Kurama Onsen

Kurama Onsen is a single inn standing in the hills of Kurama-honmachi in Sakyo Ward, Kyoto, upstream along the Kurama River from the gate of Kurama-dera, the temple where the young Minamoto no Yoshitsune is said to have trained. It lies about an hour north of central Kyoto and roughly a ten minute walk from Kurama Station, the terminus of the Eizan Electric Railway, in a mountain village long known as the inner parlour of Kyoto. The inn closed in 2021, and the empty buildings deteriorated until heavy snow collapsed the roof of the open-air bath in 2022. A long-time regular guest took the property over from the previous owner and began rebuilding in October 2023, raising funds through crowdfunding, and the onsen reopened on 1 November 2024 after about three years.

The water is a simple hydrogen sulfide spring, classified as a simple sulphur spring of the hydrogen sulfide type. The source emerges naturally from about seven metres below the grounds. The operator lists a broad range of indications including high blood pressure, rheumatism, neuralgia, arteriosclerosis, diabetes, lower back pain, menstrual disorders, chronic poisoning, frostbite, wounds, nerve paralysis and movement disorders. The source temperature, the pH value and whether the water is heated, recirculated or chlorinated are not disclosed.

Bathing is split between separate open-air baths for men and women, set on the mountainside, and an indoor bath with a sauna and cold plunge. The building also holds a meditation room, a tea forest, a cafe, a dining room and a bar, and a barbecue area was added in July 2025. Day-trip bathing is accepted from 10:00 to 21:00. The open-air bath alone costs 1,500 yen for adults on weekdays and 1,600 yen at weekends and on holidays, while the package covering both baths with roomwear and towels costs 2,600 yen on weekdays and 2,700 yen at weekends and on holidays. Accommodation is limited to five rooms, and free parking is available for thirty cars.