12 Onsen in Kagoshima worth your time

A roadside rest area in Kagoshima featuring a hot spring, heated pool, and local market overlooking Kinko Bay.

What it is

• A roadside rest area located on National Route 226 in Kagoshima City
• Features a hot spring facility called Yahata Onsen and an indoor heated swimming pool
• Includes a local products hall named Tsuwabuki no Sato for regional shopping
• Situated near the Kiire crude oil terminal overlooking the waters of Kinko Bay

What to see

• Yahata Onsen hot spring facility for relaxation during travel
• Indoor heated swimming pool available for visitor use
• Local products and regional goods at the Tsuwabuki no Sato hall
• Views of Kinko Bay from the station grounds
• Public restrooms and parking facilities available 24 hours a day

When to go

• Avoid the second and fourth Mondays when the main facilities are closed
• The restaurant Men Dokoro Satsuma is no longer in operation as of July 2019

Getting there

• Located near the Kiire Station on the Ibusuki Makurazaki Line
• Accessible by car via National Route 226 with 190 standard parking spaces

Official site

www.michinoeki-kiire.jp

Read more about Roadside station Kiire

A roadside rest area in Kagoshima featuring a 60-meter footbath and hot springs with views of Sakurajima.

What it is

• A roadside station located along National Route 220 in Tarumizu City.
• A rest facility featuring a product market, restaurant, and hot spring baths.
• The Yuttarikan facility provides day-trip bathing in radon mineral water.
• The site serves as a stop for travelers with parking for 105 standard vehicles.

What to see

• A 60-meter long footbath available for public use.
• Views of the nearby Sakurajima volcano from the surrounding area.
• A product market selling local goods and a takeout food corner.
• A restaurant serving meals except during the New Year holidays.

When to go

• The product market is open daily from 9:00 to 19:00.
• The footbath operates from 10:00 until sunset each day.
• The hot spring facility is closed every Wednesday.
• The restaurant is closed during the New Year holiday period.

Official site

mitinoeki-tarumizu.com

Read more about Roadside station Tarumizu

A coastal hot spring resort famous for unique natural steam sand baths powered by volcanic magma heat.

What it is

• A hot spring area in Kagoshima known for natural steam sand baths.
• The resort features over five hundred active spring sources with high daily discharge.
• Sodium chloride spring water is heated by magma from the nearby Ata Caldera.
• Local industries use the geothermal heat for agriculture and fish farming.

What to see

• Natural steam sand baths located along the eastern coast of the city.
• The Nigatsuden Onsen site which is a designated cultural property.

When to go

• The Ibusuki Nanohana Marathon takes place every January.

Getting there

• The train journey from Kagoshima-Chuo Station takes approximately one hour.
• Direct buses from Kagoshima Airport reach the area in about ninety-five minutes.

Read more about Ibusuki Onsen

A historic hot spring facility featuring eight open-air baths along a mountain stream where samurai Sakamoto Ryoma once bathed.

What it is

• A collection of eight open-air baths located along a mountain stream in Kirishima.
• The hot spring was reportedly discovered by Ando Chube Kunihiro in 1744.
• The site was historically owned by the lords of the Shimazu clan.
• It is a part of the Kirishima Onsen Village situated at 810 meters elevation.

What to see

• Open-air pools containing simple acidic hot spring water.
• The mountain stream setting used as a filming location for the drama Ryomaden.
• Historical bathing sites visited by Sakamoto Ryoma and his wife in 1866.

When to go

• The facility is closed to visitors during the winter season.

Getting there

• The site is a five-minute walk from the Iwasaki Hotel bus stop.

Read more about Ryokukeitouen

A historic sulfur hot spring resort near Kagoshima featuring seven public bathhouses and connections to famous figures and wartime history.

What it is

• A hot spring area in Hioki City also known as Yunoura or Izaku Onsen
• The simple sulfur spring water maintains a source temperature of forty-three degrees Celsius
• Historical figures Saigo Takamori and Saito Mokichi visited these hot springs
• Special Attack Force members stayed at the local inns during World War II

What to see

• Seven public bathhouses located throughout the hot spring district
• Wartime artifacts from soldiers displayed inside some of the local inns
• Fukiage Beach situated directly to the west of the hot spring area

Getting there

• Take a bus from Ijuin Station to reach the hot spring area
• The bus journey from the station takes approximately forty minutes

Read more about Fukiage Onsen

A historic sulfur hot spring at the foot of Mount Mocchomu featuring a public bathhouse with natural bottom-up flow.

What it is

• A public hot spring facility located at the foot of Mount Mocchomu.
• Established over 300 years ago with a history linked to the local Onsen Shrine.
• The water is classified as a sulfur spring with temperatures between 44 and 49 degrees Celsius.

What to see

• A public bathhouse featuring a bathtub with natural bottom-up flow.
• An outdoor footbath installed at the location for visitors.
• The nearby Onsen Shrine which is associated with the site history.

When to go

• The Bo-odori festival which commemorates the history of the local hot spring.

Getting there

• The site is a 45-minute bus ride from Yakushima Airport.

Read more about Onoaida Onsen

A roadside rest area in Osaki featuring a hot spring, hotel, and a giant beetle statue for travelers to enjoy.

What it is

• A roadside rest area centered around a lodging and hot spring complex.
• The site includes a hotel named Aspal Osaki and a park.
• The grounds feature a ground golf course for visitors to use.
• Public toilets and telephones are available for use twenty-four hours a day.

What to see

• A large beetle statue stands at the entrance of the facility.
• The parking lot is designed to accommodate two hundred and seventy standard vehicles.

When to go

• The restaurant serves lunch daily from 11:30 to 14:30.
• The hot spring facility is open from 13:00 to 21:30.
• The hot spring facility is closed to visitors every Monday.

Official site

asuparu.jp

Read more about Roadside station Kuni-no-Matsubara Osaki

A rustic open-air hot spring on the Yakushima coast offering a natural bathing experience with views of the ocean.

What it is

• A simple thermal hot spring located along the coastline of Yakushima.
• An unmanned facility that relies on a small donation from visitors.
• A natural bathing spot where water levels are not affected by the tides.

What to see

• Open-air baths situated directly on the rocky shoreline.
• A simple partition that separates the male and female bathing areas.
• Coastal views visible while soaking in the thermal waters.

When to go

• The facility is available for use throughout the day as it is unmanned.

Getting there

• The journey takes seventy-five minutes by bus from Miyanoura Port.

Read more about Yudomari Onsen

A roadside station in Kagoshima featuring a massive fifteen-meter bronze statue of a legendary giant and a relaxing hot spring.

What it is

• A roadside facility named after a legendary local giant in Soo City.
• A rest stop along National Route 269 featuring a museum and restaurant.
• The site includes a day-trip hot spring facility called Yagoro-no-yu.
• The location provides twenty-four hour access to public restrooms for travelers.

What to see

• A fifteen meter tall bronze statue weighing thirty-nine tons.
• A museum dedicated to the history of the local Yagoro Festival.
• The Yagorotei restaurant which serves visitors from eleven to seven.

When to go

• Most facilities on the site close every Monday and on New Year's Day.

Official site

www.nodoka-1.jp

Read more about Roadside station Osumi Yagorodensetsu-no-sato

A historic seaside sulfur hot spring on Yakushima where visitors bathe in natural rock pools during low tide.

What it is

• A simple sulfur hot spring managed by the local Hirauchi community.
• The spring was discovered over four hundred years ago.
• The facility consists of three mixed-gender baths located on the shore.
• Visitors are asked to pay a three hundred yen cooperation fee.

What to see

• Natural rock pools that emerge from the ocean as the tide recedes.
• Wooden gender-separated changing rooms built in June 2024.

When to go

• Accessible only during a four-hour window around low tide.

Getting there

• The journey takes over eighty minutes by bus from Miyanoura Port.

Read more about Hirauchi Kaichū Onsen

A high-alkaline hot spring located at a coastal hotel offering panoramic ocean views for both guests and day visitors.

What it is

• An alkaline simple hot spring facility located at JR Hotel Yakushima.
• The current water source was discovered through drilling in 2005.
• The spring water has a high pH level of 9.7.
• Non-hotel guests can access the baths through a dedicated entrance.

What to see

• Views of the East China Sea and the Pacific Ocean from the baths.
• The coastal scenery of Tanizakibana located near the ocean.

Getting there

• Approximately 45 minutes from Yakushima Airport by bus.
• Approximately 30 minutes from Anbo Port by bus.
• Approximately 60 minutes from Miyanoura Port by bus.

Official site

hotelyakushima.com

Read more about Yakushima Onsen

A historic hot spring district on Sakurajima's coast offering chloride baths and views of the active volcano.

What it is

• A hot spring district located along the southern coast of Sakurajima.
• The spring water emerged during the volcanic eruption of 1779.
• Two hotels currently operate in the area providing chloride spring baths.
• The natural source temperature of the water is 48 degrees Celsius.

What to see

• Outdoor baths that may be affected by falling volcanic ash.
• Statues and monuments dedicated to the writer Fumiko Hayashi.
• Coastal views from the hot spring area on the volcano's edge.

Getting there

• Take a 20-minute bus ride from Sakurajima Port to reach the area.

Read more about Furusato Onsen