Kagoshima Kirishima City
Famed free-flowing hot spring waters and more than 10 diverse baths. Kirishima's first sand steam hot spring is also coming soon
"Kirishima Kokusai Hotel" is a distinguished hotel located on a hill in Kirishima Onsen, where steam drifts through the air, and it offers an exceptionally well-equipped bathing and sauna experience. From the large public bath, Oami, where you can luxuriate in free-flowing natural simple sulfur spring water, to the open-air bath Kirinoyu, renovated in 2024, it features more than 10 diverse baths. In addition to a full-fledged dry sauna, it also offers a natural mist sauna, Mushiyu, that uses steam from the hot spring source, a 50°C ganban sauna, and even a women-only ganbanyoku area. In 2026, Kirisuma, the first sand steam hot spring in Kirishima Onsen, will also open, allowing guests to enjoy Kirishima's famed waters in every possible style.
The largest bath in the hotel, this spacious public bath lets you fully enjoy rich, free-flowing natural sulfur spring water. Surrender yourself to Kirishima's famed waters in a generously sized space for a truly blissful experience.
An open-air bath surrounded by forest, renovated in 2024. Enjoy free-flowing spring water while taking in the seasonal trees and flowers, together with the fresh air. Bathing under the stars at night is especially memorable.
A natural mist sauna with astonishingly fine particles, giving you the sensation of being surrounded by fog. It uses steam directly from the hot spring source, so you can detox while bathing your whole body in the minerals of the hot spring, making it a uniquely Kirishima facility.
Refresh yourself with negative ions and far-infrared rays from the Sobo Seikoseki stone. The stone bed is kept at around 50°C, gently warming your body from the inside and promoting a healthy sweat.
The stones are kept at around 41°C, gently warming the body from deep within and helping to promote metabolism. In a private-feeling space, you can relax to your heart's content.
A cold plunge bath for cooling down after getting heated up in the sauna, ganbanyoku, or steam bath. The official website also recommends, "After working up a good sweat, cool down in the cold bath," making it an essential part of alternating hot-and-cold bathing.
Irregular Holidays
Kirishima Onsenkyo
Ultimate relaxation with a panoramic large public bath and sauna overlooking Sakurajima
Kirishima Onsenkyo
A luxurious stay surrounded by forests at 700 m above sea level, with two free-flowing spring sources
Kirishima Onsenkyo
Alternating hot and cold bathing in a garden grand bath with four spring qualities and an overwhelming scale
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.
