Norikura Onsen
- Location
- Matsumoto, Nagano, Japan
- Water type
- silica
- Temperature
- 42 °C
- pH
- 7.6
Water profile
Relaxing — deep, immediate muscle release.
Rich in trace elements — gentle on the skin.
Soft water — natural, classic buoyancy.
Norikura Onsen is a spectacular high-altitude hot spring resort on the slopes of Mount Norikura, a broad volcanic plateau straddling the Nagano-Gifu border at the southern end of the Northern Alps, accessible from Matsumoto via the Norikura Skyline road — one of Japan's highest motorable routes reaching 2,700 meters elevation. The siliceous thermal waters are celebrated for their skin-softening 'beautifying' properties produced by high silica content, while the extraordinary alpine environment of the Norikura Kogen — with its vast subalpine flower meadows, azure crater lakes, and year-round snowfields on the summit domes above 3,000 meters — provides a landscape of breathtaking mountain grandeur. Star-gazing from Norikura Kogen, one of Japan's premier dark-sky locations, and the summer wildflower season when alpine meadows burst into vivid color make this one of the country's most completely alpine onsen experiences.