Haruno No Yu, Kochi, Shikoku

天然温泉はるのの湯
高知県高知市春野町西分3546　
Tel:　088-894-5400　
Open: 10:00～22:00
Price: 900 Yen

Located in Kochi city in Kochi prefecture, Haruno No Yu is one of the best commercial onsen we have visited.

The premises is dedicated to relaxation, and has truly fantastic facilities.
We usually allow an hour to an hour and a half for our onsen trips, but we could have easily spent hours at Haruno No Yu.

The onsen has a number of "zones", each dedicated to different forms of relaxation.

Within the women's section, there is a large outdoor onsen with a cave bath large enough to find peace and quiet even on a busy day.

Then there are a series of bubbling baths, each designed for comfort while laying back and enjoying the trees.

If you have sore shoulders you might enjoy the powerful massage showers, that blast water from about a metre above onto the area you wish to knead.

There is also a huge wet sauna dome to relax or meditate within.

Inside there are also three baths. A still Hinoki wood bath, a bubbling bath, and an onsen bath.

For families or couples, there is also a mixed zone where you are required to wear a bathing suit.

The mixed zone caters for children with water slides, and fun activities.

Families can relax in a large bath together.

If you are after some 'hands on' relaxation, massage and sand baths are available.

Food is also served on the premises, so you can really make a day of this onsen experience.

We highly recommend it!

Bessho Onsen, Nagano

Bessho Onsen village is home to the oldest hot springs in the Nagano prefecture. There are at least four hot springs in the village, all within easy walking distance from each other. With some very beautiful temples and wonderful old shops, the walk is thoroughly enjoyable.

Should your feet tire from walking there is a free outdoor footbath for you to enjoy as well.

Access to Bessho is via JR Ueda Station. Go up the escalator to the Ueda Bessho line. Return tickets with access to two onsen are available for Y1250. The train takes approximately 27 minutes to reach Bessho from Ueda.

Daishi Yu

Entry Y150

Open 6am to 10pm

Closed every 1st and 3rd Thursdays of the month


Daishi Yu is a simple, no nonsense sento like onsen. The tiles are a lovely retro blue that reminded me of dragon scales, and the local elderly were very friendly. The front attendant also handed us maps on entry, and showed us where other onsen were in relation to Daishi Yu. Overall it was a positive experience, but not a highly memorable one.


Oh Yu

Entry Y 150

Open 6am to 10pm

Closed every 1st and 3rd Wednesdays

A lovely temple like façade welcomes you to the Oh Yu Onsen. The facility is large and the inside bath could hold at least 15 people, however I was told by a local that the inside bath is not onsen water, unlike the outside bath which is a naturally occurring hot spring.

The mineral content of the water is said to be good for the complexion, and the friendly locals certainly seemed to have wonderful clear skin.

Oh Yu is famed for its healing powers, ever since a wounded samouri soldier bathed there and his wounds miraculously healed some hundreds of years ago.

The outoor bath was great, the water has a special quality that does indeed seem to affect the skin straight away. I could feel my skin tighten upon entering the water, which I am sure why the Nagano onsens are known as ‘The hot springs of beauty’.

I could have stayed longer in this bath, mosty due to the wonderful friendliness of the local townspeople, with whom I was thoroughly enjoying an entertaining conversation.