[Access] About 70 minutes by car from JR Jomo-Kogen Station
[Website] Shirane Onsen Karakurakan
After hiking Mt. Nikko Shirane, several hot springs came to mind, including Oigami Onsen. Out of the Shirane Onsen spots I’d spotted on my way to the Marunuma Kogen Ski Resort, I decided to stop by the cozy-looking Karakurakan in the Kamino-yu area. I was curious about Yakushi-no-yu in Shimono-yu too, but all the signs along the road boasting about their “massive open-air bath” actually made me a bit hesitant, so I avoided it this time.
I was told to pay the fee at the main building across the river during this time of day. I hadn’t really noticed the building on the other side until it was pointed out, so I headed over to pay. The place has that classic, simple vibe of an inn where the focus is entirely on enjoying the hot spring.
Based on the exterior of the main building, I’d assumed the bath would be tiny. But when I walked into the bathroom, I was blown away—the tub and the space were way bigger than I imagined! The water was gushing out like a waterfall in a “kakenagashi” style, and my gut immediately told me this was going to be some high-quality water lol.
The water was quite hot. I could only manage to stay at the very edge, as far as possible from where the water was pouring in. It felt like it was around 43-44 degrees Celsius. With this kind of heat and the way the water overflows onto the floor, it’s the kind of place where you’d half-expect to see someone lying down on the tiles for a “todo-ne” (sea lion nap).
Maybe it was the high temperature, but the water felt incredibly refreshing. Because it was so hot, I kept getting in and out, but the water didn’t leave me feeling heavy or exhausted. It’s a simple thermal spring with a total mineral content of 690 mg/kg. The source is 61.5°C, and they add a bit of water to bring it down to a usable temperature, but it’s still very toasty. What caught my eye was that it’s rich in sodium and sulfate ions—basically the Glauber’s salt type of spring that I personally love.
I’d been curious about Shirane Onsen ever since I saw this vent pumping out thick clouds of steam. This one is right next to Yakushi-no-yu in the Shimono-yu area. Given that they have a massive open-air bath, there must be a huge volume of water flowing through this area. I’d love to check out Yakushi-no-yu too if I get the chance.