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Umeya

Water profile

Umeya

Spring chemistry and what it does, with the research behind it.

SimpleSodium-Calcium Sulfate-Chloride spring

A hot 53 °C blended source from Ito Onsen's Mizuochi cooperative, classified as a simple thermal spring with a total mineralization of 0.879 g/kg sitting just under the chloride-spring threshold. Sodium leads the cation profile while chloride and sulfate share the anion side almost evenly. Weakly alkaline at the wellhead (pH 8.4), it falls in the soft Japanese 'beauty-water' family — the water is nearly colorless and transparent, with no taste or odor, and a modest 57 mg/kg of metasilicic acid leaving skin smooth without the heaviness of a fully mineralized chloride bath.

Good for

Aches & joints

Warmth eases stiffness and raises the pain threshold. Radon and sulfate springs show the strongest evidence for joint and muscle pain.

stiff shoulders

Smooth skin

Bicarbonate and alkalinity gently lift dead keratin while silica hydrates, leaving skin smooth. This is the basis of the beautifying-water (bijin-no-yu 美人の湯) reputation.

dry, rough skin

Recovery

Warmth and buoyancy lower stress markers and improve sleep; habitual bathing is linked to lower rates of depression.

fatigue, stress

Full composition

The bar is each ion's share of charge (mval%) within its group; over 20% names the spring. Gases, silica and trace metals are measured by mass only.

Cationsshare of charge (mval%)
  • Sodium201mgP51 national
  • Calcium61.5mgP61 national
  • Magnesium3.1mgP39 national
  • Potassium4.4mgP33 national
  • Aluminum< —mg
  • Copper< —mg
  • Iron (II)< —mg
  • Iron (III)< —mg
  • Manganese< —mg
Anionsshare of charge (mval%)
  • Sulfate381mgP80 national
  • Chloride144mgP47 national
  • Bicarbonate22.7mgP14 national
  • Carbonate2.4mgP26 national
  • Iodide0.20mgP52 national
  • Bromide0.10mgP15 national
  • Hydroxide0.04mgP35 national
  • Thiosulfate< —mg
Non-dissociatedmeasured by mass
  • Metasilicic acid57.3mgP34 national
  • Metaboric acid1.6mgP16 national
  • Metaarsenious acid0.10mgP41 national

Measured at the source

pH
8.40
Weakly alkaline
Source temperature
53.0°C
Hot
Tonicity
0.88g/kg
Hypotonic

Evidence

  1. Maeda M. 温泉の医学的効果とその科学的根拠. J. Hot Spring Science 70:197–207, 2021.
  2. Naito Y et al. A Hot-Spring Water Improves Inflammatory Conditions in an Atopic Dermatitis Model. Biomedicines 13(11):2707, 2025.
  3. Donaubauer AJ et al. Serial radon spa therapy on pain in musculoskeletal disorders. Frontiers in Immunology, 2024.
  4. Verhagen AP et al. Balneotherapy for rheumatoid arthritis. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews CD000518, 2015.
  5. Li H et al. Bicarbonate Ionized Water Bathing Enhances Natural Killer Cell Activity. Scientific Reports 14:51851, 2024.
  6. Takeda M et al. Hot spring bathing practices have a positive effect on mental health in Japan. Heliyon 9(9):e19631, 2023.

Educational, not medical advice. If you have a health condition, consult a physician before onsen therapy.