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Kurhaus Ishibashi Ryokan

Water profile

Kurhaus Ishibashi Ryokan

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

Simple

A gentle simple thermal spring, blended from Rendaiji well No. 2 and two neighbouring wells. Weakly alkaline at pH 7.9 and lightly mineralised, it is soft on the skin rather than assertive. The posted utilisation certificate records no dilution, no heating, no recirculation and no disinfection — a full free-flow bath fed directly from a source some 50 m away. A wall chart in the bathhouse sets out Kurhaus-style bathing programmes: a rinse, full-body and partial soaks, a cascade bath, bubble bath, steam box and lying bath, sequenced for goals such as general health, fatigue recovery, and easing lower-back and shoulder stiffness.

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

Measured at the source

Source temperature
48.5°C
Hot
Flow rate
1,250L/min
Very high

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.

How the water is handled

Water treatment

Pure source water· 源泉かけ流し (gensen kakenagashi)
from Article 18 disclosure
  • Added water
    No
  • Reheated
    No
  • Recirculated
    No
  • Disinfected
    No
  • Bath additives
    No

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