10 Onsen in Toyama worth your time

A historic riverside hot spring inn providing the water source for Unazuki, accessible only by mountain trail and scenic railway.

What it is

• A secluded hot spring inn managed by the Kurobe Kanko Kaihatsu Corporation.
• The primary water source for all hotels located in Unazuki Hot Spring.
• Reportedly discovered in 1645 and officially authorized for opening in 1868.
• A simple alkaline spring with a source temperature of 98.3 degrees.

What to see

• A traditional wooden two-story inn building nestled in the gorge.
• Separate indoor baths for men and women inside the facility.
• A mixed-gender outdoor bath located three minutes upstream from the inn.
• The Tennyo-no-yu women-only outdoor bath situated across a suspension bridge.

When to go

• The facility operates only during the Kurobe Gorge Railway operating season.

Getting there

• Take a twenty-minute walk along a mountain trail from Kuronagi Station.

Official site

www.kuronagi.jp

Read more about Kuronagi Onsen

A secluded hot spring inn in Kurobe offering sulfur baths piped from a high-temperature source in the mountains.

What it is

• A secluded hot spring inn established in nineteen fifty-seven in Kurobe City.
• The only accommodation at this site and a member of the Japan Association of Secluded Hot Springs.
• Features simple sulfur spring water piped from the nearby Babadani Onsen source.
• The facility moved to its current location in nineteen seventy-two after original buildings were flooded.

What to see

• Hot spring water sourced from a spring reaching ninety-eight degrees Celsius.
• A traditional ryokan setting located within the scenic Toyama Prefecture landscape.

When to go

• Day-trip bathing is available for visitors until two PM.
• The inn and bathing facilities close during the winter season.

Getting there

• The site is a fifteen-minute walk from Keyakidaira Station.

Official site

meiken-onsen.com

Read more about Meiken Onsen

The oldest hot spring in Kurobe Gorge where visitors can dig their own riverside baths in a national park.

What it is

• A simple thermal hot spring located within Chubu Sangaku National Park.
• The oldest hot spring in the Kurobe Gorge, discovered in 1819.
• A remote location featuring two operational inns, Kanetsuri Onsen Ryokan and Kanetsuri Mizansou.

What to see

• Open-air baths situated directly along the banks of the Kurobe River.
• Riverbed areas where visitors can dig their own instant hot spring baths.
• Scenic views of the surrounding gorge and river from the thermal waters.

When to go

• The site is only accessible to visitors from May to October.
• Daytime visits are best to coincide with the Kurobe Gorge Railway schedule.

Getting there

• Access is exclusively available via the Kurobe Gorge Railway.

Read more about Kanetsuri Onsen

A remote sulfur hot spring at 2,100 meters altitude, offering a rare open-air bathing experience deep within Chubu Sangaku National Park.

What it is

• A simple sulfur hot spring located at an altitude of approximately 2,100 meters.
• Discovered in the 1940s by workers at a nearby molybdenum mine.
• Managed by a mountain hut that originally served as a worker dormitory.
• Part of the protected Chubu Sangaku National Park and Tateyama Kurobe Geopark.

What to see

• Three open-air baths situated along the banks of the Onsenzawa stream.
• A mountain hut facility that provides accommodation for up to 50 people.
• High-altitude landscapes accessible only by traversing mountain hiking trails.

Getting there

• The shortest hiking route to the site begins from the Oritate trailhead.
• Access is strictly limited to visitors traveling on foot via mountain trails.

Read more about Takamagahara Onsen

A historic saline hot spring resort founded in 1867, featuring a traditional inn and proximity to castle ruins.

What it is

• A hot spring resort officially opened in August 1867.
• The site features weak saline spring water sourced from the Kitayama Yakushido shrine area.
• Niemon-ya is a traditional establishment that has operated at the site since 1867.
• The location was designated as a national railway excursion site in 1983.

What to see

• The Kitayama Yakushido shrine area where the spring water originates.
• Matsukura Castle ruins located in the surrounding area.
• The former Hotel Kitayama building which now serves as a nursing home.
• Tsubono Onsen located further upstream from the site.

Getting there

• The site is a 20-minute drive from Uozu Station.
• The area is a 10-minute drive from the Uozu Interchange.

Read more about Kitayama Onsen

Japan's highest hot spring inn offers sulfur baths and mountain views at 2,410 meters within Chubu Sangaku National Park.

What it is

• The highest hot spring inn in Japan, sitting at an altitude of 2,410 meters.
• A mountain facility founded in 1957 located within Chubu Sangaku National Park.
• An accommodation offering both private and dormitory rooms for mountain travelers.
• A simple sulfur spring with water piped directly from the Jigokudani valley source.

What to see

• The current main building which was constructed in 1982.
• Indoor hot spring baths featuring natural sulfur water.
• Panoramic views of the surrounding Tateyama mountain range.

When to go

• The facility is open for visitors from mid-April to late November.

Getting there

• The inn is a 15-minute walk from Murodo Station.

Official site

www.mikuri.com

Read more about Mikurigaike Onsen

A historic hot spring town on the Kurobe River serving as the gateway to the scenic Kurobe Gorge Railway.

What it is

• A hot spring resort opened in 1923 on a terrace of the Kurobe River.
• The town serves as the primary base for the Kurobe Gorge Railway.
• Water is piped seven kilometers from the Kuronagi Onsen source upstream.
• The site of the legally significant Unazuki Onsen Incident.

What to see

• A hot spring fountain located directly in front of the train station.
• Public footbaths named Omokage and Ippuku located within the town.
• The Selene Museum of Art situated inside the hot spring district.
• The Unazuki Onsen Ski Resort located on the south side of town.

Getting there

• Access the town via the Toyama Chiho Railway Main Line.

Official site

www.unazuki-onsen.com

Read more about Unazuki Onsen

A remote sulfur hot spring and mountain hut serving as a base for hikers climbing Mount Shirouma.

What it is

• A simple sulfur hot spring located at an elevation of 770 meters.
• A mountain hut and base for climbing Mount Shirouma.
• The current facility was established in 1967 following dam construction.
• The site is located where Jiji Valley and Baba Valley meet.

What to see

• A mountain hut called Babadani Onsen Koya.
• A campsite with space for thirty tents near the facility.
• Natural hot spring water with a source temperature of 77.5 degrees Celsius.

When to go

• The facility operates from May until the end of November.

Getting there

• A sixty minute walk from Keyakidaira Station.

Read more about Babadani Onsen

A remote hot spring in Chubu Sangaku National Park accessible only via dangerous mountain trails during the climbing season.

What it is

• A simple hot spring facility located within Chubu Sangaku National Park.
• The site occupies the former location of a workers dormitory.
• Managed by a lodge that accommodates up to fifty guests.
• The lodge is a prefabricated structure dismantled every winter season.

What to see

• One concrete open-air bath for visitors to use.
• Hot spring water originating from the High Heat Tunnel.
• Rugged mountain scenery along the trails of Kurobe City.

When to go

• Visit during the climbing season from July to October.
• The facility is closed and dismantled during the winter months.

Official site

azohara.niikawa.com

Read more about Azohara Onsen

A ruined six-story hotel and mineral spring site in Toyama, infamous as a haunted location and horror movie filming set.

What it is

• A cold saline mineral spring discovered during the Meiji era in Uozu.
• A former six-story International Tourist Hotel that filed for bankruptcy in 1980.
• A notorious ruin site used as a filming location for a horror movie.
• The location associated with the 1996 disappearance of two teenage girls.

What to see

• The abandoned six-story concrete hotel building that remains on the site.
• The site where a wooden annex once stood before a 1985 fire.
• The surrounding area of the mineral spring in Toyama Prefecture.
• The ruins scheduled for demolition by the city in 2024.

Read more about Tsubono Onsen