Tosa Saga Onsen Kobushinosato

Kobushinosato is a hot spring bathhouse and inn in Kobushinokawa, an inland part of Kuroshio Town in Hata District, western Kochi Prefecture. It stands along National Route 56 on the pilgrimage road between Temple 37 (Iwamotoji) and Temple 38 (Kongofukuji), the longest stretch of the Shikoku 88-temple circuit, and has long served as a resting point for walking pilgrims. After closing and remaining shut for roughly three years, it reopened on 25 April 2025 under FoundingBase Inc. as the town-appointed operator.

The water is classified as an alkaline simple sulfur cold mineral spring, with a pH of 9.4 that ranks among the most strongly alkaline in Shikoku. Bathers describe a distinctly silky, slippery feel, and the spring is known locally as a bijin-no-yu, or beautifying water. Listed benefits include neuralgia, muscle and joint pain, frozen shoulder, bruises, sprains, chronic digestive complaints, hemorrhoids, poor circulation, convalescence and general fatigue recovery.

The bathing area comprises a spacious indoor bath and an open-air bath, plus a sauna. Changing rooms for both sexes have coin-return lockers (100 yen), and shampoo, conditioner and body soap are provided. The building also houses a restaurant serving dishes made with produce from the Hata region and a free lounge stocked with manga. Day-use bathing costs 800 yen for adults on weekdays, 900 yen on weekends and holidays, and 500 yen for children. Hours are 11:00 to 21:00 (last entry 20:30), opening at 15:00 on Wednesdays for cleaning. Eight guest rooms on the second floor accommodate overnight stays.