Nose Onsen

Nose Onsen is a standalone hot spring inn nestled in the rural hills of Yamabe, Nose Town, Toyono District, Osaka Prefecture, only about an hour's drive from central Osaka yet surrounded by tranquil countryside. Its predecessor opened in 1978 as Kampo no Yado Nose, a recreational lodge for postal life insurance policyholders, before closing at the end of February 2007. Responding to requests from local residents to keep the facility running, it reopened in May of the same year under private management and continues to operate today.

The spring water is classified as a weakly radioactive simple hot spring (radium spring) with a mildly alkaline pH of 7.9. The source temperature is 34.2 degrees Celsius, and the inn draws entirely on its own private source. Guests can enjoy an unheated, undiluted gensen-buro bath at the natural source temperature, as well as indoor and open-air baths heated to around 41 degrees Celsius. The water is known for its soft, smooth feel on the skin and is said to ease neuralgia, muscle pain and poor circulation.

The facility centers on a garden-view open-air bath and a large indoor bathhouse, while the restaurant serves seasonal dishes made with rice and vegetables grown on the inn's own farm. Day-trip bathing costs 1,000 yen for adults on weekdays and 1,100 yen on weekends and holidays (cash only), and overnight guests can choose from 40 Japanese- and Western-style rooms. An adjoining annex, Yamanobe Rikyu, offers detached rooms each with a private open-air bath fed by the same 100-percent natural source.