Why not enjoy a day trip to a hot spring where you can relax both your mind and body? It's wonderful that you can go spontaneously without worrying about what to bring. The number of facilities offering natural hot springs, bedrock baths, saunas, and spa menus is increasing, and we will introduce you to the ever-evolving appeal of day trip hot springs.
These days, many day trip hot springs provide essential amenities such as shampoo and towels either for free or for a fee (for sale or rental). We recommend checking the available amenities at the facility before you go.
Bathing has many benefits, including relaxation, promoting metabolism, aiding recovery from fatigue, and reducing swelling. Additionally, hot springs offer various benefits, such as improving circulation and healing wounds, depending on the water quality. Choosing a facility based on the quality of the spring water is also a great idea.
Today's day-trip hot springs are fully equipped with more than just hot springs and saunas. You can enjoy a heated pool, salons offering numerous spa plans, countless comics and magazines, and even a game center, making it impossible to enjoy everything in one day. Plus, the number of facilities offering delicious meals is on the rise.
First, start by pouring hot water over yourself. Begin from the areas farthest from your chest to prepare for the rise in blood pressure that occurs immediately after bathing. Instead of fully immersing yourself in hot water right away, ease your body into it gradually. Bathing time should be moderate—when you start to feel a bit sweaty on your forehead and nose, it's a good sign to stop. After your bath, it's important to hydrate and take a rest. Since bathing consumes energy and affects your blood pressure, take about a 30-minute break until your body stabilizes.
These days, many day trip hot springs provide essential amenities such as shampoo and towels either for free or for a fee (for sale or rental). We recommend checking the available amenities at the facility before you go.
Bathing has many benefits, including relaxation, promoting metabolism, aiding recovery from fatigue, and reducing swelling. Additionally, hot springs offer various benefits, such as improving circulation and healing wounds, depending on the water quality. Choosing a facility based on the quality of the spring water is also a great idea.
Today's day-trip hot springs are fully equipped with more than just hot springs and saunas. You can enjoy a heated pool, salons offering numerous spa plans, countless comics and magazines, and even a game center, making it impossible to enjoy everything in one day. Plus, the number of facilities offering delicious meals is on the rise.
First, start by pouring hot water over yourself. Begin from the areas farthest from your chest to prepare for the rise in blood pressure that occurs immediately after bathing. Instead of fully immersing yourself in hot water right away, ease your body into it gradually. Bathing time should be moderate—when you start to feel a bit sweaty on your forehead and nose, it's a good sign to stop. After your bath, it's important to hydrate and take a rest. Since bathing consumes energy and affects your blood pressure, take about a 30-minute break until your body stabilizes.
Sauna and Bedrock Bath
Private Bath
Natural Hot Spring
Wide Variety
Public Bath, Super Public Bath, Spa
Good Access
Saunas and bedrock baths have become indispensable at day-trip hot spring facilities these days. Both saunas and bedrock baths make you sweat a lot, which provides a "detox" effect by removing excess water, salt, and waste products from your body. Additionally, warming the body promotes blood circulation, which can help improve back pain, stiff shoulders, and even prevent lifestyle-related diseases. The effect on the body differs between a sauna, which warms the body quickly, and a bedrock bath, which warms it more gradually. Please choose according to your physical condition.
Fukushima
A complex spa where you can enjoy a day of health and beauty
Located in Obama-cho, Iwaki City, Fukushima Prefecture, this is a complex spa where you can enjoy a wide variety of baths, including an open-air bath where you can enjoy the changing nature of the four seasons, a herbal medicinal bath, a tourmaline bath, and a highly concentrated carbonated spring bath. It is a popular "bath resort" where families can spend a whole day having fun, as it offers a full range of services such as an authentic Loryu sauna, bedrock bath, and Akasuri, as well as a restaurant and relaxation space. It is suitable not only for family use but also for groups and business use. It also has accommodation facilities and is widely used for training camps, training sessions, and banquets.
Aichi
A Hidden Retreat for Refined Resort Culture With a Tropical Ambiance
Located approximately an 8-minute drive from JR Futagawa Station and surrounded by Iwaya Ryokuchi Park in Toyohashi City, Aichi, "BASE CAMP KITI" allows you to bring your own food and drinks and enjoy a barbecue of your choice. Optional facilities include a Finnish-style sauna, a cold bath pumped from underground, a pool, and even a bonfire, making for a relaxing holiday for adults.
Hyogo
An Open-Air Garden Bath with Outstanding Springs, Surrounded by Seasonal Beauty
Located approximately a 15-minute walk from Kita-Suzurandai Station on the Kobe Electric Railway, this hot spring offers a garden open-air bath where you can enjoy the four seasons on a day trip. The two types of spring water they boast are natural hot spring water that springs from about 1,100 meters underground, and "Miyamizu", which is rich in minerals and is essential for the sake brewing of "Nada", and has been selected as one of Japan's 100 famous waters. After relaxing in the hot spring, you can also enjoy creative cuisine, including a kaiseki banquet.
Osaka
A Facility Offering the Ultimate Hot Spring and Camping Experience
"Kaizuka Ibuki Onsen Auto Campground," located approximately 10 minutes by car from the Kaizuka IC on the Hanwa Expressway, is a facility where you can enjoy a variety of experiences such as hot springs, camping, and activities in the midst of nature. At Ibuki Onsen, you can enjoy the slightly alkaline natural springs, known as the "hot springs of beauty," in an open-air bath or a private family bath, as well as a private sauna. There is a 200-square-meter auto campground that can easily accommodate two families, and plenty of indoor facilities for play even on rainy days. At "Le Clos," you can enjoy cuisine supervised by a chef who honed his skills at a three-star restaurant. Why not experience the resort feeling with your family and friends?
Search for Day Trip Hot Spring Facilities With Saunas and Bedrock Baths by Area
Private baths used to be associated with luxury inns, but more and more day-trip hot spring facilities are now offering them. You can enjoy a bath in a private room, making it ideal not only for couples on a date but also for families with children. You can relax without worrying about being seen by others. Some facilities even offer private rooms that include both indoor and open-air baths, allowing you to indulge in a luxurious experience.
Kumamoto
A facility where you can enjoy hot springs, saunas, meals and hotels
Mifune Terrace, conveniently located about 5 minutes by car from Mifune IC on the Kyushu Expressway, is a complex facility where you can refresh your mind and body, combining a hot spring, sauna, cafe, izakaya, and hotel. The hot spring "Yugetsu" has a large bath, an open-air bath, and 3 saunas that are perfect for sauna lovers, and the bedrock bath "Hoshi" has a planetarium. Equipped with a cafe, a large izakaya, and a hotel with a panoramic view of the night view of Mifune-cho, you can spend a luxurious time there after enjoying the hot springs or having a meal. There are also meeting rooms and working spaces available for rent, making it popular for sightseeing and business use.
Yamaguchi
A new place of relaxation in the historic Yuno Onsen
"Yuya Harune" stands in a corner of Yuno Onsen in Shunan City, Yamaguchi. They have three types of hot spring facilities: private hot springs, saunas, and large communal baths. The theme of the private hot spring is Yakushi Nyorai. "Tsubotsubo" is an open space where you can also take a bath in the outside air, with a bathtub shaped like the medicinal pot held by the Yakushi Nyorai in his left hand. In addition, the word "koukou," which represents a shining white light, is an image of the moonlight bodhisattva standing next to Yakushi Nyorai, and you can enjoy the feeling of bathing in dim moonlight even during the day. The public bath has been renovated while retaining the form of Yunoso, which closed in 2022, so fans of the old days will feel nostalgic.
Hyogo
A Complex Showcasing Local Specialties and Hot Springs
Hyogo’s Mikki City is home to "Michi-no-Eki Yokawa," a signature destination of the Yoshikawa area. The site features the "Yamada Nishiki Digital Museum," the sake-tasting corner Yokawa Sakagura Street, and "Yamada Nishiki no Yakata" —a complex offering locally brewed sake made with "Yamada Nishiki" rice along with fresh regional produce. It also includes "Yoshikawa Onsen Yokatan," known for its high-carbonation hot springs, creating a hub that highlights the unique appeal of the Yoshikawa area.
Kagoshima
Enjoy a bath while feeling the seasonal scenery
This rental family hot spring facility in Ibusuki City, Kagoshima Prefecture, features 10 guest rooms with indoor and open-air baths offering "beautiful skin" water sourced directly from the spring. The open-air baths are especially popular, allowing guests to enjoy seasonal flowers like cherry blossoms and hydrangeas by day and a star-filled sky at night. Each standalone building includes a restroom and toilet, ensuring privacy and convenience, especially for families with small children. Relax and rejuvenate while soaking in the nature of Ibusuki.
Search for Day Trip Hot Spring Facilities With Private Baths by Area
Day-trip hot springs that use natural spring water are especially popular among health-conscious individuals and hot spring enthusiasts. Some facilities have their own hot spring source and offer fresh spring water, while others focus on providing "flowing directly from the source" without circulating the water. Natural hot springs offer various benefits depending on the water type: chloride springs warm the body deeply, hydrogen carbonate springs smooth the skin, and sulfur springs have strong antibacterial properties. When choosing a hot spring facility, be sure to check the spring water quality and its benefits.
Kagawa
A facility in Kagawa Prefecture that is fully equipped with a women's Lory sauna.
Shiohama no Yu Shikoku Kenkomura, located approximately 10 minutes by car from Sakaide IC on the Seto Chuo Expressway, is a hot spring facility where you can enjoy a bath, sauna, and meals all day long. There are a variety of baths for men and women, and the women's bathroom has a new exclusive "Lowry sauna", where they hold daily self-lowry sessions, which are rare in Kagawa Prefecture, and Aufguss, which involves raising steam and blowing hot air through it. You can enjoy popular theater performances inside the building, and the restaurant offers local gourmet food from Kagawa Prefecture and a wide variety of drinks. The popular Shikoku Aquarium is about a 7-minute walk from the facility, and there are many tourist attractions, so why not take a bath to soothe your fatigue during your trip?
Yamanashi
A Park, Campground, and Hot Spring Surrounded by Nature
A multi-purpose outdoor complex where families can fully enjoy the beauty of nature. Visitors explore the nationally acclaimed Oshiro River, selected among Japan’s top 100 remarkable waters, join forest activities such as birdwatching, and savor Italian dishes prepared with locally sourced ingredients. Seasonal programs offer memorable experiences for all ages. The site also features a hot spring, cottages, and a campground, making it ideal for both day trips and overnight stays.
Hokkaido
"Auto Loyly" for the Ultimate "Totonoi" Experience
"Sauna Cotan Sapporo" is located about a six-minute drive from the "Daiwa House Premist Dome" in Toyohira Ward, Sapporo. Its name combines the Finnish word kota, meaning "Hut," and the Ainu word kotan, meaning "Village." This auto-loyly sauna is supervised by a board member of the Japan Sauna Society. The men’s sauna features brick walls reminiscent of a Scandinavian sauna hut, while the women’s sauna has benches encircling a stove, evoking the feeling of a bonfire in a Finnish forest. Both settings recreate the atmosphere of Northern Europe. From first-time visitors to seasoned sauna enthusiasts, all can enjoy a soothing "Totonou" experience (deeply calming sensation after a sauna).
Aomori
Enjoy a Day Trip to a Hot Spring With 100% Natural Hot Spring Water
Located approximately a 5-minute drive from JR Hachinohe Station, this day-use hot spring facility is easily accessible via the Tohoku Shinkansen. The natural Koki-no-Yu spring water, drawn from a depth of around 800 metres, flows freely at 100% capacity. The seasonal scenery viewed from the open-air bath offers a particularly special experience. The spring water, known as a “bijin-no-yu” (beautiful skin bath), is rich in botanical extracts and natural moisturising components, gently warming the body to the core in a short time. A wide variety of bathing options are available, including an artificial carbonated spring bath, a low-frequency electric bath, the Be-Skin Bath (women’s area only) with ultra-fine microbubbles, and a sauna. After bathing, unwind at "Momidokoro Hogushiya", a massage corner within the facility. Locally grown, carefully selected vegetables are also available for purchase.
Search for Day Trip Hot Spring Facilities With Natural Hot Springs by Area
This is especially true at super public baths, where both indoor and outdoor baths offer a wide variety of options, allowing you to have a fulfilling time at just one facility. Examples include lying baths, walking baths, jacuzzis, highly concentrated carbonated springs with artificially added carbon dioxide, and medicated baths with bath additives that are good for the body. Time may fly by if you take your time enjoying each bath. If you visit with friends of the same gender, you're sure to have fun.
Hyogo
An Open-Air Garden Bath with Outstanding Springs, Surrounded by Seasonal Beauty
Located approximately a 15-minute walk from Kita-Suzurandai Station on the Kobe Electric Railway, this hot spring offers a garden open-air bath where you can enjoy the four seasons on a day trip. The two types of spring water they boast are natural hot spring water that springs from about 1,100 meters underground, and "Miyamizu", which is rich in minerals and is essential for the sake brewing of "Nada", and has been selected as one of Japan's 100 famous waters. After relaxing in the hot spring, you can also enjoy creative cuisine, including a kaiseki banquet.
Niigata
Beautiful luxury mountain resort
Lotte Arai Resort, located in Myoko City, Niigata Prefecture, which has one of the best ski resorts in Japan, is a luxurious resort space spread out in a beautiful location of nature. There is fun to be had in each season, and, in addition to skiing, there are many other activities available in the winter. The exhilarating experience of playing in the snow at "Snow Adventure (HIZUME)" includes 15 different items, including casual "sledding" and "snow striders." Other activities that both children and adults can enjoy include "building a giant kamakura" and "snow rafting." Go if you want to spend a luxurious time at the hotel within the facility.
Kagawa
A facility in Kagawa Prefecture that is fully equipped with a women's Lory sauna.
Shiohama no Yu Shikoku Kenkomura, located approximately 10 minutes by car from Sakaide IC on the Seto Chuo Expressway, is a hot spring facility where you can enjoy a bath, sauna, and meals all day long. There are a variety of baths for men and women, and the women's bathroom has a new exclusive "Lowry sauna", where they hold daily self-lowry sessions, which are rare in Kagawa Prefecture, and Aufguss, which involves raising steam and blowing hot air through it. You can enjoy popular theater performances inside the building, and the restaurant offers local gourmet food from Kagawa Prefecture and a wide variety of drinks. The popular Shikoku Aquarium is about a 7-minute walk from the facility, and there are many tourist attractions, so why not take a bath to soothe your fatigue during your trip?
Kanagawa
A Theme Park Featuring Hot Springs and Outdoor Activities
A colorful mix of experiences comes together at this hot spring theme park—swimming in pools, relaxing in natural hot springs, enjoying outdoor activities, savoring generous meals, and browsing for souvenirs. At "Yunessun", the swimwear-friendly hot spring area, visitors find not only a flowing pool but also unique baths such as the wine bath. "Mori no Yu", the authentic day-use onsen, offers scenic open-air baths and private bathing rooms, creating a serene setting for an unhurried hot spring retreat.
Search for Day-Trip Hot Spring Facilities With a Wide Variety of Baths by Area
Day trip bathing facilities come in various forms, such as public baths, super public baths, and spas. A sento is a type of public bath, with bathing fees determined by each prefecture. A super sento is larger and offers more entertainment than a traditional sento, often with attached dining and entertainment facilities. Spas provide not only bathing but also services and amenities aimed at relaxation and health, such as aromatherapy and massage. Each has its own unique appeal, different from hot springs where you can enjoy the benefits of various water qualities.
Fukushima
A complex spa where you can enjoy a day of health and beauty
Located in Obama-cho, Iwaki City, Fukushima Prefecture, this is a complex spa where you can enjoy a wide variety of baths, including an open-air bath where you can enjoy the changing nature of the four seasons, a herbal medicinal bath, a tourmaline bath, and a highly concentrated carbonated spring bath. It is a popular "bath resort" where families can spend a whole day having fun, as it offers a full range of services such as an authentic Loryu sauna, bedrock bath, and Akasuri, as well as a restaurant and relaxation space. It is suitable not only for family use but also for groups and business use. It also has accommodation facilities and is widely used for training camps, training sessions, and banquets.
Kanagawa
A Theme Park Featuring Hot Springs and Outdoor Activities
A colorful mix of experiences comes together at this hot spring theme park—swimming in pools, relaxing in natural hot springs, enjoying outdoor activities, savoring generous meals, and browsing for souvenirs. At "Yunessun", the swimwear-friendly hot spring area, visitors find not only a flowing pool but also unique baths such as the wine bath. "Mori no Yu", the authentic day-use onsen, offers scenic open-air baths and private bathing rooms, creating a serene setting for an unhurried hot spring retreat.
Kumamoto
A facility where you can enjoy hot springs, saunas, meals and hotels
Mifune Terrace, conveniently located about 5 minutes by car from Mifune IC on the Kyushu Expressway, is a complex facility where you can refresh your mind and body, combining a hot spring, sauna, cafe, izakaya, and hotel. The hot spring "Yugetsu" has a large bath, an open-air bath, and 3 saunas that are perfect for sauna lovers, and the bedrock bath "Hoshi" has a planetarium. Equipped with a cafe, a large izakaya, and a hotel with a panoramic view of the night view of Mifune-cho, you can spend a luxurious time there after enjoying the hot springs or having a meal. There are also meeting rooms and working spaces available for rent, making it popular for sightseeing and business use.
Yamanashi
A Park, Campground, and Hot Spring Surrounded by Nature
A multi-purpose outdoor complex where families can fully enjoy the beauty of nature. Visitors explore the nationally acclaimed Oshiro River, selected among Japan’s top 100 remarkable waters, join forest activities such as birdwatching, and savor Italian dishes prepared with locally sourced ingredients. Seasonal programs offer memorable experiences for all ages. The site also features a hot spring, cottages, and a campground, making it ideal for both day trips and overnight stays.
Search Public Baths, Super Public Baths, and Spa Day Trip Hot Spring Facilities by Area
In the past, day-trip hot spring facilities were often located in places most convenient for access by car. However, more and more are now found in easily accessible locations such as near train stations, airports, and hotels, making them easy to visit without a car. Whether you want to enjoy a spacious bath while staying in a city hotel or unwind before or after traveling by plane or train, these facilities cater to your needs. Why not add a visit to a day-trip hot spring facility to your travel routine?
Search for Easily Accessible Day Trip Hot Spring Facilities by Area
