A sodium-led blend of bicarbonate, chloride and sulfate water rising at 66.1 °C — among the hotter sources in the country, cooled before bathing. The water carries a faint yellow tint at the source, a salty tang and an unmistakable rotten-egg note of hydrogen sulfide layered with a metallic iron edge. Weakly alkaline and gentle on the skin, with a generous 313 mg/kg of metasilicic acid that leaves a thin silica film for noticeably smoother skin.
Good for
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
Circulation
Skin-absorbed CO₂ and hydrogen sulfide relax the vessel walls; carbon-dioxide springs can raise peripheral blood flow several-fold.
tired legs
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
Warming
Salt forms a film on the skin that slows heat loss, so the warmth lingers long after the bath (the classic heat-keeping water, nettō 熱の湯).
cold sensitivity
Cuts
Mineral-rich chloride, sulfate and sulfur waters have a long-recorded soothing effect on minor cuts and slow-healing skin.
minor wounds
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.
- Sodiumsalt's cation — pairs with chloride to make the water saltyNa⁺326mgP64 national63%
- Magnesiummild; a laxative if you drink itMg²⁺37.8mgP81 national14%
- Calciumsettling and calming; can leave a white mineral bloomCa²⁺52.0mgP58 national11%
- Potassiumminor; matters for drinking limitsK⁺97.5mgP92 national11%
- LithiumLi⁺0.90mgP72 national0.6%
- AmmoniumNH₄⁺0.30mgP40 national0.1%
- StrontiumSr²⁺0.60mgP72 national0.1%
- Iron (II)Fe²⁺0.60mgP56 national0.0%
- ManganeseMn²⁺0.60mgP68 national0.0%
- Bicarbonate"soda" — softens skin, leaves it smoothHCO₃⁻712mgP84 national47%
- Chloridetable-salt anion — coats the skin and holds heat inCl⁻277mgP61 national31%
- Sulfate"gypsum / Glauber's salt" — vessels and wound healingSO₄²⁻264mgP71 national22%
- FluorideF⁻0.40mgP31 national0.2%
- BromideBr⁻0.90mgP57 national0.0%
- Hydrogen sulfideHS⁻0.0000mg0.0%
- NitrateNO₃⁻0.0000mg0.0%
- Metasilicic acidmetasilicic acid — a natural moisturizer for silky skinH₂SiO₃313mgP97 national
- Metaboric acidmetaboric acid — mildly antibacterialHBO₂18.6mgP73 national
- Free carbon dioxidefizz — widens blood vessels (strong above 1000 mg/kg)CO₂< 0.10mg
- Free hydrogen sulfide"egg" smell — opens vessels, antibacterialH₂S0.10mgP61 national
- ArsenicAs< —mg
- CadmiumCdNDmg
- Mercurytoxic trace — part of the drinking-safety checkHg< —mg
- LeadPb< —mg
Measured at the source
Evidence
- 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.
- Kario K et al. Hemodynamic Effects of Hot Spring Bathing. Hypertension Research 46(3):711–720, 2023.
- Tei C, Kihara T. Waon Therapy for Chronic Heart Failure. J. Cardiology 53(2):214–218, 2009.
- Coavoy-Sánchez SA et al. Hydrogen sulfide and dermatological diseases. Int. J. Dermatology, 2019.
- Naito Y et al. A Hot-Spring Water Improves Inflammatory Conditions in an Atopic Dermatitis Model. Biomedicines 13(11):2707, 2025.
- Toriyama T et al. Carbon dioxide foot bathing on critical limb ischemia. International Angiology 21(4):367–373, 2002.
- Donaubauer AJ et al. Serial radon spa therapy on pain in musculoskeletal disorders. Frontiers in Immunology, 2024.
- Verhagen AP et al. Balneotherapy for rheumatoid arthritis. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews CD000518, 2015.
- Li H et al. Bicarbonate Ionized Water Bathing Enhances Natural Killer Cell Activity. Scientific Reports 14:51851, 2024.
- Takeda M et al. Hot spring bathing practices have a positive effect on mental health in Japan. Heliyon 9(9):e19631, 2023.