We visited "Suwa Onsen" in Uranomyo, Iriki-cho, Satsumadendai. This onsen has over 300 years of history.

The manager Toshihiro welcomed us with a smile on our arrival. He says the major customers are local elderlies and tourists from other provinces in Japan. In the past, an onsen lover came from the Netherlands, that left him a good impression.

The compartments in the dressing room are open; however, there are lockers in front of the dressing room where you can keep your valuables safe.

This is a warm bath. The water contains iron, sodium chloride, and sodium hydrogen-carbonate. The entire floor is covered with depositions. The water source was dug in the Edo era (1700s), and the quality has been highly reputed by many bathers since then. Some says "You cannot get satisfied with other baths once you take a bath here."

The water is not recycled, and is always flowing out of  the faucet. They say the water treats rheumatism, atopy, and back pain. A bather said that he used to have a difficulty in standing up because of back pain, but one-week stay in this onsen eased his pain.

He came to enjoy bathing first time in two years after a golf competition.

There is another bath which contains really hot water. The temperature is 46°C (114.8°F). Make sure to take the first bath to warm up your body before soaking in this hot bath. The recommended season is winter, the manager Toshihiro says, because of its temperature.

There is also an open air bath which is really hot as well.

MAP

INFORMATION

Name: Suwa Onsen

Address: 8920, Uranomyo, Iriki-cho, Satsumasendai, Kagoshima

Tel: 099-644-3472

Access (Car): 48 min from the centre of Kagoshima city. 47 min from the Kagoshima airport

Parking Lot: 50

Opening Hours: Daily 06:00 - 22:00

Price: JPY 350 (On Saturday, Sunday and every 26th, JPY 250)