Chihara Onsen
- Location
- Nita, Shimane, Japan
- Water type
- bicarbonate, iron-rich, carbonated
- Temperature
- 40 °C
- pH
- 6.3
Water profile
Relaxing — deep, immediate muscle release.
Rich in active gases or metals — a strong mineral character.
Mineralised water — eases movement and joints.
Chihara Onsen is a hot spring resort in Shimane Prefecture in the San-in Kinki region of western Honshu, whose bicarbonate, ferruginous, and naturally carbonated mineral waters combine three distinctive therapeutic mineral characteristics in a single spring, making it a particularly complex and valued bathing resource within the Japanese hot spring classification system. Shimane Prefecture, home to the ancient Izumo Taisha Grand Shrine, one of the oldest and most important Shinto shrines in Japan, and the historic silver mining city of Iwami Ginzan inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, preserves a rich cultural heritage alongside its natural thermal resources. The triple mineral character of the Chihara waters, combining the alkaline cleansing of bicarbonate, the tonic effect of iron, and the circulatory stimulation of natural carbonation, offers a therapeutically comprehensive bathing experience in a prefecture of outstanding historical and natural significance.