Kansai is home to many mixed-bathing hot springs where you can enjoy a day trip or an overnight stay!
In this article, we've selected 14 mixed-use hot springs in the Kansai region, and will introduce the features and bathing methods of each facility in detail.
There are mixed baths where you can wear a swimsuit, mixed baths where you can't wrap a towel, etc.
The number of mixed baths in Japan is decreasing every year, so why not visit one with your family or significant other before they disappear?
Mixed baths in Osaka
The Great Hot Springs of the Spa World
The World's Great Onsen, where you can enjoy 17 types of hot springs from 12 countries around the world
Two large slides, including one of the first in Japan, and a kids' pool, SpaPoo.
Bedrock baths with motifs from eight different countries.
A "spa hotel" with views of Tsutenkaku from every room.
Spa World, where you can enjoy a gym, beauty salon, New World specialties such as yakitori, and hot yoga.
Hyogo's Mixed Bath
Arima Onsen Goshobo
Arima's oldest hot spring inn. Goshobo's unique atmosphere is infused with the colors of the eight hundred years since Kamakura. The hot springs are 100% natural, untouched and unheated.
Goshobo's large public bath is a rare treat...!
At the back of the bathhouse, up a ramp, two separate areas for men and women are connected by a semi-mixed bath.
"You can enjoy Arima's hot springs in a unique space created by the golden springs and yuzu.
The half-marriage bath, which can't be found anywhere else, is one of the facilities that symbolizes Kanaishirobe's desire for men and women to enjoy the same space. As you soak in the prehistoric waters that bubble up through the frost from the edge of the oceanic plate 60 kilometers below, worldly concerns seem to melt away. Arima's best hot springs flow straight from the source.
OK for day trips:
Hours: 11:00 to 14:00
Fee: 1,500 yen per visit (excluding consumption tax and bathing tax)
Face towel rental: Included
Bath towel rental: Paid (315 yen)
Refresh Park Yumura
Refresh Park Yumura is a natural hot spring park utilizing the source of Yumura Onsen.
It features a variety of indoor and outdoor baths, a 25-meter indoor heated pool, and a toddler pool.
The mixed-use outdoor bath, where swimsuits can be worn, has a waterfall bath, a sake barrel bath, and a cave observation bath with a great view.
Enjoy a relaxing soak in the onsen, an exhilarating outdoor bath, or a refreshing splash in the heated pool.
Mixed baths in Kyoto
Rurikei Onsen
A highland resort for three generations at 550 meters above sea level.
There are plenty of hot spring facilities for all-day fun, as well as dining and accommodation options.
Badezon, with its open-air baths, outdoor baths, and saunas, is a great place to spend time with family and friends in swimsuits.
Other relaxation facilities include rock baths, fish therapy, lantern terraces, and hot spring pools.
Kotohikihama Open Air Bath
This is a mixed-use open-air bath located in Kotohikihama, a scenic spot known for its white sandy mountain streams, which were designated as a national natural monument and scenic spot in 2007.
The hot spring was excavated in 1977 by a local waterworks company, which planned to open an onsen ryokan, but the plan fell through. Since then, local residents have maintained the long-abandoned hot spring as a bathhouse, and it is open for free except in winter.
Bathing is free, but you'll have to pay a parking fee as a cleaning cooperation fee, so if you arrive by car, expect to pay 1,000 yen per car.
Kotohikihama Open Air Bath is an open-air bath where swimsuits are mandatory.
Wakayama's Mixed Bath
Kawayu Onsen Midoriya
After leaving the large public bath where men and women are separated, the open-air bath by the river is a mixed bath.
It's nice to know that you can enjoy an open-air bath with your family or significant other!
You can wear a "bathing suit" even in mixed baths, so you can rest assured.
Kawayu Onsen Tenjin Onsen
A large, wild open-air bath overlooking the Otagawa River! Speaking of "onsen" hot springs, the star of Kawayu Onsen's winter season is the Cactus Bath, which is open from December to the end of February. It's a large open-air bath built against the Otagawa River, which runs through the center of Kawayu Onsen.
Shirahama Onsen Hamachijo-no-yu Kaifune
A popular hot spring inn with Shirahama's only "scenic mixed bath open-air bath where you can become one with the sea and sky".
There are also three private open-air baths with different atmospheres available for free, making it a popular choice for couples and families.
Wearing a bathing suit is mandatory.
Ryujin Onsen Shimogoden
Established 16 years ago in Kan'ei. Famous as one of Japan's three most beautiful baths, this hot spring offers an open-air bath facing the stream of the Hidaka River, a cypress bath, and tatami rooms.
The hotel's famous mixed bath open-air bath overlooks the clear waters of the Hidaka River. Feel the changes of the four seasons on your skin and be surrounded by rich nature to heal your body and mind. Enjoy a relaxing soak in the open-air bath facing the mountain stream. At night, the trees in the valley are illuminated, creating an even more magical sight...(Day bathing is also available).
Both men and women are asked to wear a bath towel when bathing.
Yukai Resort Premium Shirahama Saichoraku (Yukai Resort Premium)
There is a large public bath with natural hot springs, a spacious open-air bath, a family bath for families (swimsuits required), and a private open-air bath for couples and friends (for a fee). The baths are cleaned after each use, so you can enjoy a clean experience.
Kuahouse Shirahama
In July 2007, the Grand Hotel opened a new open-air bath. Guests can now enjoy bathing in the fresh air of the outdoors. In addition to the open-air bath, there are other hot spring facilities such as the large public bath and the Kua House (Badezon). All of them use crystal water as their source, so you can enjoy the hot spring bath to the fullest. Badezon is also equipped with a sauna and jacuzzi.
Shirahama Onsen Hotel Sanrakuso
There is an open-air bath that resembles a sailboat in a swimsuit.
It has separate changing rooms for men and women and is separated from the large public bath by a corridor.
The mixed-use open-air bath is only available in summer.
Open-air bath Shirasuna
A large, pool-like open-air bath inside Baekyang Beach. Even though it's an open-air bath, you'll need a swimsuit here.
After enjoying the sea, be sure to take a dip in the open-air bath. The footbath alone will make you feel good. It is large enough to accommodate 100 people at a time.
Yunomine Onsen Tsuboyu
Tsuboyu is a World Heritage Site listed as Kumano Modenoyuguriya. It is a World Heritage-listed bathing hot spring.
The natural bedrock baths are surrounded by planks, and the jar baths, which fill up as soon as people enter, are rotated every few minutes, so you can enter in groups. The color of the water changes depending on the day.
Get a numbered ticket at the public bath's ticket counter and (if it's crowded) wait for your turn to bathe.
The mixed baths of the Kansai region are the perfect place to relax and unwind from the hustle and bustle of everyday life, but they are also a great way to immerse yourself in Japanese onsen culture. Each of the 14 hot spring facilities in this article offers different features and services, and will allow you to enjoy the nature and culture of the Kansai region. From facilities that you can easily visit on a day trip to onsen with accommodations, we'll introduce you to mixed-use onsen that cater to a variety of needs. Find your favorite hot spring facility and enjoy the charm of Kansai's hot springs to the fullest.