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.
Apr 18–20, 2026 ／ 2 nights, 3 days
There was a goal I had always kept in mind: to take my parents on a trip. Because I couldn't be sure they would stay healthy and energetic forever, I made plans the moment the idea struck me, and this family trip finally became a reality. On the first day, we visited Dazaifu Tenmangu Shrine in Fukuoka and enjoyed the exceptional sauna at Dormy Inn Hakata Gion. Then on the second day, we headed to that place — the legendary Gyosenzan Rakuen Hotel Rakanno-yu in Saga Prefecture, a facility that every sauna enthusiast in Japan dreams of visiting at least once before they die. A special sauna journey, taken with gratitude for the health of family, was about to begin.
Every stop on this itinerary was visited in person by the Editor-in-Chief.
Read it in the order we travelled.
