Kawayu Onsen Koshu Yokujo
Kawayu, Tanabe, Wakayama, Japan
- Location
- Kawayu, Tanabe, Wakayama, Japan
- Water type
- thermal, sodium chloride
- Temperature
- 42 °C
- pH
- 7.3
Water profile
Thermicity
Sedative
LowHigh
Relaxing — deep, immediate muscle release.
Mineralisation
Restorative
LowHigh
Loaded with major ions — the essential minerals (Ca, Mg).
Buoyancy
Effortless float
LowHigh
Dense, salty water — you float without effort.
SodiumChloruresBrome
Kawayu Onsen Koshu Yokujo is located in the hamlet of Kawayu, part of Tanabe city in Wakayama, a riverside hot-spring village known for its river-bed hot sand baths. The sodium-chloride thermal water rises at 42°C, feeding an indoor bath, a rotenburo, and a sauna.
Insider tip — Kawayu Onsen is one of Japan's most extraordinary natural phenomena — hot spring water literally bubbles up through the sandy riverbed of the Oto River; visitors dig their own private pools in the gravel bank. Each winter (December–February) the 'Sennin Buro' (千人風呂 — thousand-person bath) is excavated: a massive riverbank pool under the open sky next to flowing fresh river water, near the sacred Kumano Hongu Grand Shrine.
Nearby
Frequently asked questions
How hot is the water?
The water runs quite hot here, around 42 °C — a sedative water that brings immediate muscle release.
What type of water is found here?
This spot features thermal & sodium chloride water.
What is the best season to visit?
The most favourable period for this spot is: Toute l'année.