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Tanoyu Onsen

Water profile

Tanoyu Onsen

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

BicarbonateSodium-Magnesium-Calcium Bicarbonate spring

A sodium-magnesium-calcium bicarbonate spring, weakly alkaline and soft on the skin — the jūsō-sen (soda-water) style, which the certificate's older classification names an earth-alkali-bearing soda spring, and which sits squarely in Japan's beauty-water family. Metasilicic acid runs to a generous 222 mg/kg, leaving the kind of silica film that makes skin feel noticeably smoother afterwards. Mineralization is moderate at 1,022 mg/kg, with bicarbonate carrying nearly 80 percent of the anion balance. The sample was drawn not at a wellhead but from the storage tank that pools water from two well locations on the east and west sides of the same lot.

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

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

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%)
  • Sodium112mgP33 national
  • Magnesium33.2mgP78 national
  • Calcium48.0mgP57 national
  • Potassium13.0mgP50 national
  • Lithium0.70mgP64 national
  • Strontium0.30mgP55 national
  • Manganese0.20mgP45 national
  • Barium0.10mgP53 national
Anionsshare of charge (mval%)
  • Bicarbonate503mgP76 national
  • Sulfate53.7mgP41 national
  • Chloride34.0mgP24 national
  • Thiosulfate0.20mgP55 national
  • Fluoride< —mg
Non-dissociatedmeasured by mass
  • Metasilicic acid222mgP90 national
  • Metaboric acid1.5mgP15 national
  • H2SO4Free0.0000mg
  • Phosphoric acid0.0000mg
  • Metaarsenious acid0.0000mg
Dissolved gasesmeasured by mass
  • Free carbon dioxide12.3mgP43 national
  • Free hydrogen sulfide0.0000mg
Trace metalsmeasured by mass
  • Arsenic0.05mgP51 national
  • Cadmium< —mg
  • Copper< —mg
  • Mercury< —mg
  • Lead< —mg

Measured at the source

pH
7.90
Weakly alkaline
Source temperature
50.3°C
Hot
Tonicity
1.02g/kg
Hypotonic
Free CO₂
12mg/kg
Low

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.