Hello! I’m Hitapapa and I love hot springs.
This time, we will introduce a recommended day trip course to Kawatana Onsen in Yamaguchi Prefecture!
I love Kawatana Onsen and enjoy visiting it several times a year!
I was fascinated by Kawatana Onsen, and here are what I think are the great things about it.
- The hot spring water is of good quality
- Surrounded by mountains and the sea, it is rich in nature
- The one and only local gourmet dish “Kawara Soba” is super delicious
- It’s a small hot spring resort so you can enjoy it at your own pace.
So, let’s go on a day trip to Kawatana Onsen!
Soak in high-quality hot springs at “Gensen no Yado Kotengu”
Now that we’ve come to a hot spring resort, let’s start by taking a bath!
Of the many hot springs in Kawatana Onsen, the one I recommend the most is Gensen no Yado Kotengu.
The hot springs at “Gensen no Yado Kotengu” are directly drawn from their own source, and the quality of the water is simply excellent!!
The spring quality is a “weakly radioactive sodium-calcium chloride hot spring,” and the radium content is the sixth highest in the country! The highest in western Japan!
You can enjoy a day trip bath without staying overnight.
Exterior
A long-established hot spring inn founded in 1929.
It is quaintly nestled in a small alley in Kawatana Onsen, surrounded by mountains.
Dressing room
The dressing rooms have been renovated and are very clean!
It looked like the changing room of a very stylish hot spring inn.
Semi-open-air bath
A semi-open-air stone bath.
The area around the bathtub is like a small Japanese garden, and every detail has been carefully considered.
The water is 100% natural spring water, poured straight from the source without being heated, diluted or disinfected with chlorine!
Scoop up some water from the source (it’s only about 40°C so it’s not hot) and smell it; it has a wonderful sulfurous scent!
When I tasted the hot spring (it is not suitable for drinking, so drink at your own risk!), it tasted a bit salty.
It was the perfect temperature and had a great sulfur smell. It was the best hot spring ever.
Basic Information
<Kotengu Inn, the hot spring source>
- [Address] 5153 Kawatana, Toyoura-cho, Shimonoseki City, Yamaguchi Prefecture
- [Day trip bathing hours]
- Weekdays: 15:00-20:00
- Saturday and Sunday: 12:00-20:00
- (Last admission 19:30)
- [Closed] Wednesdays and Thursdays
- [Bath fee]
- Adults (junior high school students and above) 800 yen
- Children (elementary school students) 600 yen
- Children (from 3 years old) 400 yen
- [Parking lot] 7 spaces
- [Telephone number] 083-772-0215
- [Official website] Kotengu
②The best gourmet food for Instagram!! Enjoy Kawara Soba at “Takase”
When you think of Kawatana Onsen, you think of “Kawara Soba”!
Not only is Kawara Soba delicious, but its appearance and the way it is eaten are quite unique.
In terms of appearance, it’s so Instagram-worthy that you could say it’s the best!
The original Kawara Soba restaurant is “Takase.”
Exterior
It has a stately presence reminiscent of a traditional Japanese restaurant.
View from the seat
Takase is located on a hill and the view from the windows is amazing!
On a clear day, you can see the mountains of Kawatana Onsen, the hot spring town, and the sea in all their beauty.
Kawara soba (1,430 yen per person)
“Kawara soba” served on a thick tile.
The tea soba noodles are made with Uji matcha and are topped with beef, golden egg, and green onions.
There is a pot on the table filled with piping hot soup stock, which is poured into bowls and then the green onions and toppings are added.
The broth has a really good flavor!
The green tea soba noodles are cooked steadily on the hot tiles, and by the end they’re crispy and crunchy!
The crunchy texture is also irresistible!
It’s a one-of-a-kind local delicacy that is unlike anything else in appearance, eating style, and taste.
Restaurant Information
＜Kawara Soba Takase＞
- [Address] 5437 Kawatana, Toyoura-cho, Shimonoseki City, Yamaguchi Prefecture
- [Business hours] 11:00-20:00
- 【Closed Days】Irregular holidays
- [Number of seats] 1F: Table seats 66 people
- 2F: Large hall, seating for 80 (tatami rooms and tables available)
- [Parking lot] Plenty available
- [Telephone number] 083-772-2680
- [Official website] Kawatana Onsen Original Kawara Soba Takase
③”Sanshundo”, a long-established sweets shop in Kawatana Onsen
If you come to Kawatana Onsen, you can’t miss the Japanese and Western sweets shop “Sanshundo”
It is a long-established store that was founded in 1897.
Enjoy some Sanshundo sweets after your bath!
Exterior
Sanshundo is located at the entrance to the hot spring town of Kawatana Onsen.
The store is located at an intersection so it’s easy to find.
Sanshundo sweets
There are lots of Japanese and Western sweets lined up in the showcase!
Kawatana Manju (10 pieces for 710 yen)
Sanshundo’s most popular product is Kawatana Manju.
This is a sweet made of a thin skin wrapped around a mellow white bean paste that has milk mixed into it.
It tastes like Japanese sweets but also like Western sweets.
This is a sweet that can only be found at Sanshundo, which makes both Japanese and Western sweets.
Kawara shoe (190 yen)
The next signature product after Kawatana Manju is the “Kawara Choux.”
These cream puffs are made with crunchy pie crust inspired by the tiles of Kawara Soba, a local delicacy of Kawatana Onsen.
The custard cream and pie crust are both incredibly delicious!
Hot spring pudding (200 yen)
A simple tasting pudding.
The pudding is made on a slightly firmer note and has the simple, homemade flavor that you can only get from something so delicious!
I like this kind of simple and rustic pudding the best.
Shop Information
＜Sanshundo＞
- [Address] 5134 Kawatana, Toyoura-cho, Shimonoseki City, Yamaguchi Prefecture
- [Business hours] 7:00-20:00
- 【Closed】Tuesday
- [Parking lot] Available
- [Telephone number] 0837-72-0059
- [Official website] Sanshundo, the original Kawatana Manju shop (Toyoura Town Tourism Association)
④An incredibly strong spring
The source of Kawatana Onsen is located right next to the aforementioned “Original Kawatana Manju Honpo Sansyundo.”
It says “Toyoura Town Spring No. 5,” so it must be one of the several hot springs in Kawatana Onsen.
When I scooped some of the spring water in my hand and smelled it, I was hit with a strong scent of sulfur and iron!
A truly rich spring water!!
The waters of Kawatana Onsen are often pretty tasteless and odorless, but the incredibly rich spring waters at Kawatana Onsen completely overturn that image!
When you taste it, the smell of sulfur and iron fills your mouth!
(It is not for drinking, so taste it at your own risk!)
To be honest, I think the best source of Kawatana Onsen is Kawatana Town No. 5 Spring.
I wish I could bathe in this hot spring from its source!!
If you go to Sanshundou, please also visit the “Kawatanacho Yu Gogo Izumi” next door.
Conclusion
Kawatana Onsen is a very small, quiet hot spring resort town.
Surrounded by mountains and the sea, it is a quiet area rich in nature, has a high-quality hot spring, and has the best local delicacy, “Kawara Soba” – it’s full of attractions!!
Kawatana Onsen attracts a diverse range of visitors, including families, couples, groups of girls, as well as groups of young men and pairs of older men!
Please come and visit Kawatana Onsen!
You’ll be soothed by the abundant nature, and you’ll be satisfied with the high-quality hot spring water and super-delicious Kawara Soba noodles.
See you soon!
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