Onoaida Onsen 尾の間温泉 (Dec 2016)

Introduction

A very hot onsen!

It is a simple and quaint onsen where locals take their daily bath for free, while visitors will need to pay ¥200. The water is gushing out into the onsen pool at 49°C; perfect for someone who likes their soup really hot.

This onsen is said to be of around 350 years old. Story has it that a local hunter discovered that a deer recovered from its gunshot injury by soaking in this onsen.

Experience

As I was living out in a campervan during my trip in Yakushima, this affordable onsen became the place for me to go whenever I needed a bath.

The atmosphere during the peak-hours, e.g. early mornings & evenings, was fantastic. Friendly locals would come with their arsenal of bathing paraphernalia, perform their bathing routines, and "cook" themselves in the hot soup till their bodies turn a glowing red.

I was shocked at how hot the water was on my first visit. Remembering a prior experience when I almost fainted in a sento, I went really easy with just brief periods of soaking in the water. On subsequent visits, I seemed to get used to the high temperature, and was able to enjoy longer soaking periods.

Onsen data

• Type: Simple sulphur spring

• Source: natural flowing spring

• Flow rate: 96 litres/min

• Minerals: 210.3mg/kg

• Contains radon (3.7Bq/Kg)

• Osmotic pressure: hypotonic

• pH: 9.6 alkaline

• Source temperature type: high—49.0℃

Review

• Experience (体験) : 5/5

• Ambience (雰囲気) : 5/5

• Rustic charm (野趣) : 5/5

• Accessibility (アクセス) : 5/5

• Price (値段) : 5/5 [¥200]

Links

https://en.unknownjapan.net/cards/2016/9/14/yakushima-onoaida-onsen

https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/尾之間温泉

http://spaspa.gnk.cc/20110922_3/20110922_3.htm