Shizuoka Onsen: 10 Editors' Picks

Editors' comment

A day-use onsen facility located within Tokinosumika, a leisure resort in Gotemba. The large communal bath is filled with an abundant alkaline simple onsen, known for its smooth, gentle touch on the skin. After stretching out in the indoor bath, head to the open-air bath: on clear days, Mt. Fuji rises directly ahead, and the sky's colors shift throughout the day. Rather than simply borrowing Mt. Fuji as scenery, the design places the mountain squarely at the center of the view, defining the character of this bath. Carbonated spring baths and a rotating bath exclusive to women are also available, and a sauna is on-site as well.

Editors' comment

Across the grounds, mountains, fields, ponds, and streams spread out, with three distinctly different private baths tucked among them: a bold tub carved from a massive boulder, a Japanese-style corner accented with bamboo, and a quiet structure enclosed by rocks. All are filled with source-fed onsen water on a continuous flow basis, require no reservation, and can be used as many times as you like when available. There are no washing areas, as the design is meant purely for soaking. The water is an alkaline calcium-sodium sulfate spring, gentle on the skin. The large communal bath features a hinoki cypress indoor bath, a jar-shaped tub, a waterfall shower bath, and a rock-lined open-air bath, offering a full onsen-hopping experience within the property. A sauna is also available.

Editors' comment

The private open-air bath on the top floor has nothing but the Pacific Ocean in view. The horizon stretches out ahead, and at night only the stars and the sound of waves remain. The water is a sodium-calcium chloride spring, known for excellent heat retention that keeps you warm long after bathing, even in the sea breeze. The seaside location of Inatori shapes both the view from the tub and the quality of the onsen itself. The same top floor also features the infinity-edge open-air bath Sora, and the property includes an observation bath and a dedicated onsen building open around the clock, letting you warm up repeatedly while taking in the sea from different angles.

Editors' comment

The four private baths scattered throughout the property are all fed continuously from the source. Each has its own character: a round tub fragrant with hinoki cypress, an open-air bath overlooking the forest, a bath equipped with a reclining soak, and a hotter bath where you can adjust the temperature to your liking. No reservation or fee is required — simply check the sign on the door, and the bath becomes yours alone. Open 24 hours, so you can visit late at night or at dawn, whichever suits you. The indoor communal bath faces the Katsura River, letting you soak in an alkaline simple onsen while listening to the sound of the water. Founded 400 years ago, the main building where the novelist Natsume Soseki once recuperated still stands today.

Editors' comment

This inn, a registered tangible cultural property, stands on the banks of the Kano River. The onsen is a calcium-sodium sulfate spring on a continuous source-fed flow, and the view changes with each bath. Tengu no Yu offers an open-air bath overlooking the mountains of Izu and the Kano River, along with a steamy cave bath. Hoshi no Yu is an open bath where the sound of the mountain stream carries in. Matsu no Yu is an indoor bath dappled with sunlight through the trees, with a gentle touch to the water. The standalone annex Shakunage, a renovated cultural property available for exclusive rental, has its own spacious open-air and indoor baths, letting guests enjoy the same source water in complete privacy. A sauna is also available. The onsen is reserved exclusively for overnight guests.

Editors' comment

The large communal bath consists entirely of a deep-soaking open-air bath, 125cm deep. Seated on the built-in bench, the water reaches your shoulders; standing, it comes up to around your chest, and the water pressure creates a distinct sense of floating. Ahead lies an unobstructed view of the Pacific Ocean and the Izu Islands, made possible by the hilltop location in the Atagawa highlands. All 26 guest rooms feature a terrace with a private open-air onsen bath overlooking the sea, letting you soak as many times as you like while the sky and ocean shift in color from sunrise to starlit night. The foot bath counter in the main building faces the same sea view.

Editors' comment

Amber-colored mogul-type onsen water, welling up from deep underground, flows continuously into the open-air baths. Rich in plant-derived organic matter, this water leaves a distinctively smooth, silky feeling on the skin. There are two large communal baths: Daichi, defined by straight lines, where you can gaze at trees swaying in the wind, and Sora, with its curved design, where you can watch the changing sky. Since the men's and women's baths alternate daily, you can experience the same source water against two different backdrops. The top-floor suite has its own private onsen bath, where you can soak while taking in the garden view at your own pace. A sauna is also available.

Editors' comment

Said to have been discovered in the Nara period, Yoshina Onsen, one of the oldest hot springs in Izu, can be experienced here in an open-air rock bath. The Gyoki no Yu open-air bath makes use of the natural rock formations of the land, with the sound of the nearby Yoshina River and rustling trees carrying through the air — dappled sunlight by day, starlight by night. Another open-air bath, Garyu no Yu, combines an Izu stone tub with a hinoki cypress rim, pairing the textures of stone and wood. The water is clear and alkaline, with a smooth, silky feel on the skin. Private baths and in-room open-air baths are also available, offering the option to enjoy the same onsen quietly, alone or as a couple.

Editors' comment

The 7th-floor observation bath transitions seamlessly from a glass-enclosed indoor bath to an infinity-edge open-air bath just outside. The water's surface appears to merge directly with Sagami Bay, with no visible boundary between them. The onsen, containing sulfate and chloride, is gentle on the skin and leaves a lasting warmth after bathing. Furthermore, every guest room has its own private open-air onsen bath on the balcony, letting you soak facing the sea at any hour — morning light rising over the horizon, or moonlight reflected on the water at night, with only the sound of waves reaching you. The large communal bath also features a sauna and cold plunge bath.

Editors' comment

The location, offering views of Sagami Bay and the Pacific Ocean from every room, directly shapes the design of the baths. The large communal bath has an open layout overlooking the Pacific, filled with natural onsen water drawn from the source. On the rooftop, a private open-air bath offers a view of nothing but sea and sky; the scenery from the same tub transforms completely between dusk and a starlit night. The in-room open-air bath sits beyond a dry landscape garden with earthen walls, and after bathing, guests can relax in a reclining chair on the deck to catch the sea breeze. Overnight guests can also use the large open-air bath at the adjacent Akazawa day-use onsen facility free of charge.