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.
Aug 9–11, 2025 ／ 2 nights, 3 days
The Kinki region is home to many outstanding saunas. On this trip, I headed to Shiga and Nara prefectures. In Shiga, I visited Chomei-ji Onsen Tenba no Yu and Spa Resort Ogoto Agaryanse, enjoying their saunas, cold plunge baths, and hot springs. In Nara, I stopped by Yurara no Yu Oshikuma, taking in everything each facility had to offer. To cap off the journey, I made my very first visit to Arima Kaido Onsen Suzuran no Yu in Hyogo Prefecture — and the world I found there was nothing short of breathtaking.
Every stop on this itinerary was visited in person by the Editor-in-Chief.
Read it in the order we travelled.
