Zentsuji Onsen
- Location
- Zentsuji, Kagawa, Japan
- Water type
- silica
- Temperature
- 42 °C
- pH
- 6.9
Water profile
Relaxing — deep, immediate muscle release.
Rich in trace elements — gentle on the skin.
Soft water — natural, classic buoyancy.
Zentsuji Onsen is a thermal facility in Zentsuji city, the smallest city in Japan by area in Kagawa Prefecture on Shikoku Island, which is distinguished as the birthplace of Kūkai — known as Kōbō Daishi, 774 to 835 CE — the Buddhist monk who founded the Shingon sect and established the 88-temple Henro pilgrimage circuit that encircles Shikoku, one of East Asia's greatest spiritual journeys. Temple Number 75 in the Shikoku pilgrimage, Zentsū-ji, is the largest temple on the circuit and marks the exact spot of Kōbō Daishi's birth, making Zentsuji city the spiritual focal point of the entire island's religious geography. The siliceous onsen here offers pilgrims and visitors a restorative thermal bathing experience in a city saturated with the spiritual legacy of Japan's most venerated Buddhist saint, whose influence on Japanese culture, calligraphy, and religion can scarcely be overstated.