Kamikatsu Onsen

Kamikatsu Onsen is a natural hot spring destination in the town of Kamikatsu in Tokushima Prefecture on the island of Shikoku, Japan — a town that has gained worldwide recognition as the first 'zero waste' municipality in Japan, achieving a remarkable level of recycling and waste reduction that has made it a model of sustainable community development. The sulfurous thermal waters of the onsen emerge from the geological complexity of the Shikoku Mountains, offering restorative bathing in a setting of forested mountain valleys and traditional village life characteristic of the Shikoku interior. Kamikatsu's extraordinary environmental commitment and the ancient cedar forests of the surrounding Shikoku mountains create an atmosphere of deep natural and cultural sustainability that enriches the hot spring experience with a sense of purposeful harmony with the natural world. Kamikatsu Onsen is a destination for travelers who seek the traditional pleasures of Japanese hot spring bathing in a community that embodies, with exceptional consistency, the values of living in balance with the natural environment.