Kansai · Shirahama, Wakayama

♨ Shirahama – Sakinoyu

An open-air rock bath right beside the Pacific waves.

Three Ancient Springs

Quick facts

Location: Shirahama, Wakayama (Kansai region)
Water type: Chloride (salt) spring
Tattoos: Check ahead with each bath
Directions: Open in Google Maps

About Shirahama – Sakinoyu

A rugged open-air bath carved into the rocks right at the edge of the Pacific, so you soak with the waves splashing below you. It's one of the oldest baths in Shirahama, and it's simple: wash first, then soak (there's no soap). From JR Shirahama Station, take a Meiko bus and walk a few minutes from the stop.

The water

A sodium chloride spring: weakly alkaline, salty and hot at the source (about 78°C). Salty springs are traditionally said to wrap the body in warmth.

History

Shirahama's springs were known in ancient times as 'Muro no Yu' and appear in the Nihon Shoki and the Man'yoshu. Empress Saimei came in 658, Empress Jito in 691 and Emperor Monmu in 701. Sakinoyu is the town's historic rock bath, part of about 1,350 years of history.

Getting there

From: Osaka (Shin-Osaka)
Route: JR Limited Express Kuroshio to Shirahama, then Meiko bus
Time: about 2h15m–2h30m by train
JR Pass: JR train covered; Meiko bus not covered.

Check current timetables and fares before you travel.

Famous for (meibutsu)

Kishu nanko ume (food): Wakayama's famous pickled plums
Wakayama mikan (food): sweet mandarins from Japan's top mikan prefecture
Kishu binchotan (craft): hard white charcoal, a Wakayama traditional craft

Plan your trip: tours & day trips near Shirahama

Find Shirahama tours on GetYourGuide

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