Yuki Onsen Kajikaso

[Closed indefinitely since 15 December 2023] Kajikaso stood as the only privately run ryokan at Yuki Onsen, in the mountains of Tada, Yuki-cho, Saeki Ward, Hiroshima City, on the bank of the Minouchi River. Yuki Onsen is said to have been discovered some 1,500 years ago, when villagers noticed a wounded white egret bathing its injuries in a stream-side spring. The resort flourished during the Keicho era (1596-1615) as the only hot spring in the Geiyo region, was renamed Hiroshima Yuki Onsen in 1950, and was designated a National Health Resort Hot Spring in 1955. Kajikaso itself opened in 1952 and operated 18 guest rooms.

The water is a simple weak radioactive spring, colourless, odourless and tasteless, with one of the highest radon concentrations in Japan. The shared source emerges naturally at a rate of 750 litres per minute, with a source temperature of 27.7C and an alkaline pH of 9.2. Because the source is a cold mineral spring, the water was heated by boiler before use, but never diluted, and was supplied on a free-flowing basis to four bathtubs.

The inn had a large indoor bath and an open-air bath facing the Minouchi River, where guests bathed to the sound of the mountain stream, plus free parking for about 25 cars. Before the closure, day-use bathing cost 600 yen for adults and 300 yen for children (10:00-17:00, reservation advised), and an overnight stay with two meals started at 9,500 yen. On 15 December 2023 the boiler broke down, leaving the inn unable to heat the cold spring water, and it suspended operations. Repairs are reported to require tens of millions of yen; as of February 2025 no reopening date had been set, and the third-generation owner was exploring options including transferring the business (Chugoku Shimbun, 10 February 2025). Always check the current status before visiting.