Best 10 Onsen in Nagoya
Onsen (what hot springs are called in Japan) are all over the Asian continent. These springs have been used for hundreds and for some, thousands of years as part of ancient ceremonies, purification rituals, health and healing, and today for a unique way to relax and revitalize vacationing tourists.
If you have been trying to think up a new sort of adventure for your next travel destination, we found something you are going to really love! We’ve already shown you some of the best onsen in Japan dating back 1800 years. Now we want to introduce you to the wonderful onsen in Nagoya.
What we found are some of the most amazing onsen you are going to find anywhere. They are clean, they are gorgeous, and they are filled to the brim with all kinds of activities and guest amenities. Unlike the really ancient Yunomine onsen, the onsen in Nagoya go back roughly 1300 years and boast ryokan with a few more modern flourishes than you would expect in such ancient places.
Another thing that we think is absolutely fantastic about the onsen in Nagoya is that you can kind of pick and choose your adventure. We found the best 10 onsen based on four different categories: Healing Properties, Natural Beauty, Mountain Views, and Classic Japanese Architecture. Whatever type of adventure you seek, we have found the best 10 onsen in Nagoya for you to choose from!
Best 3 Onsen in Nagoya Known for Healing Properties
Here you will find three terrific onsen – two where you can stay the night and one public bathhouse. Each of these springs is believed to heal a laundry list of health issues but you’ll have to try them and see for yourself!
1. Hidatei Hanaougi
Are you suffering from skin ailments like dermatitis, muscle pains, or bad circulation? Prepare yourself to either be transformed by the waters from the Jindai onsen flowing throughout Hidatei Hanaougi or simply enjoy a beautiful hot spring enveloped by the natural beauty of Nagoya.
Hot spring water from this onsen comes up from nearly 4,000 feet deep in the earth. What results is a unique natural spring that is weirdly thick, like a serum. It is this quality that is believed to make your skin feel like silk. Naturally infused with sodium hydrogen carbonate, it is believed that a dip in this onsen brings relief from neuralgia, circulatory problems, exhaustion, burns and bruises, and sickness.
A volcanic eruption thousands of years ago left an extraordinary mark on this site – a native timber tree that has stood buried in the ground for millennia! Since some of that wood was used to build Hidatei Hanagoui, you’ll likely catch a whiff of the enchanting aroma coming from the ages old timber. Out of the 48 rooms on-site, some have private baths or you can rent time in one of several open air baths available.
Address: 506-0003 Gifu, Takayama, Honobu-machi 411-1, Japan
Website: https://www.hanaougi.co.jp/english/
Contact (For Reservations): https://www.jalan.net/en/japan_hotels_ryokan/Ryokan/Gifu_Ryokan/Hida_Takayama_Ryokan/Hidatakayama_Nyukawa_Ryokan/hidatei_hanaougi/
2. Kyoya Ryokan Nagoya
If healing is what you seek, we recommend spending time at Kyoya Ryokan in Nagoya. This spot has access to the Sanage Onsen, smack dab in the middle of a semi-national park. In fact, this onsen is considered the biggest of its kind containing natural radon in the water. That’s why this spring is known as the “science bath.”
You may be thinking, ‘Isn’t radon bad for you?’ Only if it’s inhaled and usually in much higher doses than you’ll find in hot spring water according to most experts. When dissolved in water, radon is believed to have many – scientifically proven – positive effects. It in fact does reduce swelling which accounts for the pain relief experienced by bathers.
The types of ailments the “science bath” is believed to cure or help are many including treatment of high blood pressure, urinary problems, arthritis, joint pain, high cholesterol, and some say it makes women and men more fertile. Because of that, people who visit this onsen often drink it too and save it in water bottles to take back home.
Address: 451-0041 Habashita 2-11-4, Nishiku, Nagoya, Aichi, Japan
Website: http://www.kyoya.to/
Contact: TEL+81-52-571-2588
Email: customer@kyoya.to
3. Nagakute Onsen Gozarasse
Also situated in the Aichi national park near the Sanage Onsen is the Nagakute Onsen Gozarasse. This healing natural spring attracts visitors who want to take a dip in the largest natural spring bath chock full of carbon dioxide. You’ll notice how bubbly it is and that the bubbles stick to you – that’s the carbon dioxide that is believed to be excellent for the skin!
Like carbon monoxide (which is lethal), the carbon dioxide (which we all exhale when we breathe) is colorless and odorless. It makes for super inviting crystal clear waters. The Nagakute onsen is a public bathhouse so you won’t find a lot of privacy here. However, there are two different bath styles to accommodate tourists from the western hemisphere.
You won’t have to bathe separately from your mate. Both men and women enjoy this onsen at the same time, although, that changes sometimes throughout the week, so you want to call ahead to make sure that you’re not going to be wasting your time.
Address: 170 Maegumashimoda, Nagakute-shi, Aichi
Contact: (T) 0561-64-3511
Website: http://www.nagakuteonsen.jp/
Best 2 Onsen in Nagoya Known for Natural Beauty
Right in the heart of the Mikawa and Ise Bays is the Minamichita Onsengou. This massive spring contains three different onsen that are lined with beaches, views of the ocean, and tons of natural beauty. We found two of the best onsen in the area to take in all of this natural wonder.
4. Nishiura Onsen
Whatever room you stay in, you have a panoramic view of the ocean. Situated high above the Mikawa Bay, this onsen takes full advantage of the beauty surrounding it with a rooftop open air bath for you to enjoy. From the roof, you can see the entire Bay all the way out to the ocean.
Luxury and beauty go hand in hand here. Some of the rooms offer private baths that open up to the sky while others provide rejuvenating footbaths for long days spent outside walking along the beach. From the 50 year old observation decks, on one end you can watch the sunrise. On the other, enjoy a quiet sunset looking out onto serene waters.
You’ll even find the Muryouji Temple to ward off cancer and evil if spiritual healing is your thing. No wonder poets wrote and sang about this breathtaking slice of heaven on earth. Come in the summer months and you can swim in the waters and don’t miss some of the festivals held there each year!
Address: Oyama, Nishiura-cho, Gamagori-shi, Aichi
Website: http://www.nishiuraonsen.com/en/about/
Contact: (T) 0533-57-2195
5. Yunoshimakan
Hundred year old cypresses and cedar trees fill the forest surrounding the Yunoshimakan onsen in Nagoya. Built in 1931, this authentic Japanese-style ryokan has served as host to emperors past and present along with thousands upon thousands of annual visitors making a pilgrimage to this world famous onsen.
The floral surroundings are part of the show, complimenting one of the best onsen in all of Japan. Although we chose this one for its natural beauty, the waters here are believed to also have beautifying properties for your skin. The architecture itself is made of the aromatic woods that makeup the forest.
As a place of entertainment, you may be surprised to find that the former on-site dancehall has been turned into a nightclub and bar. There is even a sunroom and a billiards room for western-style entertainment for those who want to experience an authentic Japanese onsen – with a twist!
Address: 645 Yunoshima, Gero City, Gifu Prefecture 509-2207, Japan
Contact: (T) 0576-25-3131 (Domestic call), +81-576-25-3131 (International call)
Best 2 Onsen in Nagoya with Outstanding Mountain Views
Picking the right onsen to stay at depends on the type of experience you want to have. We’ve seen waterscapes and healing onsen but if mountain views are your bag, we found two of the best in all of Nagoya
6. Miyama Ouan
The majestic Hida Mountains are the backdrop for the onsen at Myama Ouan. Set at the foothills of the mountain, every view from your room will open up to a picturesque view of the mountain ranges. Though the mountains are old as dirt, this ryokan is actually quite new and modern.
With its 72 rooms, it has been designed with all of the modern accents that you want in a traditional hotel but jazzed up with ancient Japanese stylings. For instance, unlike a lot of onsen in the region, there are plenty of private baths for you and your family to enjoy – both open air and indoor.
All of the on-site baths are designed to capture the mountains as you rest and relax in perfect harmony with nature. The rooms are gorgeous and even though you’ll be staying nestled inside of a mountain range, the property provides Wi-Fi. Honestly, though, it can be a little sketchy at times because, you know, it’s deep in the mountains!
Address: 229 Hirayu, Okuhida Onsengo, Takayama City, Gifu, Japan
Contact: (T) 0578-89-2799, (Domestic) 506-1433; F 0578-89-2699
7. Kuriya Yasohachi
There is a lot to love about staying at Kuriya Yasohachi besides its mountain views, but let’s not give those views short shrift! This property was built with its own bamboo forest on-site. It is on that side of the building where you will find rooms that open up to the gorgeous mountains outside. The flow and sound of the steam trickling down the mountain makes bathing in the open-air private bath that much more divine.
You won’t find several different baths in this 24 room ryokan, but there is one giant communal bath for guests to enjoy as well as an open air bath. There is also a public bath – one for women and one for men. The natural spring waters here contain calcium, sodium, and sulfate bubbling at a pleasant 48 degrees. These waters are believed to cure everything from gastrointestinal disorders to paralysis.
Ask the proprietors of this joint though, and they’ll tell you that their pride and joy is the food that they grow and prepare for their guests. Using their own rice grown from rice paddies that they’ve cultivated themselves, you will not want for delicious Japanese cuisine during your stay here.
Address: Ro 62, Yamanaka Onsen Sugatani-Machi, Kaga-Shi, Ishikawa 922-0139, Japan
Contact: (T) 0761-78-8080, (F) 0761-78-3888
Best 3 Onsen in Nagoya with Classic Japanese Architecture
One of the things we love about the fabulous onsen in Nagoya is that no matter how old the place, the classic Japanese architecture always looks modern and sleek. That is no different when it comes to these three best onsen – some that date back centuries!
8. Rurikoh
The Yamashiro Onsen that flows to Rurikoh is believed to date back 1300 years to 718 A.D. Over that time, locals have helped to keep the area in the traditional Japanese style when it was built during the Edo period between 1600 until the late 1860s. Even the public bathhouse is hundreds of years old!
This spring looks out onto the Sea of Japan and its healing properties are believed to be derived from the alkaline in the water. Those suffering from fatigue, neuralgia, and bad circulation come here to dip their sore bones in the waters in hopes of a remedy. The sacred Mount Hakusan is a remnant of this area’s storied past.
You’ll find two other onsen in the area in addition to the Yamashiro Onsen and all of them are built around age old public bathhouses. History comes alive while you take in the classic Japanese architecture around you when you choose to stay at Rurikoh.
Address: 19-58-1 Yamashiro-onsen, Kaga, Kaga, Japan, 922-0295
Contact: (T) +81-(0)761-77-2323, (F) +81-(0)761-77-3821
Website: http://rurikoh.jp/en/
9. Houshi Ryokan
Talk about classic Japanese architecture, the Houshi Ryokan is actually listed in the Guinness Book of World Records as the oldest standing ryokan in the world. Located near the Kaga Onsen, people have been stopping and staying at Houshi Ryokan since the 8th century – now that’s classic!
There are 74 different guest rooms on-site with an indoor bath for women and one for men and an outdoor bath for women and one for men – no unisex bathing allowed. You can however reserve a private family bath but there are only two in the entire facility.
From here, you are only a hop, skip, and a jump from the other 1300 year old Awazu Onsen, believed to have been given to man by the gods of the mountain for healing. The same family has maintained this ryokan for 46 generations so far, despite the many changes in the world over the centuries. Just as in ancient times, the food is harvested from the land and prepared in traditional Japanese style.
Address: Awazu onsen, Komatsu-shi, Ishikawa 923-0326 Japan
Contact: (T) +81-761-65-1111(Representative), +81-761-65-1112 (Reservation), (F) +81-761-65-1115
Website: https://www.ho-shi.co.jp/en/
10. Hoshokaku
At Hoshokaku, you’ll notice a particular style of classic Japanese architecture derived from the Hida people who inhabited the areas around the Hida Mountain back in the day. Their handiwork can be seen today standing side-by-side with the modern, western-style accents that make up this exquisite destination location.
Proximity to the old city a short jaunt away gives this ryokan a different sort of vibe. It’s old, yes, and you can even see parts of a castle that once stood overlooking the area. But in the inn itself, the style is meant to show off authentic Japanese heritage and tradition through its architecture.
Cedar wood was used to build the two separate men and women’s open air baths where you can use a massage chair, enjoy a special spa, or shower. A modern footbath on the top floor adds to the incredible atmosphere of staying at Hoshokaku.
Address: 1-88 Baba-Machi, Takayama-Shi, Gifu 506-0838, Japan
Contact: (T) +81-0577-34-0700, (F) +81-0577-35-0717
Website: https://www.hoshokaku.co.jp/english/
E-mail: master@hoshokaku.co.jp
