Sanuki Onsen

Sanuki Onsen in Kagawa Prefecture takes its name from ancient Sanuki no Kuni—the old province name for Kagawa—a place whose identity has been shaped by three great traditions: the 88-temple Buddhist pilgrimage circuit that defines Shikoku's spiritual geography, the udon noodle culture that has made Sanuki udon one of Japan's most celebrated regional foods, and the maritime connections of a prefecture that faces the Seto Inland Sea across some of Japan's most beautiful coastal scenery. Simple alkaline waters provide the gentle, universally accessible mineral soak that complements both the pilgrimage walking traditions of Shikoku and the unhurried noodle-culture of Kagawa, where the pleasures of warm broth and mineral spring water alike invite a meditative slowing of the visitor's pace. This spring's ancient province name roots thermal bathing in the deepest historical identity of one of Japan's most culturally layered island prefectures.