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Near Tokyo:
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Kusatsu Onsen
Gunma Prefecture
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For centuries, the abundant hot spring waters of Kusatsu Onsen have been considered among Japan's best and most effective, if not the best. Much of the resort's water bubbles up in the yubatake ("hot water field") in the town center.
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Hakone
Kanagawa Prefecture
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Easily reached from Tokyo and one of Japan's most popular hot spring resorts, Hakone boasts a large number of hot springs in beautiful setting along the forested valley and the shores of Lake Ashi.
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Ikaho Onsen
Gunma Prefecture
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Located on the slopes of Mount Haruna, Ikaho Onsen is well known for its stone stairs leading through the town center and its iron rich thermal waters.
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Minakami Onsen
Gunma Prefecture
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Over a dozen hot springs are spread over the large rural area covered by Minakami Onsen at the foot of Mount Tanigawa. Among the resort's most popular baths are the large riverside rotemburo of Takaragawa Onsen and the traditonal, wooden indoor baths of secluded Hoshi Onsen.
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Kinugawa Onsen
Tochigi Prefecture
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Located within easy reach of Tokyo, Kinugawa Onsen has grown into one of Japan's most developed hot spring resorts. The beautiful Kinugawa River is lined by huge ryokan buildings, while several interesting theme parks provide more entertainment nearby.
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Nikko
Tochigi Prefecture
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Several hot springs are located at the foot of Mount Nantai, a sacred, extinct volcano in Nikko National Park. Among them are Chuzenji Onsen at the shores of Lake Chuzenji and Yumoto Onsen.
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Northern Japan:
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Toyako Onsen
Shikotsu-Toya National Park, Hokkaido
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Toyako Onsen is a hot spring resort located at the shores of beautiful Lake Toya and at the foot of Mount Uzu, a volcano which most recently erupted in the year 2000.
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Hanamaki Onsen
Iwate Prefecture
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Hanamaki Onsen is a popular hot spring resort in the Tohoku region, 40 kilometers south of Morioka. More hot springs are found in nearby Minami-Hanamaki Onsen along a pretty valley.
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Nyuto Onsen
Akita Prefecture
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Nyuto Onsen (lit. nipple hot spring), named after nearby, suggestively shaped Mount Nyuto, is a collection of hot springs in the remote mountains of Akita Prefecture above Lake Tazawako.
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Central Japan:
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Gero Onsen
Gero City, Gifu Prefecture
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One train hour south of Takayama and 90 minutes north of Nagoya, Gero Onsen is one of Japan's most famous hot spring resorts.
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Western Japan:
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Kinosaki Onsen
Toyooka City, Hyogo Prefecture
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Kinosaki Onsen is a charmingly old-fashioned onsen town near the Sea of Japan coast. In the evenings guests of the local ryokan stroll about town in yukata and geta, visiting public baths and nostalgic game arcades.
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Arima Onsen
Kobe City, Hyogo Prefecture
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Located still within the city limits of Kobe and just an hour outside of central Osaka, Arima Onsen is one of the Kansai Region's most popular hot spring resorts. It is also one of its oldest.
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Shirahama Onsen
Wakayama Prefecture
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Shirahama Onsen is ranked both as one of Japan's three largest and oldest hot spring resorts. It comes with a white sand beach, coastal rock formations and several amusement parks, and is a popular playground for the urban population of Greater Osaka.
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Katsuura Onsen
Wakayama Prefecture
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Like Shirahama (see above), Katsuura Onsen is a coastal hot spring resort on the Kii Peninsula. It is smaller than Shirahama, but still boasts several huge hotel complexes. Katsuura is located not far from Nachi Taisha, one of the three Kumano shrines.
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Dogo Onsen
Matsuyama City, Ehime Prefecture
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Dogo Onsen is considered one of Japan's oldest hot spring resorts, and it is said that Prince Shotoku has already enjoyed the area's hot spring waters about 1500 years ago.
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Beppu
Oita Prefecture
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Beppu is Japan's onsen capital. No other resort produces more hot spring water and few resorts can compete with the city's large array of hot spring baths. Among Beppu's attraction are various hells, hot springs not suited for bathing.
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