Onsen OniOnsen Oni

Search Onsen Oni

Search onsen, areas, prefectures and pages.

Gekkoen Korokan

Water profile

Gekkoen Korokan

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

ChlorideSodium spring

A sodium-chloride strong-salt spring in the Arima tradition — hypertonic, with a dissolved-solids load that exceeds ocean salinity and leaves a noticeable mineral film on the skin after the bath. Neutral pH and a hot wellhead put it firmly in Arima's heat-retaining lineage; a respectable 94 mg/kg of metasilicic acid softens the otherwise mineral-heavy feel.

Good for

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

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

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.

Cationsshare of charge (mval%)
  • Sodium3,656mgP95 national
  • Calcium1,288mgP96 national
  • Strontium308mgP100 national
  • Lithium5.7mgP95 national
Non-dissociatedmeasured by mass
  • Metasilicic acid94.1mgP54 national
  • Metaboric acid81.6mgP94 national
Dissolved gasesmeasured by mass
  • Free carbon dioxide600mgP97 national

Measured at the source

pH
6.34
Neutral
Tonicity
Hypertonic
Flow rate
39L/min
Low
Free CO₂
600mg/kg
Typical

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. Kario K et al. Hemodynamic Effects of Hot Spring Bathing. Hypertension Research 46(3):711–720, 2023.
  3. Naito Y et al. A Hot-Spring Water Improves Inflammatory Conditions in an Atopic Dermatitis Model. Biomedicines 13(11):2707, 2025.
  4. Donaubauer AJ et al. Serial radon spa therapy on pain in musculoskeletal disorders. Frontiers in Immunology, 2024.
  5. Verhagen AP et al. Balneotherapy for rheumatoid arthritis. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews CD000518, 2015.
  6. Li H et al. Bicarbonate Ionized Water Bathing Enhances Natural Killer Cell Activity. Scientific Reports 14:51851, 2024.
  7. 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.