Ryujin Onsen
Representative image — not a photograph of this location.
Ryujin is counted with Kawanaka in Gunma and Yunokawa in Shimane as one of the three waters of beauty in Japan. The spring is sodium bicarbonate, which dissolves surface keratin and leaves skin unmistakably smooth — the effect is immediate and is the entire reason for the reputation. The Kishu lords built a retreat here and the village has been a bathing place for centuries.
It sits in a deep valley on the Hidaka river in the mountains between Tanabe and Koyasan, along the Koya-Ryujin Skyline, which is one of the best mountain drives in western Japan. The Motoyu is the village's own bathhouse: undiluted source water, changed daily, open from seven in the morning to nine at night, ¥800, and it does not close. There are a handful of inns and nothing else.
Essential Information
Opening Hours
Motoyu 7:00 AM – 9:00 PM, last reception 8:40 PM | Some winter weekdays open from 9:00 AM
Closed: Open year-round
Entrance Fee
Motoyu ¥800 for junior high school age and above | ¥400 elementary school children and under
Best Season
Late April–November while the Koya-Ryujin Skyline is open | Autumn colour in late October
Visit Duration
1.5–2 hours | Overnight recommended
Getting There
Access Information
Insider Guide
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