Watarai Onsen

Watarai Onsen in Gifu Prefecture flows with bicarbonate thermal waters whose naturally alkaline mineral chemistry produces the skin-conditioning, beautifully smoothing bathing experience that has made bicarbonate springs among the most consistently admired water types in Japan's thermal repertoire — traditionally called bijin no yu, the hot spring of beauty, for the luminous quality that alkaline carbonate mineral water imparts to the skin. Gifu Prefecture's geological complexity, spanning the volcanic Northern Alps, the Hida mountains, and the ancient sedimentary formations of the Mino uplands, produces thermal springs of remarkable mineral variety, and Watarai Onsen contributes to this diversity with its pure bicarbonate mineral profile drawn from the deep alkaline geological formations of the prefecture's interior. The spring's name, which shares characters with the ancient Watarai district of Mie Prefecture associated with the Ise Grand Shrines, adds a layer of cultural resonance to the experience of bathing in its gently skin-conditioning mineral water, connecting the act of thermal immersion to the Japanese tradition of purification and the seeking of natural grace.