Tokushima Tokushima City
A superb cold plunge bath luxuriously fed by abundant natural underground water, paired with a classic retro sento atmosphere
"Motomachiyu" is a long-established neighborhood sento in Tokushima City, Tokushima Prefecture. This retro bathhouse retains the charm of an old downtown district and has long been loved by locals. Its biggest attraction is the cold plunge bath, generously filled with naturally self-springing underground water from beneath the grounds and left to flow continuously. The water feels exceptionally soft, and its mellow chill gently embraces your body after a sauna session. The retractable bouna sauna has no TV, letting you work up a sweat in peace, and the bath selection is also rich, with a White Ion Bath where microbubbles loosen the body and a medicinal bath that changes daily.
A bath that generates countless ultra-fine bubbles, called White Ion, inside the tub. The silky, smooth white water gently envelops the entire body, while the tiny bubbles help remove dirt from deep within the pores and promote blood circulation through a massage-like effect. The pleasant stimulation is soothing to the skin, leaving it moist, smooth, and supple after you get out.
A bouna-style sauna with heaters hidden under the benches and inside the wall behind them. Heat circulates easily throughout the room, gently warming your whole body from the feet up. With no TV, it has a quiet, slightly nostalgic atmosphere. Wrapped in the scent of wood, it is a calm space where you can face yourself in silence.
An impressive, fully free-flowing cold plunge bath that continuously overflows with the abundant underground water of Sako in Tokushima. The water has an astonishingly mellow texture, with a gentle, refreshing quality that sinks softly into the skin. Thanks to the naturally soft chill of this spring water, it is easy on the body even for longer stays, allowing you to slowly melt away body heat.
Open Year-Round
Tokushima
Natural hot spring in Naruto overlooking the boat race course
Tokushima
Rich free-flowing source hot spring water and an authentic sauna that feels like the real thing
Tokushima
The ultimate outdoor sauna experience with a kura smoke sauna
JAPAN'S FINEST ONSEN & SAUNA
The Finest Onsen & Sauna in Japan
57 SELECTIONS
Most of what we surveyed never even made it onto this site. This book is a further cut from what did. Our editor bathed in every onsen and sauna in it, and wrote only what they confirmed on the ground.
