Saga Ureshino Gyokuya

Saga Ureshino Gyokuya is a traditional ryokan onsen located in Ureshino, a celebrated hot spring town in Saga Prefecture on the northwestern coast of Kyushu, whose thermal waters are among the most distinctive in Japan — a silky, mildly alkaline bicarbonate water with a pH of around 9.4 renowned throughout Japan as 'bijin no yu' (water of beautiful women) for its remarkable skin-softening and moisturising properties. Ureshino has been a hot spring town for over 1,300 years, with records of its thermal waters in the ancient Man'yoshu poetry anthology, and its central street of traditional wooden ryokan, tea houses, and shops selling Ureshino cha (green tea) creates one of Kyushu's most atmospheric and historically layered onsen streetscapes. The Gyokuya's elegant traditional architecture and gardens invite guests to slow down and fully experience the deeply Japanese aesthetic of the seasoned hot spring inn in one of Saga's most beloved destinations.