Owari Onsen Tokai Center

Owari Onsen Tokai Center is a day-trip hot spring facility located in Kanie, Ama District, Aichi Prefecture. It traces its origins to 1963, when Tokai Radio opened it as "Kanie Onsen Tokai Health Center." Hot spring water was successfully struck in 1966, and the then-governor of Aichi Prefecture, Mikine Kuwahara, named it "Owari Onsen." Drawing its source water from roughly 1,200 meters underground, it is the only hot spring in Aichi Prefecture selected for Japan's "100 Famous Hot Springs," a notable distinction for a facility so close to the Nagoya metropolitan area.

The water is a simple hot spring (partly alkaline simple hot spring), drawn from six self-owned wells: four high-temperature sources at around 50°C and two lower-temperature sources at around 28°C. By blending the hot and cool source water, the facility achieves a comfortable bathing temperature without ever using a boiler to heat the water, tap water to dilute it, a circulation-filtration system, or chlorine disinfection — a fully unadulterated 100% source-fed flow-through bath. The six wells together yield an abundant 1.25 tons of water per minute, and the water is said to help with neuralgia, muscle and joint pain, frozen shoulder, poor circulation, and general fatigue recovery.

The bathing hall features dramatically scaled indoor and outdoor baths accented with large natural boulders, along with a lounge, a kids' area, a light-meal corner, and a gift shop. The grounds also include a free foot bath, "Kanie Ashiyu no Sato," fed by the same hot spring water, making the site a relaxing spot to spend a full day. Facilities offering completely unadulterated flow-through hot spring water are rare so close to a major metropolitan area like Nagoya, and the center draws a loyal following of both local residents and visitors from farther afield.