The popular Onsen (hot spring resorts) in Japan
When you talk about Japan, you cannot miss "Onsen (hot spring)"!
There are various styles Onsen in Japan. We would like to introduce the most popular one in here.
The resort is located in the altitude 700m where there is the last stop of Hakone Tozan Train of Ajisai trains. It is easy to access from Tokyo by trains, just take 1 hour and half.
2.5t of hot spring water is produced by 17 hot springs in Hakone per day and it is boast as the best 5 yielding in Japan. They have both simple hot spring and turbid hot spring (sulfur spring) and you can enjoy either of them in each Ryokan (Japanese Inn).
The best season would be just before summer or autumn. There are many tourists' spots around here such as The Hakone Open-Air Museum of s, Gora park and so on. It is possible to visit there by one day trip, however, it would be nicer if you could stay in there nights and have relaxing time with sightseeing.
From Tokyo and around Tokyo to Hakone
By train
Shinjuku Station → (Odakyu Line Ltd. Exp. "Romancecar" : Approx. 1 hour 30 minutes / 2,080 yen) → Hakone-Yumoto Station
Tokyo Station → (JR Tokaido Main Line Rapid "Acty" : 1 hour 13 minutes / 1,490 yen) → Odawara Station → (Hakone Tozan Line : 14 minutes / 310 yen) → Hakone-Yumoto Station
*If you have JR Pass
Tokyo Station → (Tokaido Shinkansen "Kodama" : 35 minutes) → Odawara Station → (Hakone Tozan Line : 14 minutes / 310 yen) → Hakone-Yumoto Station
By bus
Haneda Airport International Terminal (8:25, 12:35 depart) → (Expressway bus "Hakone-Yumoto Airliner" : Approx. 2 hour 10 minutes / 1,950 yen) → Hakone-Yumoto Station (10:35, 14:45 arrive)
Yokohama Station (9:10, 13:20 depart) → (Expressway bus "Hakone-Yumoto Airliner" : Approx. 1 hour 25 minutes / 1,540 yen) → Hakone-Yumoto Station (10:35, 14:45 arrive)
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Kusatsu Onsen is one of the best 3 Onsen (hot spring) with Arima Onsen and Gero Onsen. It is located in the north-west of Gunma prefecture, in the altitude 1200m of Kusatsushirane mountain. You can easily access there directly from Shinjuku statin by train or Nagoya station by highway bus.
There is the hot spring area where mineral deposits are harvested in the central resort. You can explore there seeing traditional Onsen village with wearing Yukata. They have Ryokan, hotels, restaurants and souvenir shops on the street. Or you can also visit public bath and enjoy it.
From Tokyo to Kusatsu
By bus
Shinjuku Expressway Bus Terminal (8:05, 9:05, 10:05, 12:05, 14:05, 16:05, 18:05, 20:05 depart) → (Expressway bus "Joshu Yumeguri" : Approx. 4 hour / 3,300 yen) → Kusatsu Onsen (12:12, 13:12, 14:12, 16:12, 18:02, 20:02, 22:02, 23:57 arrive)
By train and bus
Ueno Station → (JR Ltd. Exp. "Kusatsu" : Approx. 2 hour 31 minutes / 4,750 yen) → Naganohara-Kusatsuguchi Station → (Local bus : Approx. 25 minutes / 700 yen) → Kusatsu Onsen
*If you have JR Pass
Tokyo Station or Ueno Station → (Hokuriku Shinkansen "Asama" : 65 minutes) → Karuizawa Station → (Express bus : Approx. 75 minutes / 2,200 yen) → Kusatsu Onsen
Tokyo Station or Ueno Station → (Hokuriku Shinkansen "Hakutaka" : 45 minutes) → Takasaki Station → (JR Agatsuma Line : 1 hour 20 minutes) → Naganohara-Kusatsuguchi Station → (Local bus : Approx. 25 minutes / 700 yen) → Kusatsu Onsen
From Kanazawa to Kusatsu
*If you have JR Pass
Kanazawa Station → (Hokuriku Shinkansen "Hakutaka" : 120 minutes) → Karuizawa Station → (Express bus : Approx. 75 minutes / 2,200 yen) → Kusatsu Onsen
From Nagano to Kusatsu
*If you have JR Pass
Kanazawa Station → (Hokuriku Shinkansen "Asama" : 31 minutes) → Karuizawa Station → (Express bus : Approx. 75 minutes / 2,200 yen) → Kusatsu Onsen
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Yufuin Onsen is always selected by tourists "The best hot spring resort people would like to visit" and one of the famous truism place in Kyushu area. It is located in Oita prefecture.
There are approximately 900 hot spring source in there, which is the second one after Beppu Onsen in Japan. You can find clear hot spring water is gushing out in everywhere. There are around 120 hotels, from luxury to reasonable one, which will help you to find the perfect hotel in there.
From Oita Airport to Yufuin by bus
Oita Airport → (Expressway bus : Approx. 55 minutes / 1,500 yen) → Yufuin Station
From Hakata(Fukuoka) to Yufuin
By bus
Hakata Bus Terminal → (Expressway bus : Approx. 2 hours 11 minutes / 2,880 yen) → Yufuin Station
By train
Hakata Station → (JR Ltd. Exp. "Yufuin no Mori" : Approx. 2 hours 16 minutes / 4,040 yen) → Yufuin Station
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Beppu Onsen is located in Oita prefecture, which is also well-known as "Beppu Hatto (Eight Hot Springs)", as they have 8 hot spring sources. Each of them has different features and effects. Thanks to this, you can enjoy various styles of hot springs in nature or towns.
This hot spring is actually very close to the residents. There are more than 100 public hot springs in the town and most of them are charged 100JPY only per time. It is no exaggeration to say that people live with this hot spring.
In the neighborhood, there are Aso-Kuju National Park, Tsurumi mountain which is famous for Rhododendron kiusianum, Shidaka lake and a lot of natures. You will definitely enjoy everything in there.
From Oita Airport to Beppu by bus
Oita Airport → (Airport Expressway bus "Airliner" : Approx. 51 minutes / 1,500 yen) → JR Beppu Station
* "Beppu-Kitahama" is just one bus stop before "JR Beppu station" bus stop.
From Fukuoka to Beppu
By bus
Fukuoka Airport International Terminal → (Expressway bus "Toyonokuni" : Approx. 2 hours / 3,190 yen) → JR Beppu Station
* Approximately every 1 hour (Departure's time is from 9:12am to 9:42pm)
By train
Hakata Station → (JR Ltd. Exp. "Sonic" : Approx. 2 hours 18 minutes / 5,050 yen) → JR Beppu Station
Kokura Station → (JR Ltd. Exp. "Sonic" : Approx. 1 hours 23 minutes / 3,710 yen) → JR Beppu Station
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Noboribetsu Onsen is the largest hot spring resort in Hokkaido.
It has been created in enormous caldera area and boasts that they produce approximately 1t hot water every day. They have many kinds of hot spring water.
It is absolutely surrounded by nature and produce huge amount of different hot water. Moreover, you can easily reach there from New Chitose Airport (less than 1 hour) or Sapporo city (1 hour and a little more).
Noboribetsu Onsen has extraordinary hotels or Ryokan (Japanese Inn) and many facilities around you can enjoy. You cannot miss the best resort in Japan!
From New Chitose Airport to Noboribetsu Onsen
By bus
New Chitose Airport (12:00, 13:15 depart) → (Expressway bus "Kosoku Noboribetsu Onsen Airport" : Approx. 1 hour 5 minutes / 1,370 yen) → Noboribetsu Onsen (13:05, 14:20 arrive)
By train
New Chitose Airport → (JR Rapid train "Airport" : 3 minutes) → Minami-Chitose Station → (JR Ltd. Exp. "Hokuto" : 41 minutes / 2,720 yen) → Noboribetsu Station
From Sapporo to Noboribetsu Onsen
By train
Sapporo Station → (JR Ltd. Exp. "Super Hokuto" : 1 hours 11 minutes / 3,960 yen) → Noboribetsu Station
By bus
Sapporo Station Bus Terminal Platform 10 (14:00 depart) → (Expressway bus "Kosoku Onsen" : Approx. 1 hour 48 minutes / 1,950 yen) → Noboribetsu Onsen (15:48 arrive)
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Dogo Onsen has more than 300 years history and the oldest hot spring in Japan. It is also well-known due to the famous novel "Botchan" by Soseki Natsume.
The main building of Dogo Onsen which was built 1894 is their symbol now. The building and public bath have nostalgic atmosphere, which clearly shows you that it has been respected and enjoyed by people since Meiji period (1868-1912).
There is the shopping street where visitors can enjoy walking with wearing Yukata.
Highly recommended visiting The Siki Museum and Dogo park for your sightseeing.
JR Matsuyama Station → (Iyo Railway(Iyotetsu) : Approx. 25 minutes / 160 yen) → Dogo Onsen
Access from Okayama Station to Matsuyama Station
Okayama Station → (JR Ltd. Exp. "Shiokaze" : Approx. 2 hours 49 minutes / 6,310 yen) → Matsuyama Station
* You can reach Okayama station by Shinkansen from major cities (Hiroshima, Osaka, Kyoto, Nagoya, Tokyo etc...).
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Ibusuki Onsen is located in east part of Ibusuki city, Kagoshima prefecture. This place is famous for "Sand Bath (Suna-buro)", which you are buried up to your neck and steamed by hot sand.
You can absolutely feel it is resort thanks to phoenix trees and palm trees along the beach. There are approximately 800 hot spring sources in the city, particularly Gensenkakenagashi (water flowing directly from the hot spring source).
When you take "Sand Bath (Suna-buro)" you wear Yukata and lie down, then proceeded to shovel the scorching hot sand over you until you are buried up to your neck. However, you do not feel uncomfortable at all thanks to its smooth sand even you are wearing Yukata.
This bath is good for neuralgia, stiff mussel and even for beauty treatment. It is very popular for women, especially.
From Kagoshima Airport to Ibusuki
By bus
Kagoshima Airport (9:50, 11:10, 11:30, 12:30, 13:30, 14:10, 15:20, 17:00, 18:00, 19:30 depart) → (Expressway bus : Approx. 1 hour 35 minutes / 2m350 yen) → Ibusuki Station (11:25, 12:45, 13:05, 14:05, 15:05, 16:35, 16:55, 18:35, 19:35, 21:05 arrive)
From Kagoshima-Chuo Station to Ibusuki
By train
Kagoshima-Chuo Station → (JR Ibusuki-Makurazaki Line : 1 hours 12 minutes / 1,000 yen) → Ibusuki Station
Kagoshima-Chuo Station (9:58, 11:57, 14:02 depart) → (JR Ltd. Exp. "Ibusuki no Tamatebako" : Approx. 50 minutes / 2,070 yen) → Ibusuki Station (10:49, 12:47, 14:58 arrive)
* Rapid train "Ibusuki no Tamatebako" is all reserved seats, therefore, please purchase your ticket at the station before your ride. It is not possible to purchase the tickets on the train.
Ibusuki no Tamatebako website
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