Kirishima Onsen (–¶“‡‰·�ò) lies on the lower slopes of the Kirishima Mountains with a distant view over Kagoshima Bay and Sakurajima. It is one of Japan's leading hot spring resorts with high quality, sulfuric hot spring waters and an interesting variety of outstanding bath facilities.

Kirishima Onsen covers a rather wide area and is made up of over a dozen separate hot springs. Among them, Maruo Onsen is the largest and the representative resort town of Kirishima Onsen with a high concentration of ryokan and hotels. More ryokan and hotels of various sizes are spread across the area.

Tourists can enjoy the thermal waters by staying at one of the local ryokan or visiting a public bath. Furthermore, many ryokan open their bathing facilities to non-staying guests during the daytime for typically 500-1200 yen. Below is a list of some of Kirishima Onsen's best baths:

Kirishima Hotel••

Daytime Hours: 11:00 to 17:00
Daytime Admission: 1200 yen
Overnight Stay: From around 14,000 yen per person including 2 meals

The bath facilities of the Kirishima Hotel are among Japan's most unique. Located in a huge covered hall, they feature a spacious pool with a tall water fountain and various smaller pools around it. Somewhat kitschy but very enjoyable. A small section of the bath is reserved for women only, and the entire hall is for women only during a designated time period in the evenings.

Shinyu Onsen - Shinmoeso••

Daytime Hours: 8:00 to 20:00
Daytime Admission: 600 yen
Overnight Stay: From around 13,000 yen per person including 2 meals

Simple, slightly run-down, but very atmospheric with pipes all over the place. Excellent, sulfuric waters in a mixed outdoor pool and several small, gender separated indoor pools. Small, simple, gender separated changing rooms. The baths belong to the Shinmoeso lodging which provides simple Japanese-style rooms, dinner and breakfast.

Sakura Sakura•

Daytime Hours: 11:00 to 16:00
Daytime Admission: 750 yen
Overnight Stay: From around 10,000 yen per person including 2 meals

This remarkable public bath house with attached ryokan offers gender separated, medium sized indoor and outdoor pools. Its most unique attraction, however, is the slightly radioactive mud, transported in from a nearby hot spring source, which bathers can apply to their skin for a few minutes for skin beauty before washing it off in the pool.

Ryokojin Sanso

Daytime Hours: 12:00 to 15:00
Daytime Admission: 600 yen
Overnight Stay: From around 12,500 yen per person including 2 meals

The views from the small outdoor pool are the main attraction of this ryokan's gender separated bathing facilities. There is also an indoor pool and a sauna.

Kirishima Kokusai Hotel

Daytime Hours: 11:00 to 15:00 (entry until 14:00)
Daytime Admission: 1000 yen
Overnight Stay: From around 15,000 yen per person including 2 meals

This large hotel complex offers two bath facilities for each gender. At one end of the building are the main facilities with multiple indoor pools and a medium-sized outdoor pool, while at the opposite end of the complex is another large, attractive outdoor pool (see photo).

Ratings:    best of the best    best of Japan    outstanding