10 Hidden Hot Springs in Shizuoka: From the Izu Peninsula to the Southern Alps

Shizuoka's Izu Peninsula is one of the most densely packed hot-spring regions in Japan. The peninsula itself is a geological oddity: a volcanic island that once floated in the seas to the south, carried north on the Philippine Sea Plate until it collided with Honshu. Volcanic heat and a web of active faults together feed a remarkable range of springs across a small area of land. From central Izu around Shuzenji and Yugashima, down through southern Izu toward Shimoda, and out to the cliffs of western Izu where the land drops into Suruga Bay, no two baths share the same water or the same view.

Izu is also a landscape of literature. The novelist Yasunari Kawabata stayed for long stretches at Yumotokan in Yugashima Onsen, and the memories he gathered here became The Izu Dancer. Fukudaya at Yugano Onsen, where the traveling dancers of that novel bathe, is named in its pages too. Both inns belong to the Japan Association of Secluded Hot Spring Inns (Nihon Hitou wo Mamoru Kai).

Beyond the peninsula, springs rise deep in the mountains of central Shizuoka. Umegashima Onsen sits near the headwaters of the Abe River, while Sumatakyo Onsen and Minami Alps Akaishi Onsen lie along the upper Oi River, all cradled in the folds of the Southern Alps where peaks rise above 3,000 meters. These are mountain-gorge springs, a world apart from the coastal baths of Izu.

Shizuoka's hot springs span two very different stages: the Izu Peninsula and the foothills of the Southern Alps. Below are 10 of the most distinctive, arranged as a route that runs south through central Izu, along the western coast, and then upstream toward the sources of the Abe and Oi rivers.

1. Shuzenji Onsen Arai Ryokan (修善寺温泉 新井旅館) — Izu City

2. Yugashima Onsen Yumotokan (湯ヶ島温泉 湯本館) — Izu City

3. Yugano Onsen Fukudaya (湯ヶ野温泉 福田家) — Kawazu Town, Kamo District

4. Kannon Onsen (観音温泉) — Shimoda City

5. Sakurada Onsen Sanpoen (桜田温泉 山芳園) — Matsuzaki Town, Kamo District

6. Osawa Onsen Noten-buro Yama no Ie (大澤温泉 野天風呂 山の家) — Matsuzaki Town, Kamo District

7. Sawada Koen Rotenburo (沢田公園露天風呂) — Nishiizu Town, Kamo District

8. Umegashima Onsen Yu no Yado Ichikawa (梅ヶ島温泉 湯の宿いちかわ) — Aoi Ward, Shizuoka City

9. Minami Alps Akaishi Onsen Shirakabaso (南アルプス赤石温泉 白樺荘) — Aoi Ward, Shizuoka City

10. Sumatakyo Onsen Suikoen (寸又峡温泉 翠紅苑) — Kawanehon Town, Haibara District

Summary: What to Know Before Visiting Shizuoka's Hot Springs

Shizuoka's hidden springs fall into four areas that are easiest to plan separately: central Izu, southern Izu, western Izu, and the headwaters of the Abe and Oi rivers. Parts of the Izu Peninsula can be reached by train and bus, but the mountain-gorge springs at the river sources really require a rental car. It helps to fix the travel style for each leg before you go.

Central Izu. Arai Ryokan at Shuzenji Onsen was founded in 1872 (Meiji 5), and fifteen of its wooden buildings, raised through the Taisho and early Showa eras, are registered as Tangible Cultural Properties of Japan. Its baths combine source water with a recirculating system, so it is not a fully "flow-through" (kakenagashi) inn — worth keeping in mind if that distinction matters to you. It is usually reached by bus from Shuzenji Station on the Izuhakone Railway Sunzu Line. Also in central Izu, Yumotokan at Yugashima Onsen preserves the room where Kawabata stayed and, as a member of the Association of Secluded Hot Spring Inns, keeps an old therapeutic-bathing atmosphere. It is primarily an overnight inn, so confirm in advance whether day bathing is available.

Southern Izu. Fukudaya at Yugano Onsen in Kawazu Town stands along the Kawazu River, the setting of The Izu Dancer; the surrounding area is famous for its early Kawazu cherry blossoms, and the inn is another member of the secluded-inn association. Kannon Onsen in Shimoda City draws a highly alkaline spring from its own source, well known as a "beauty bath" — the high-pH water feels smooth on the skin, and the spring is also sold as bottled drinking water. It is a stay-and-soak destination, with lodging spread across a wooded valley.

Western Izu. Matsuzaki Town has two source-fed hidden springs: Sanpoen at Sakurada Onsen, and Osawa Onsen Yama no Ie, an open-air bath along the Naka River. Both sit well away from the tourist crowds and draw visitors for the water itself. Nearby, the character changes at Sawada Koen Rotenburo in Nishiizu Town — a town-run public open-air bath perched on a cliff above Suruga Bay. There is no lodging; it accepts day visitors only, in gender-separated tubs with a wide sea view, and is known as a spot to watch the sunset. Its water-management details are not published, so we avoid claiming it is a flow-through spring.

Headwaters of the Abe and Oi Rivers, and the Southern Alps. Yu no Yado Ichikawa at Umegashima Onsen sits high on the upper Abe River, in a valley about an hour's drive north of central Shizuoka, with soft alkaline water. In the Oi River watershed, deep in Aoi Ward near the Hatanagi Dam, Minami Alps Akaishi Onsen Shirakabaso serves as a base for climbers heading to Chausudake and Akaishidake; it is remote, with limited public transport, so a car is the practical choice. Suikoen at Sumatakyo Onsen stands at the gateway to Sumata Gorge, home of the famous "Dream Suspension Bridge," and is reachable by bus from Senzu Station on the Oigawa Railway. Its main bath uses recirculation with chlorine treatment, so it is best enjoyed together with the gorge scenery and walking trails rather than for the water alone.

A few practical points apply across the list. Baths here are separated by gender rather than mixed, and ordinary tubs are entered without swimwear; the private and family baths at the ryokan are the option if you would rather not share the water. Reservations matter more than at a city bathhouse: the inns are geared to overnight guests, and day-trip bathing may be limited or unavailable, so confirm ahead. Tattoo policies vary by facility and are often stricter at ryokan than at public baths, so travelers with tattoos should check directly before visiting. Payment can be cash-only at smaller mountain inns and at the town-run Sawada bath, so carry cash even where cards are usually accepted. Finally, the Izu Peninsula and the Southern Alps foothills are the same prefecture but several hours apart by road — plan on at least two or three days and focus on one or two areas rather than trying to cover everything. Road conditions in the mountains can change in winter; check each facility's official website or the local tourism association for the latest details before you go.

If you are looking for places to stay rather than hidden springs alone, our Shizuoka onsen guide covers nine hot spring inns across Izu and the Southern Alps foothills.

https://www.tan-ken.com/en/blog/7vt46isoazaw

For a wider view of Japan's hidden hot springs beyond Shizuoka, the three great hidden onsen of Japan and 20 more selected gems make a good starting point.

https://www.tan-ken.com/en/blog/j5hf5xrd1sp

If you want to know what actually qualifies a spring as a "meito," a separate guide breaks it down by water quality, flow rate, and history.

https://www.tan-ken.com/en/blog/7i6xy39a_ck

The hitou rating criteria used to select these 10 springs are explained in our guide to how Tanken rates hot springs.

https://www.tan-ken.com/en/blog/lqg95cwm69g

Frequently Asked Questions

Q. Which of Shizuoka's hidden springs are genuinely free-flowing (kakenagashi)?

Sanpoen at Sakurada Onsen and Osawa Onsen Yama no Ie, both in Matsuzaki Town, are free-flowing. Arai Ryokan at Shuzenji Onsen combines source water with a recirculating system, and the main bath at Suikoen in Sumatakyo Onsen recirculates with chlorine treatment. Check each inn's own data page for its exact water management.

Q. Is any of these open for day bathing only, with no overnight stay?

Sawada Koen Rotenburo in Nishiizu Town has no lodging and accepts day visitors only. The other nine are primarily overnight ryokan, so confirm day-bathing availability and hours directly with each inn.

Q. Can I visit without a car?

Shuzenji Onsen, Yugashima Onsen, and Yugano Onsen are all reachable by bus from a train station. Sumatakyo Onsen is reachable by bus from Senzu Station on the Oigawa Railway. Umegashima Onsen and Minami Alps Akaishi Onsen, however, have limited public transport, so a car is the practical choice.

Q. Which spring is known as a beauty bath?

Kannon Onsen in Shimoda City draws a highly alkaline spring from its own source and is well known as a "beauty bath" (bihada no yu). The water feels smooth on the skin and is also sold as bottled drinking water.

Q. Which springs are tied to The Izu Dancer?

Yumotokan at Yugashima Onsen is where Kawabata Yasunari stayed for long stretches, and Fukudaya at Yugano Onsen appears in the novel as the inn where the traveling dancers bathe. Both belong to the Association of Secluded Hot Spring Inns.

The information in this article (admission fees, operating hours, water quality data, etc.) is based on research conducted at the time of writing. Details may have changed or contain errors. Please verify the latest information on each facility's official website or through the local tourism association.