Obama Onsen Ryokan Kunisaki

Ryokan Kunisaki is a discreet ten-room hideaway tucked along a back street of Obama Onsen in Unzen City, Nagasaki Prefecture. A member of both the Association to Preserve Japan's Secret Hot Springs and the Association to Preserve Japan's Source Spring Inns, the ryokan draws from a 97-degree-Celsius source at a generous 430 liters per minute, delivering pure sodium chloride water through a heat-exchange system with no dilution. The dissolved mineral content reaches 7.83 grams per kilogram, of which 6.5 grams is sodium chloride, yielding a remarkably rich saline bath. Guests may choose from gender-separated indoor baths, a private stone bath, a private hinoki cypress bath, and a private open-air bath, all fed by 100 percent free-flowing source water. Obama Onsen is renowned for possessing the highest heat emission of any hot spring in Japan, and the seaside spa town affords magnificent sunset views over Tachibana Bay. The cuisine, built around seasonal local seafood and Shimabara Peninsula produce, complements the refined atmosphere of this intimate inn.