Loaded with major ions — the essential minerals (Ca, Mg).
Buoyancy
High buoyancy
LowHigh
Mineralised water — eases movement and joints.
CO2BicarbonatesMagnésium
Kitagawa Onsen is a hot spring resort in Kitagawa Town, Aki County, Kochi Prefecture on the Pacific coast of Shikoku, whose bicarbonate and naturally carbonated mineral waters offer a pleasantly effervescent bathing experience in the rugged river valley setting of the Nahari River basin. Kochi Prefecture is known as the land of Sakamoto Ryoma, the celebrated reformer and visionary who played a crucial role in the Meiji Restoration of 1868, and its dramatic Pacific coastline, deepest river gorges in Japan at Niyodogawa, and abundant agricultural produce give the prefecture a distinctive character within the four main islands. The carbonated bicarbonate waters of Kitagawa Onsen are valued for their skin-softening and circulatory benefits, providing therapeutic bathing to locals and visitors who journey into the remote mountain valleys of eastern Kochi Prefecture.
Insider tip — Kitagawa Onsen in the mountainous interior of Kochi Prefecture on Shikoku island draws bicarbonate-carbonated waters from deep within the Shimanto river basin geology. The lightly effervescent water quality, with soft bubbles clinging to the skin, is a characteristic of carbonated onsen and is prized for its smooth bathing sensation. Shikoku's forested valleys shelter this spring in a landscape known for pristine rivers and traditional farmhouse architecture. The remote Kochi interior sees far fewer visitors than coastal resort areas, making this a quietly authentic onsen experience.
