Hot spring towns in Japan, written in Japanese
26 hot spring towns across 20 prefectures, each with the kanji, the kana reading and a card you can print or save to your phone before you travel.
An onsen name usually refers to a whole hot-spring town rather than one building, so drivers will ask which inn. Put the ryokan name in the note field on the card — that is the part they need.
| Kanji | Kana | English | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| 道後温泉 | どうごおんせん | Dōgo Onsen | Matsuyama, Ehime Prefecture |
| 箱根湯本温泉 | はこねゆもとおんせん | Hakone Yumoto Onsen | Hakone, Kanagawa Prefecture |
| 草津温泉 | くさつおんせん | Kusatsu Onsen | Kusatsu, Gunma Prefecture |
| 鬼怒川温泉 | きぬがわおんせん | Kinugawa Onsen | Nikkō-shi, Tochigi Prefecture |
| 浅虫温泉 | あさむしおんせん | Asamushi Onsen | Aomori, Aomori Prefecture |
| 銀山温泉 | ぎんざんおんせん | Ginzan Onsen | Obanazawa, Yamagata Prefecture |
| 登別温泉 | のぼりべつおんせん | Noboribetsu Onsen | Noboribetsu, Hokkaido |
| 乳頭温泉郷 | にゅうとうおんせんきょう | Nyuto Spa Resort | Tōhoku region, Miyagi Prefecture |
| 和倉温泉 | わくらおんせん | Wakura Onsen | Nanao, Ishikawa Prefecture |
| 山中温泉 | やまなかおんせん | Yamanaka Onsen | Kaga, Ishikawa Prefecture |
| 別府温泉 | べっぷおんせん | Beppu Onsen | Beppu, Ōita Prefecture |
| 玉造温泉 | たまつくりおんせん | Tamatsukuri Onsen | Matsue, Shimane Prefecture |
| 由布院温泉 | ゆふいんおんせん | Yufuin Onsen | Yufu, Ōita Prefecture |
| 熱海温泉 | あたみおんせん | Atami Onsen | Atami, Shizuoka Prefecture |
| 粟津温泉 | あわづおんせん | Awazu Onsen | Komatsu, Ishikawa Prefecture |
| 黒川温泉 | くろかわおんせん | Kurokawa Onsen | Minamioguni, Kumamoto Prefecture |
| 夏油温泉 | げとうおんせん | Geto Onsen | Kitakami, Iwate Prefecture |
| 指宿温泉 | いぶすきおんせん | Ibusuki Onsen | Ibusuki, Kagoshima Prefecture |
| 南紀勝浦温泉 | なんきかつうらおんせん | Nanki-Katsuura Onsen | Nachikatsuura, Wakayama Prefecture |
| 小浜温泉 | おばまおんせん | Obama Onsen | Unzen, Nagasaki Prefecture |
| 四万温泉 | しまおんせん | Shima Onsen | Nakanojō, Gunma Prefecture |
| 宇奈月温泉 | うなづきおんせん | Unazuki Onsen | Kurobe, Toyama Prefecture |
| 雲仙温泉 | うんぜんおんせん | Unzen Onsen | Unzen, Nagasaki Prefecture |
| 湯の峰温泉 | ゆのみねおんせん | Yunomine Onsen | Tanabe, Wakayama Prefecture |
| 下呂温泉 | げろおんせん | Gero Onsen | Gero, Gifu Prefecture |
| 城崎温泉 | きのさきおんせん | Kinosaki Onsen | Toyooka, Hyōgo Prefecture |
Frequently asked questions
How do I ask a taxi for a Japanese hot spring town?
An onsen name usually refers to a whole hot-spring town rather than one building, so drivers will ask which inn. Put the ryokan name in the note field on the card — that is the part they need.
Do these names work outside a taxi?
Yes. The same card works at a station information desk, a hotel front desk or a police box (交番). The Japanese characters are the part that communicates; the English and romaji on the card are only there so you know what you are showing.