Fukushima Aizuwakamatsu City
A hot spring inn boasting a spectacular open-air bath spreading out in stepped terraces toward the gorge and superb saunas with different atmospheres
"Aizushimogo Onsen Okawaso" is a long-established hot spring ryokan representative of Ashinomaki Onsen, nestled along the dramatic Aga River (Okawa) gorge. While listening to the river’s murmuring, you can soak in the spectacular open-air bath Shiki Butai Tanada, where the tubs are arranged in stepped rice-terrace style to overlook the panoramic gorge, or enjoy the truly impressive bath in the sky, an open-air bath that juts out over the gorge and evokes Kiyomizu-dera’s stage. The spring water is a calcium, sodium, sulfate, and chloride hot spring with excellent heat-retaining and moisturizing properties, warming you through to the core. The large public bath is equipped with a rare Pink Salt Sauna on the men’s side, with rock salt embedded in the wall, and a Bukkyoseki reclining sauna on the women’s side, where you can lie down and work up a deep sweat at your own pace. Together with the cold plunge bath inspired by the gorge, it offers the ultimate refreshment.
This is the signature bath of Okawaso, a spectacular open-air bath arranged in stepped terraces toward the gorge, like rice fields on a slope. The faint scent of wood drifting from the beautiful cypress roof, the powerful panoramic view of the Okawa River flowing before you, and the rich nature of Ashinomaki can all be enjoyed with every sense. The smooth hot spring water blended from multiple sources gently envelops and warms the entire body.
A spectacular open-air bath built in wood and projecting toward the gorge, reminiscent of Kyoto’s stage at Kiyomizu-dera. You can enjoy an unmatched sense of openness while feeling the changing colors of the seasons up close and dynamically, from spring mountain cherry blossoms and early-summer fresh greenery to autumn foliage and winter snow-view bathing. In the afternoon, it is a paid private bath by advance reservation only; in the morning, it is a special bath used by men and women on a rotating basis.
A spacious public bath with large cutout glass windows that let you take in the seasonal beauty of the gorge like a painting. Watching the deep green foliage or autumn leaves reflected on the water’s surface, while stretching out and soaking leisurely in the natural hot spring, is pure bliss. The smooth, mildly alkaline spring water is highly absorbent for the skin, and its pleasant warmth lingers long after you leave the bath.
A very rare Pink Salt Sauna, made with rock salt, located next to the men’s public bath. The natural rock salt on the walls emits negative ions that blend with the soothing heat inside. Although the room temperature is mild, the sauna still has a solid warmth, allowing you to breathe deeply and sweat gently while enjoying an exquisite time that helps refresh you from everyday fatigue and waste products.
A Bukkyoseki reclining sauna located next to the women’s public bath, where you can enjoy sauna bathing while lying down. Lying on a warm bukkyoseki bed, which excels in heat conduction and mineral release, you can gently warm your whole body from within at a comfortable temperature while keeping the murmuring of the Okawa River close at hand. It is a sauna with excellent beauty and relaxation benefits.
[Day-use bathing] 11:00–15:00 (last entry 14:00) *Day-use bathing is unavailable on the closure day and the following day. Closed on the 2nd and 4th Wednesdays.
Aizu Ashinomaki Onsen
A long-established inn boasting a grand public bath and a Kodaibayashi bath overlooking the magnificent beauty of the Aga River valley, plus guestrooms with open-air baths fed directly from the source
Aizu Ashinomaki Onsen
An inn where you can enjoy a spectacular open-air bath 50 m above the river and a gentle, fully tatami-covered Japanese-style large bath
Fukushima
A superb highland resort where you can relax with the spectacular views of Lake Hibara and a natural hot spring that leaves your skin feeling beautiful
JAPAN'S FINEST ONSEN & SAUNA
The Finest Onsen & Sauna in Japan
61 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.
