Chiba Shisui
Open-air baths overlooking Mount Fuji, and natural hot spring water direct from the source with abundant iodine
"Shisui Onsen Yuranosato" is a day-use hot spring facility in Shisui Town, Inba District, Chiba Prefecture. From the open-air baths set high above the ground, nothing obstructs the view, and on clear days Mount Fuji appears in the distance. The water drawn from deep underground is a rich, highly saline spring with abundant iodine. So salty you could taste it, it forms a thin film on the skin and keeps you warm even after you get out, which is why it is also known as the "hot water spring." The baths on the elevated terrace are fed directly with spring water, letting you soak in fresh, high-quality water. There is also a recline bath where you can lie back and look up at the sky, as well as a high-concentration carbonated spring in the indoor bath area. In the sauna room, aromatic steam rises at set times. It is a comfortable place to stop by on the way home from shopping.
A natural hot spring that fills the scenic open-air baths and indoor baths. What wells up from deep underground is a rich, highly saline spring with abundant iodine. It feels thick and heavy against the skin, as if wrapping you in a thin film and locking in the heat. The elevated baths are fed directly with spring water, allowing you to soak in fresh water flowing continuously from the source. There is also a recline bath where you can soak while looking up at the sky, so you can enjoy the scenery and the water together from different positions.
A high-concentration carbonated spring in the indoor bath area. As you quietly sink into the lukewarm water, countless tiny bubbles cling to your skin, and before long your whole body takes on a faint flush. Even though it does not feel hot, warmth rises from within, and you can feel your blood circulating all the way to your fingertips. Because it warms the body without putting strain on it, it is also a pleasant place to catch your breath between the sauna and the bath.
At set times, aromatic water is poured over heated sauna stones, and fragrant steam rises with a crackling sound in this löyly sauna. The dry air instantly becomes dense, and the heat spreads across your skin as if crawling over it. By the time the steam fades, sweat pours from your whole body, carrying away the heaviness that had settled deep inside. It is a room where even the wait is part of the pleasure.
A cold plunge bath that gently cools the heat raised by the sauna. As you slowly lower yourself in from your hands and feet, the flush ebbs away like the receding tide, leaving only a crisp, clean film on the surface of your skin. Once your breathing settles, step out to the open-air bath on the hilltop, where the wind brushes over your wet skin beneath an unobstructed sky. Sitting back in a chair while gazing at Mount Fuji’s ridgeline is one of the great pleasures here.
Open Year-Round
Guests with tattoos, body art, or tattoo stickers are strictly refused entry.
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JAPAN'S FINEST ONSEN & SAUNA
The Finest Onsen & Sauna in Japan
64 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.
