Top 10 Onsen Towns in Japan 2026

A mountain retreat just outside Tokyo offering volcanic hot springs with views of Mount Fuji.

A high-altitude Gunma town famous for its yubatake hot water field and some of Japan's most acidic springs.

A charming Hyogo town where visitors stroll in yukata between seven public bathhouses along a willow-lined canal.

Hokkaido's top onsen resort set above a dramatic volcanic valley known as Jigokudani or Hell Valley.

One of Japan's oldest hot springs in Matsuyama, housed in a storied 1894 bathhouse that inspired Studio Ghibli.

A tranquil Gifu riverside town ranked among Japan's top three onsen for its silky alkaline waters.

A secluded cluster of rustic ryokan nestled in the beech forests of Akita Prefecture's Towada-Hachimantai area.

A picturesque Kumamoto village where a wooden pass grants access to open-air baths across multiple inns.

A fairy-tale Yamagata hamlet of gas-lit wooden ryokan lining a narrow river gorge, magical under winter snow.

A mountain retreat just outside Tokyo offering volcanic hot springs with views of Mount Fuji.

A high-altitude Gunma town famous for its yubatake hot water field and some of Japan's most acidic springs.

A charming Hyogo town where visitors stroll in yukata between seven public bathhouses along a willow-lined canal.

Hokkaido's top onsen resort set above a dramatic volcanic valley known as Jigokudani or Hell Valley.

One of Japan's oldest hot springs in Matsuyama, housed in a storied 1894 bathhouse that inspired Studio Ghibli.

A tranquil Gifu riverside town ranked among Japan's top three onsen for its silky alkaline waters.

A secluded cluster of rustic ryokan nestled in the beech forests of Akita Prefecture's Towada-Hachimantai area.

A picturesque Kumamoto village where a wooden pass grants access to open-air baths across multiple inns.

A fairy-tale Yamagata hamlet of gas-lit wooden ryokan lining a narrow river gorge, magical under winter snow.