Favorite Onsen Towns

An interesting selection of onsens here:
http://www.onsenexpress.com/site/index_flash.php

@joshua hugh

The doctor say's it was infection from the water.

As in germs transmitted from person to person from water or the water is murky insect infested swamp.

Not too sure, didn't really go into details, it was a brief conversation.
she did mention about the water being dirty and the water was reused unlike onsen in japan, that water is never reused.

Noted on the onsen water in China. To be truthful, onsen is not something which I'd probably do in China often. Call is my science teacher background (especially as a country who's main problem is food security - not in lack of availability but in health).

I mentioned the rainforest onsen in Taiwan - where you basically swim in the onsen water from the river. The pictures don't do it justice - but here it is:

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=820912691255283&set=a.82091207...

Looks good, I haven't been to Taiwan before, but will try to arrange a trip some day.

Is this a mix with swim suit, does it belong to anyone.

you have more details on this place.


thanks.

If you want to know where this is - all I can say is it's near Taipei in a National Park.

I was taken here by a person which was shown earlier by a local and it's actually illegal to come here. The water is fed directly by river water and onsen water. As it's up in the mountains, it may be possible to drink the water but I did not try it.

Some locals have built up the pools and it's clothed as it's Taiwan. As it's only really used by locals, they keep it in fantastic condition but you do smell of SO2 after as there are no facilities (aka no showers, toilets, stores or anything!)

Thanks for the information.

the water was reused unlike onsen in japan, that water is never reused.

That is simply not true! Many baths in Japan reuse the water, especially the recently built ones (mainly outside of traditional onsen resorts) that just pump up naturally hot water from a depth of 2 kilometers or more!

Look for "gensen kakenagashi" onsen if you don't want to use re-used water.

Sorry to be precise, I mean outdoor onsen, not baths.

yorishima

I was also referring to onsen baths, both indoors and outdoors. Many of them reuse the water also in Japan.

My favorite onsen is Yamanaka in Kaga, Ishikawa. The onsen water is so clear and smells like flowers. You can also drink it. The atmosphere is great as the rotenburo overlooks a gorge with the sound of rushing water, there are also waterfalls and hiking trails into the mountains and tiny green tea houses scattered along the hiking paths. The main street of Yamanaka is full of charming stores where local merchants sell their handmade pottery. Bassho the Haiku poet wrote several poems about this specific onsen.

My least favorite onsen is Gero and Hirayu in Gifu. The onsen water might be very healthy but the sulphiric smell ruins the atmoshere for me - it's not good having to wash your clothes after an onsen because your skin smells like farts! Also the town of Gero itself looks industrial with concrete everywhere. I prefer onsen towns that are green and surrounded by nature!

I wish my farts smelled like Hirayu's waters!

Sulfuric smell at Gero Onsen? That's a false memory.

The water in Gero is not sulfuric; it's a simple alkaline source with no color or smell. Your clothes shouldn't have smelled like farts unless you were farting...

''Sulfuric smell "

I have tried countless onsens on my Japan visits in so many years.
Osorezan's ( Shimokita ) hot spring baths located on the temple grounds would have to be my strongest ''Sulfuric smell " experience.

Manza (near Kusatsu - same volcano) has by far the highest sufur content of all hot springs in Japan. One bath has a layer of yellow particles on its floor. Difficult to beat for sulfur lovers like me:
http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e7495.html

for me, the sulfuric smell gives it the true Onsen experience, that's why I like Kusatsu a lot.