AiAi Onsen, Tokushima, Shikoku

Price: 500 Yen
Open: 8:00 ~ 1:00
Tel: 088-665-7788

徳島県徳島市川内町平石若宮１８５－１

http://www2.tcn.ne.jp/~aiaionsen/index.html

Aiai Onsen is listed in the travel guides available at the tourism bureau in front of Tokushima train station.

With hours to spare before we got on the night bus back to Tokyo, we were looking for a reasonable place to spend a few hours, and also to eat good, cheap food.

Aiai onsen fits this bill perfectly. The staff are extremely friendly and welcoming to foreigners. They were more than happy to put our oversized bags behind the counter while we bathed.

They smilingly called us a taxi to take us back to the station when our time was up. (The taxi ride is a bit on the expensive side at 2000 Yen). Beware the overly simple map on the tourist guidemap. It isn't located just over the bridge and around the corner, rather, at least 20 minutes by car.

However, the food was cheap and good, the place was warm and inviting, and we spent about 4 hours there without needing to move.

Aiai onsen is perfect for that purpose, if you ever find yourself in Tokushima waiting for a bus, ferry or express train.

Nagakute Onsen, Fujigaoka, Aichi prefecture

Price: 700 Yen
Open: 10:00 ~ 23:00
Tel: 0561-64-3511

Sauna : Yes
愛知県愛知郡長久手町大字前熊字下田170
Access: Free shuttle bus every half hour from Fujigaoka subway station from 9.30am to 21:30
http://www.nagakuteonsen.jp/index.html

Nagakute Onsen is a huge commercial complex with a circuit of baths to experience.
Both the womens and mens sections provide comprehensive bathing options to suit every taste.

Being next to the university, it can get quite busy at times. It is also popular with families. We visited towards the end of the evening, which meant that we could enjoy relative quiet.

I thoroughly enjoyed the outdoor bath and the cave baths, and made good use of the massage shower.

Inside there are many options from jets to bubbles or for the brave the electric tingle bath. This bath sends little shoots of electric like impulses through the water to relax the muscles. It's not to my liking, however there are those that swear by it!


Overall, this bath is a good one to visit if you are in the area, but not worth a voyage for the experience in itself.

Yukari Onsen, Chofu, Tokyo

http://www.shiroyama-gr.co.jp/yukari/

Yukari Onsen is designed to be a relaxing day out for tired Tokyoites.

With lots of space and gardens to relax within, this is a great find less than 20 minutes from bustling Shinjuku.

The waters in the many baths of Yukari Onsen are a rich red black, and are slightly salty. The effect on the skin is cleansing and purifying, as is the experience itself.

There are many baths to choose from, all with little nooks and crannies so one can be as social or reserved as you might enjoy.

Inside, there is a large hinoki bath overlooking the garden. Here you will also find the washing area, fully equipped with top of the range skin, body and hair care products. The sauna is also inside, or you can order a massage from the front desk.

Outside is where the choices really begin.

A beautifully designed outdoor bath is complemented by a deep cut coloured stone encrsusted cold bath. It looks like a princesses playground, and it is hard to belive that as an ordinary human you can bathe in such beauty.

A small rotunda holds another hinoki bath, from where you can see stairs leading up into the deep green of the maple forest. You might also notice a deep red glow below the stairs, ebbing in the darkness.

Either of these paths leads you to different baths, and experiences. The red glow unfolds a deep cave bath, the dark waters reflecting the rich red walls. The steam lofts up to the ceiling, and the occasional splash of drips from the condensation provide a lovely soundscape for thought.
The stairwell leads to a hinoki bath high in the trees. From every vantage there are varieties of deep green. Tall, healthy maples dance in the breeze, and after the hectic sights of Tokyo life, such abundant greenery is a bath for the eyes.

Access

Yukari is easy to get to, as there are free shuttle buses operational from Chofu Station North Exit or Musashi Sakai Station South Exit. Buses run to and from Yukari at half hour intervals throughout the day.

Biwa No Yu, Asama Onsen, Matsumoto, Nagano

Tel: 02 63461977
Entry: 800 Yen
Open: 9:00 ~ 21:00
Sauna: Yes

〒390-0303長野県松本市浅間温泉３－２６－１

Biwa No Yu is an onsen with more than 400 years of history. It was founded by the first lord of Matsumoto Castle, Ishikawa, who bathed at the onsen. The onsen remained a private area maintained by the palace for many years, and to this day is maintained by an ancestor of Lord Ishikawa.

The onsen consists of two completely separated areas, indoor and outdoor. The area surrounding the main house is beautifully maintained, with traditional gardens that are pleasing to the eye making the stroll from the inside bathhouse to the outside bathhouse enjoyable. However yukata (dressing gowns traditionally used for onsen) are not provided so it is necessary to reclothe in order to go from one area to the other.

The inside bathhouse has three baths and washing facilities. Sumi (charcoal) foot scrub is provided in addition to the usual body soap and shampoo/conditioner. Some face cleanser is also available.

Inside you will find a large bath which is great for the first stop after washing as the water is quite hot.

On the balcony of the indoor bath house you will find a hinoki bath. The smell of hinoki is a unique scent that cleanses like hot sake.

The outdoor bath has a lovely garden surrounded by maple trees and bamboo. It is very relaxing and tranquil.

Hot Plaza Asama, Matsumoto, Nagano

ホットプラザ浅間
松本市浅間温泉3-16-3　
Tel: 0263-46-6278
Price: 630 Yen
Open: 10:00~ 23:00
Sauna: Yes
http://www.asamaonsen.com/hot-plaza/

Hot Plaza Asama is a thoroughly modern onsen in an old onsen town. It opened in 2009 and it's main attraction is the location. Only a minute away from the bus stop that connects Asama Onsen to Matsumoto train station, and directly across from the only post office in town, this is a very convenient location for a hot spring, even in this onsen paradise.

The waters are enjoyable with both an indoor and outdoor bath, however the ultra modern design of the onsen is so clean and neat you feel a lot like you're in a giant oversized bathroom.

What it lacks in atmosphere, it makes up for with a lovely selection of skin soaps, face treatments and hair products all available for use at no extra charge.

After your bath, you can relax in the tatami room upstairs or take a ride around the town on one of the bicycles available for free use by patrons.

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!

Yunomine Onsen (Tsuboyu), Wakayama

Tsuboyu (World Heritage Onsen)
Price: 750 yen
Hours: 6:00~21:30
Time: Private use for 30 minutes.
※For 1 or 2 people. Great for couples.
※No soap or Shampoo allowed.

Kusuri Medicine Bath
Price: 380 yen
Hours: 6:00~22:00
※No soap or shampoo allowed.

Public Bath
Price: 250 yen
Hours: 6:00~22:00
※Bring your own soap or shampoo.

Yunomine Onsen is regarded as one of the oldest onsen in Japan and its history is deeply entwined with that of the Kumano Pilgrimage. For at least 1000 years pilgrims have practiced their water ablutions at this onsen, a tradition that continues today.

Tsuboyu is the only onsen to be located inside a UNESCO world heritage area. It is situated in the Kumano river which is part of the Kumano Sankei Michi (熊の参詣道) world heritage area in Wakayama and is a truly remarkable experience.

You cannot help but be impressed by the ancient feel of this bath. When immersed in the extremely hot water flowing directly from deep in the earth you get a sense of being taken back in time. The atmosphere is wonderful as the single-stone carved bathtub reaches high over your head and the base of the bath consists of hundreds of small river pebbles. The river rushes right around the shack, less than 30 cms from the bath, so you can close your eyes and feel the power of it surrounding you.

Tsuboyu is the gem of the onsen's three public baths and is perfectly sized for couples. The experience is so popular that it needs to be booked ahead and can only be used for 30 minute intervals. The water is very hot, so we found 30 minutes to be quite adequate. The water in Tsuboyu is said to change colour up to 7 times throughout the day and apparently has very highly valued medicinal properties.

The private bath Tsuboyu is complemented by the public and Kusuri medicine baths. If you wish to bathe in every bath as we did, it is advisable to note that you cannot wait in the public or medicinal bath for the private bath, even if you have an hour to spare, so it is best to use one of the 2 public baths first, then make a booking for Tsuboyu and wait in line for your turn. If you are lucky you will be in within a short while, but it does become quite crowded in summer.

Next to the Tsuboyu is a large onsen pool (Yuzutsu) with pungent water bubbling away at 93°C especially designed for cooking. It is common to see bags of eggs and vegetables such as corn or eggplant floating in the pool, and people sitting by the river eating. You can buy overpriced eggs and vegetables at the local shop, but it would be best to take along your own if you want to give onsen cooking a go, although the local business clique might frown upon this.

As for the town and surrounding area, it is small and atmospheric, with many options at a variety of prices for those who wish to stay in the area. The rich history of the region is still evident and whilst there are tourists, it is not overrun with buses or tour groups.

Access is via private car or bus, however the buses are not regular.

The JR Kisei line from either Nagoya or Osaka will take you to the Kii peninsula and the Kumano Sanzan area. Take the train to Shingu station. From here you can get the bus to Yunomine in the Town of Hongu. The bus journey takes about 70 minutes. If you are coming from Kyoto, you can also take the train to Tanabe (2hrs) and from there go by bus over the mountains to Hongu (3 hrs).

For a great site with lots of accomodation options in the area, see the following link. The phone numbers for any of these accomodation options can be used for a rental car GPS system to guide you to the area.
http://www.hongu.jp/english/yunomine/stay_yunomine/index.htm

Benten Mountain, Tokushima, Shikoku

Benten Mountain, located in Tokushima is the lowest natural mountain in Japan, and at 6.1 metres, you won't even need to stretch your legs to climb it.

So small is this little mountain, that you may not even notice it as you drive past. The surrounding hills reach further into the sky, and the lack of fanfare for Benten means that it isn't easily found.
A small shrine sits at the top of the 'trail' and next to the shrine is an information booth which provides leaflets that compare and contrast this mountain with its competitors for the lowest height. Making mountains out of molehills, Osaka claims its mountain, Tempo-zan is the lowest mountain in Japan, at just 4.5m above sea level. Benten's information booklet dispels this as myth, citing the fact that Tempo-zan is man made and thus does not qualify for the title of "Japan's smallest mountain".

Benten San is more of a novelty than a mountain, and only worth a visit if you happen to be in the area, or want a fun conversation topic at your next Japanese party.