Tohoku is considered a hot spring paradise by the Japanese. Each hot spring town has a unique history and scale of development, presenting diverse features that have created a world-renowned hot spring culture. Tohoku is home to many hidden hot springs, most of which retain their original appearance from when they first opened due to inconvenient transportation, offering an authentic and open-air vibe that becomes a major attraction. Whether soaking in the hot springs while admiring the autumn foliage or enjoying a warm bath in the snowy winter, it’s an unparalleled experience.
In winter, take a trip to Tohoku in Japan to experience the century-old snow-viewing hot springs in the quaint countryside. (Image provided by Moleskine Editorial Department)
Aomori Prefecture “San’nomaru Onsen”
Located within Towada-Hachimantai National Park, San’nomaru Onsen is surrounded by forests in the 900-meter-high Hakkoda Mountains. Relatively unknown, it has preserved its original appearance since its opening 320 years ago, evident from its wooden exterior. Due to its high elevation, the fresh air enhances the therapeutic effects of the hot springs, attracting many visitors. Even in the cold winter, reasonably priced hot spring treatment rooms are in high demand.
The most appealing feature of San’nomaru Onsen is its fully wooden large bathhouse, the “Senrin’yoku-buro” (Thousand-People Bath), an 80-tatami rare facility in Japan that can accommodate hundreds of people soaking together. It includes five baths such as the Hot Bath, Cold Bath, and the Four-Six Bath. As a mixed-gender bath, each tub is divided into male and female sections. For women hesitant about mixed bathing, there’s a dedicated women-only time slot, or you can purchase the inn’s specially made hot spring robe to enjoy a unique mixed-bathing experience.
Throughout San’nomaru Onsen, traces of nostalgia can be found everywhere. The self-catering shop sells many freshly made hot meals and fruits to meet the daily needs of hot spring guests. Located near a ski resort, it also employs professional ski instructors to run a ski school, making it a great destination for a ski-and-hot-spring trip in winter. The seventh-generation-run San’nomaru Onsen has also opened a nearby log cabin resort, “Hakkoda Hotel,” built with North American logs. The chef, trained in France, meticulously prepares refined dishes for guests.
[Info]
Address: Aomori, Aomori City, Arakawa District, Minami-Arakawa, National Forest, San’nogawa
Phone: +81-17-738-6400
Water Type: Acidic Sulfur Spring (contains gypsum, acidic hydrogen sulfide)
With a history of 320 years, the “Thousand-People Bath” is the most iconic feature of San’nomaru Onsen. (Image provided by Moleskine Editorial Department)
Aomori Prefecture “Aoni Onsen”
Nestled between valleys, Aoni Onsen is completely isolated with no human presence within a 6.5-kilometer radius, as if it were a world apart. Until 75 years ago when development began, it remained an untouched pristine land. Established in 1930 (Showa 5), Aoni Onsen still relies on self-generated power without any external electricity. At night, only oil lamps provide lighting. Although it lacks modern amenities like TVs or radios, the nostalgic ambiance created by the oil lamps and the tranquil, natural environment have made Aoni Onsen a renowned hidden inn in Japan.
In addition to the 24 rooms in the main building, Aoni Onsen also offers standalone rooms for larger families seeking more private space. To reach the open-air bath or bathhouse, you must cross a suspension bridge over a stream. The dim glow of oil lamps adds to the hot spring atmosphere of the rock-built open-air bath. Completed in the fall of 2005, the Takimino-yu bath exudes a rich woody aroma, and soaking in the open-air bath allows you to enjoy views of the waterfall.
Dining at Aoni Onsen offers another special flavor: sitting around a hearth to enjoy wild mountain vegetables and river-caught rockfish picked nearby, elevating the simple and rustic taste with the ambiance. Although the atmospheric oil lamps are quite alluring, for safety, the owner reminds guests not to touch them and to make sure to extinguish the flames before going to bed.
[Info]
Address: Aomori, Oirase, Aoni-zawa, No. 7
Phone: +81-1-7254-8588
Water Type: Simple Carbonate Spring
Soaking in the open-air bath also allows you to enjoy views of the waterfall. (Image provided by Moleskine Editorial Department)
Aomori Prefecture “Furofushi Onsen”
The massive modern windmills are the first impression of Furofushi Onsen. Due to the strong winds along the Sea of Japan, such wind turbines for generating power are common along the coast. Furofushi Onsen is located on the Sea of Japan coast in western Aomori Prefecture, near Shirakami-Sanchi, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Inside the inn, the front desk clearly displays today’s sunset time, as visitors come here mainly to enjoy the coastal open-air bath with the setting sun. All hot spring enthusiasts arriving for its fame make sure to get there before sunset to soak in the open-air bath while watching the sun slowly dip below the horizon.
The open-air bath of Furofushi Onsen is built directly on the Japanese Sea coast behind the inn building, constructed with locally sourced rocks. It has even been completely submerged by storm waves in the past. The open-air bath is divided into a women’s section and a mixed-gender section. The mixed bath pool has an irregular gourd shape. Due to its coastal location, the water is a highly mineralized, iron-rich salt spring. The yellowish-brown hot spring takes on an incredible golden hue under the setting sun. Soaking in it, with the salty sea breeze gently blowing, the magnificent view of the Sea of Japan unfolds before your eyes, offering a complete sense of openness that makes you feel like you’re bathing in the sea, merging with the sky and earth, while listening to the endless sound of crashing waves, fully satisfying both sight and hearing. The inn’s observation bath, situated higher up, also offers a stunning view of the Sea of Japan.
[Info]
Address: Aomori, Shichinohe District, Oma Town, Ushigome, Shimo-Kiyonai
Phone: +81-1-7374-3500
Water Quality: Shi Xi Spring
Many visitors come to Furofushi Onsen just to enjoy the coastal open-air bath at sunset. (Photo courtesy of MK Editorial Department)
Akita Prefecture’s “Nyuto Onsen” — Tsurunoyu Annex “Yamano-Yado”
Tsurunoyu Onsen is the oldest hot spring in Nyuto Onsen. Records indicate it has been in operation since 1688. This inn, which still preserves architecture from the samurai era of 350 years ago, features an irori (traditional sunken hearth) in each of its individually named “Honjin” rooms, attracting many who seek a nostalgic experience. The rooms are so sought-after that some guests wait a full year just to secure a stay.
Tsurunoyu offers four different types of spring water. Ranked as the most popular open-air bath is the mixed-gender bath with milky white water. To allow more guests to experience the natural charm of Nyuto Onsen, the annex “Yamano-Yado” grandly opened in 1994, nestled among beech tree forests. From the lobby and dining area to the guest rooms, all are separate wooden structures connected by corridors. In spring you can admire clusters of skunk cabbage, in summer the beech trees display fresh green hues, autumn brings vibrant foliage, and the silver-white world of winter is simply breathtaking. With only 11 rooms, “Yamano-Yado,” like the main Tsurunoyu building, aims for guests to escape the stress of urban life, and thus does not provide TVs, allowing guests to fully immerse themselves in nature.
Dinner at “Yamano-Yado” is served in the restaurant “Iori.” Each private room has an irori, and the mountain yam hot pot kept warm over the charcoal fire is Tsurunoyu’s proudest signature dish. The soft yet chewy yam dumplings soak up the essence of the miso broth, making it hard to stop at just one bowl. Paired with grilled Akita specialty kiridannpo by the hearth, it’s sure to warm your taste buds.
【info】
Address: Akita Prefecture, Senboku City, Tajiri, Onsen, 1-1
Phone: +81-1-8746-2100
Water Quality: Sodium-sulfur, calcium salt carbonate hydrogen carbonate spring
Tsurunoyu Onsen is the oldest hot spring in Nyuto Onsen. (Photo courtesy of MK Editorial Department)
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