the bath is a little on the cool side (around 39 degrees). Good in summer, though. At 1500 yen, it is a little more costly than most, but you do get a great view and a thought-provoking trip down a cliff for your money. To reach Iya onsen, there is a (very infrequent) bus service from JR Awa Ikeda station, or you can drive there under your own power along a narrow road which winds along the Iya valley. Beware of the bus driver, however. He is absolutely certifiable, and will not stop for anything, least of all oncoming traffic.
Yufuin is a pleasant little town, about 25 miles inland from the east coast of Kyushu. It is fairly well-known, and thus well-developed, but it hasn't lost its charm, unlike some other places I could mention. There are numerous hot springs dotted around the town, but the one I would recommend as the best is entitled "Shitanyu", which translates as lower bath. This is open air, next to a lake, and in full view of the general public, so any show-offs can display their equipment to whoever may or may not be interested. The bath itself is a wooden one, always a pleasant sensation, and you can while away a long time just watching the world go by, kids fishing in the lake, and couples being "friendly" on the banks of lake. For all these pleasures, you are charged a mighty 10 yen. Why do they bother? The changing room (changing mat) is also right next to the bath itself, so no worries about people nicking your video camera, bike keys etc. In terms of value for money, this place is extremely hard to beat. If I lived in Yufuin, I don't think I'd ever have a bath at home. Cheaper to go here. Recommended.
If I had to recommend one onsen to a first time dipper, then this would probably be it. As wonderful a place as I've yet been to. Yunohira is an enchanting village about 10 miles south of Yufuin. If you squint hard at a road map, you may find it. It ain't big. Set in a forest by a winding river, it really is straight out of a picture book, especially with steam rising from every crack in the narrow road. Upon arrival, make your way to the "Shimizu Kaikan", a small, Japanese style inn, but don't come in anything bigger than an RV, or you won't get there. From the outside, the hotel looks plain enough, but it is merely hiding what most people couldn't imagine. After taking the compulsory pre-bath shower, the weary traveller walks through a stone gateway, and finds himself in the middle of a huge cave, dimly-lit, and with the water oozing in through the walls. It is quite stunning; there is even a little beach area inside the cave for those who need to take a break from the relatively hot water. However, that's not all. This is a mixed onsen, which means that your sweetheart can join you in the men's bath. Bathing suits not permitted. Unfortunately, the women's bath isn't so liberal. Why not, I wonder? I visited this mecca on a rainy Tuesday morning with my better half, and we were the only customers. An unforgettable rainy Tuesday morning, that was. A small boy appeared briefly, but he soon got the message and buggered off. The baths are also so huge, you can swim around in them. This pleasure of pleasures will set you back only 500 yen, but there is a rather quaint little gift shop should you wish to give more money to this most outstanding establishment, which you almost certainly will. Go to Yunohira. Go on. Go now.
Jigoku is a little piece of heaven. Rather ironic that its name translates as "Hell". Nothing could be further from the truth. Jigoku is actually a little hamlet, perched on the side of Mt. Aso, a spectacularly active volcano, and for me, still the most impressive place I've been in this land. There are actually two springs at Jigoku, one called "Roteniwaburo" (Rocky bath), and the other "Suzumenoyu" (Sparrow bath). Both are brilliant in their own way.
"Roteniwaburo" is an open air bath offering a tremendous view over the surrounding countryside. The water temperature is perfect, it is rarely crowded, you're in the midst of some of the most stunning scenery in Japan, and onsens really don't get much better than this. On my first visit, we took a large bottle of sake and some (classy) plastic beakers into the bath and just sat there taking it all in, getting wasted, and not giving a flying toss about the torrential rain that was being dumped on us. Nothing really matters when you're in that frame of mind.
"Suzumenoyu" is quite different. It is also outside, but the bath is divided into little spaces like oyster beds, and some parts have a roof. This is also a mixed bath, swimwear not allowed. So, if sitting in a confined space, pressed against a naked 90 year old Grandmother, who insists on complimenting you on a fine set of genitalia, is your thing, then this is the place for you. The water itself is remarkable. With a pH of 1.7, it is twice as acidic as vinegar. If you value your jewelry, take it off. My sterling silver rings were jet black after 5 minutes. You can also see constant streams of gas evolving from the water. It may have been natural, or it could have been my neighbours farting their way to Nirvana. Whatever, I didn't really care. One of the sections seems to have been cordoned off for the exclusive use of Yakuza (the Japanese Mafia), but if you don't steal their women or comment on their all-body tattoos, then they probably won't kill you. No, but seriously, this is a great place to go with your honey, if she's up for it.
As for accommodation, there is a ryokan (Japanese style hotel), but if you're with a crowd, an economic option is to rent one of their log cabins (see also Chojabaru), which could sleep 8 at a push. All in all, a great place, and barely half an hour's drive from the summit of Mt. Aso (not to be missed at any cost.)
The town of Unzen is famous not for its quaint little hot springs, but in fact for the angry volcano that occasionally pukes ash and lava all over this part of Nagasaki. The onsen is up towards the summit, and there is a constant smell of sulphur in the air. People from the more industrial parts of Osaka should feel very at home. There is a peculiar field in the middle of the town, from which pour vertical plumes of poisonous sulphur dioxide. Bet you want to go here, eh? We camped in a different field, and plodded back into town along a narrow main road. There are plenty of hotels in the town, but we went for the cheap option, and lashed out a whole 100 yen on the public bath. Once inside, we were accosted by a local man, covered in red blotches from head to toe. After a few nervous glances, I took the plunge and put one leg into the "yu" (hot water). Instantly, I realised why our would-be host was a strange colour. This is easily the hottest bath I've ever had the misfortune of subjecting my genitals to. Anyone who stays in more than about 3 seconds would end up with similar tattoos to our friend, who was by now grinning from ear to ear. Bastard. Feeling dizzy and sick, I sat down for a while and gazed in disbelief at a collection of old timers who just got in and sat there. Asbestos skeletons, I suppose. There was a hose to pour cold tap water into the bath, but my first attempt at dilution was met with a chorus of sneers. I left. Later, I read that this was the part of the country where they used to boil Christian missionaries to death in the 17th century. Old habits die hard, I guess. Enter at your peril!
Ibusuki is about as far south as it is possible to find an onsen in mainland Japan. Located about 30 miles south of Kagoshima city, the area is awash with palm trees and people with incomprehensible accents. I thought I'd stumbled into a Korean province. Ibusuki is quite different from most springs in that you don't actually immerse yourself in water. You put on your yukata (dressing gown), wander down to the beach and stand in line as an army of old ladies armed with pointed shovels bury people up to their necks in hot sand. The source is directly under the beach, which results in a large area of super-heated sand. It's actually quite terrifying, lying there helpless and immobile as a psychopathic 80 year-old granny starts flinging a spade round your ears. Once buried, though, the initial sensation is not one of heat, but rather of a great weight about to crush your rib cage. Wet sand is heavy stuff. It takes a bit of getting used to, but once warmed up, you can certainly forget all your troubles. About half an hour was all I could stand before I felt as though certain parts of my anatomy were about to explode. After being uncovered / resurrected, you stroll back inside for a shower and a more conventional bath before heading off to a more interesting town. Yep, there isn't much in Ibusuki apart from the spring. The whole thing is run by the local council, and costs 800 yen all in, including towel and yukata hire. Only a blind man with no sense of smell could fail to find his way to the place. I'm glad I went; it is a unique experience, but it is NOT a day trip from anywhere except Kagoshima.
The setting of Chojabaru is quite stunning. About half way along the famed Yamanami Highway, a scenic road linking Yufuin and Mt. Aso, it is surrounded by mountains and clouds of sulphur dioxide. The fragrance of the air leaves you in no doubt that you are in onsen country. On bad days, it can be like driving through a chemistry lab.
The onsen itself is frankly quite plain. No outdoor bath, and a solitary square shaped tiled contraption in the hotel. In the grounds of the hotel, though, there are some huts for rent. They sleep four comfortably, six uncomfortably, and are good value for money. Apart from bathing, there is nothing to do for miles around, except climbing Mt. Kuju, a regularly lively volcano. The nearest town is Yufuin, an hour to the north, or Ichinomiya, about the same distance to the south. What Chojabaru is, though, is a handy place to spend a night while motoring slowly through the lovely countryside.
Obama is unusual in that it is a salt water onsen, located on the coast of Tachibana Bay in Nagasaki Prefecture, in the shadow of Mt. Unzen. We arrived in this sleepy (at the best of times) little town before 7 in the morning, thanks to an early summer downpour that sent us fleeing from our campsite at Unzen onsen. We lolled about in Lawson's for about half an hour pretending we were thinking of buying something, then wandered round the town (all of it) in about 10 minutes, until finally a public bath opened. "Hamanoyu" (Beach Bath) will sting you for a stunning 80 yen, but the facilities are spartan to say the least. It looks like the inside of an army shower block. However, a bath is a bath, and is especially welcome when you've got up at 5:00 am in pissing rain. It is close to the sea, but the name of the establishment is a little misleading, as there is no beach. We couldn't find one anyway. We'd left the town by 8:30, and were on our way to Nagasaki City, so memories are vague of this place. It simply served a purpose. According to guidebooks, though, hotels are both numerous and high in quality in Obama, so a second trip might have to be done in order to really do the town justice. Stay tooned.
Kawachi is located in a particularly unspectacular part of the Ariake Sea coast of Kumamoto Prefecture. There is one public bath, placed scenically between the docks and an industrial estate. There is also no parking. So what does this place have going for it? Good question. It is reasonably far away from any other onsen (unusual in Kyushu), so for that reason it served a purpose. After all, when driving round the island, one doesn't want to go too long between dips. This was a functional rather than a pleasurable bath. We all needed to clean ourselves up after a night of camping and drinking. For those with a little more time, though, I would recommend driving up the coast a few more miles to Nagasu, catching the ferry across to Kunimi in Nagasaki Prefecture, and then enjoy a stunning drive up the side of Mt. Unzen before visiting the rather more picturesque Unzen Onsen. If you're desperate, however, this place will do. The people running the place were certainly very friendly.
Shimoda is a quiet, quaint little town on the island of Shimoshima, one of a collection of sparsely populated lumps of rock known as the Amakusa islands. This area is among the most unspoiled parts of Japan and, as such, has plenty of charm. Walking through Shimoda at night is like strolling about on the set of a Samurai drama. Most of the inhabitants seem to gather at a large building called "Shirasagikan" (Hall of the White Heron). A grandiose name if ever there was one. It is extremely well equipped, with several outdoor baths, several more indoors, and for those who really want to make a night of it, you can hire 2 or 4 person private baths. These are actually extremely good value at 1500 yen, and had I gone there with someone I would like to have escorted in, then this would be where I would have gone. As it was, I opted for the tour of outdoor baths, and was far from disappointed. There is also a rather decent-looking restaurant in the complex. It is unlikely that you would be passing Shimoda by accident, but if you happen to find yourself within about 30 miles, then you could do worse than to check this place out.
Harazuru is a small, hard-to-find little town in the north of Kyushu, on the banks of the River Onga. I stayed for one night at the very plush "Reisenkaku" Hotel, an establishment once visited by no less a celebrity than the Emperor himself. Hmmm, impressive, eh? It is an upmarket stopover, and one at which I spent not a single solitary yen. I came here on our school trip, 3 days of exhaustingly hard work, dragging 250 14-year-olds round sites of special interest, when all the kids want to do is drink, smoke, and be as unruly as possible.
The bath itself, though, is something special. A jungle bath, to be exact, complete with (real) palm trees, an assortment of different pools, water slides etc. However, it is hard to appreciate when you're in charge of 130 boys, tweaking each others dicks, comparing non-existant pubic hair and so on. Thus, I had to sneak back down at 3:00 am in order to get a feel for the place. I enjoyed. Very plezz indeed. I dread to think how much this place costs to say. I didn't ask. Simply being able to boast that the Emperor is a former customer is carte blanche to double the prices. People fall for that here. I'm also not sure if non-staying guests can pop in for a dip. Therefore I would suggest that, should you want to stay here, you come to Japan, find yourself a job at Seiwadai Junior High School, ingraciate yourself with the 3rd grade staff, and ask whether you could accompany them on the school trip. Simple.
This little paradise is located in Matsuyama City on the island of Shikoku, and is about as famous as they get, having been immortalized in Soseki Natsume's "Botchan." Upon arriving, the only place to head for is the public bath house, frequented by Natsume himself decades ago. The building is huge, and the prices for the baths vary from floor to floor. If you're a cheapie (like me), then go for the 370 yen ground floor basic bath, where you share the waters with a gaggle of old men/women about 12 times your age. A bit like being an extra in "The Lost World." The most expensive baths on the top floor cost 1200 yen, but you get tea and an hour in the "rest room" for your cash. You can also pay for a guided tour of the former emperor's quarters, including the toilet where he used to, er, you know. There is also a little doctor's cubicle next door, with one lucky physician having the honour of checking the emperor's, er, you knows the moment they appeared. Sorry, I'm spoiling all the fun for you. Go here, though. It's different.
This isn't actually much of an onsen town, but being located at the foot of Western Japan's highest mountain (Mt. Ishizuchi, strangely enough), it is something of a haven for weary, bedraggled climbers. After struggling down the mountain, an hour or so in the incredibly salty waters of this town gives you just about enough energy to get to wherever you have to go next. This place is miles from anywhere; about 2 hours from the nearest beer machine, by my guess. The road up from the nearest town, Saijo, is very scenic (if you're the driver), or very nausea-inducing (if you're unlucky enough to be a rear seat passenger). The actual bath is a bugger to find, as you have to walk out through the back of a noodle restaurant to get there. A functional, rather than memorable, dipping spot.
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