Public bathhouse · Open
Kawara-buro riverside bath
- Day-use bathing
- Yes
- Fee
- ¥0checked 2026-10-09
- Hours
- 24時間checked 2026-10-09
Photo information
Save to passport
Official classification
Spring type (therapeutic classes)
Official spring-type name (as recorded)Radioactive (radon) spring; some sources are classed as chloride or simple springs (Wikipedia)
- Source temperature
- Unconfirmed
- pH
- Unconfirmed
- Flow rate
- Unconfirmed
- Radon
- Present
Appearance & feel
Water colour · Feel
Unconfirmed
Colour and feel are listed only where a source states them. They vary by day and by bath.
What makes it special
Soak it, drink it, breathe it. A spa built around taking radon into the body three ways, with a free riverside bath and free drinking fountains open to the whole town.
Why?
The Misasa Onsen Tourism Association presents the spa as 'one of the world's foremost radon springs' used three ways: bathing, drinking and inhalation (radon hot-air baths), and lists the free, 24-hour Kawara-buro and free drinking fountains at Kami-no-yu and Kabu-yu. An Okayama University research report measured radon in Misasa water at 190–2,000 Bq/kg.[1][3][4][9]
Facilities in this area
Facilities come from the register (Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, official sites). Those marked "natural spring unconfirmed" are listed on the basis of their name only.
Public bathhouse · Open
Kabu-yu
- Day-use bathing
- Yes
- Fee
- ¥400checked 2026-10-09
- Hours
- 9:00–20:45(月曜 10:00–20:45)checked 2026-10-09
Baths2
| Type | Gender | Source | Bath temperature | Free-flowing | Added water | Heated | Recirculated | Disinfected |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Indoor bath | Separate | Kabu-yu source | Unconfirmed | Unconfirmed[4] | Unconfirmed[4] | Unconfirmed[4] | Unconfirmed[4] | Unconfirmed[4] |
| Foot bath | Mixed | Kabu-yu source | Unconfirmed | Unconfirmed[4] | Unconfirmed[4] | Unconfirmed[4] | Unconfirmed[4] | Unconfirmed[4] |
Day-use bath · Open
Suhaa Onsen radon hot-air bath
- Day-use bathing
- Yes
- Fee
- ¥2,800checked 2026-10-09
- Hours
- 9:30–17:30checked 2026-10-09
Foot bath · Open
Yakushi-no-yu foot bath and drinking fountain
- Day-use bathing
- Yes
- Fee
- ¥0checked 2026-10-09
- Hours
- 9:00–21:30checked 2026-10-09
Getting there
Reachable by public transport
About 20 minutes by local bus from JR Kurayoshi Station on the San'in main line. From Osaka the Super Hakuto limited express reaches Kurayoshi in about 3 h 15 min; from Tokyo about 5 hours via Himeji. Via Tottori airport about 2 h 10 min in total from Tokyo. By car about 1 h 50 min from Okayama via the Yonago Expressway.
- Getting there
- Kurayoshi Station · 20
- Through the year
- Snow in the hills in winter; the bus is the safer choice
- Checked
- 2026-10-09
About the water
Misasa's water is distinctive not for colour or smell but for its high content of radon, a gas produced as radium decays. The association calls it 'one of the world's foremost radon springs' and explains the 'hormesis effect', the idea that a trace of radiation stimulates cells and raises metabolism and immunity; treat this as a description of hoped-for effects, not a guarantee for any illness. There are three ways to use it: soak in it, drink it at the fountains, and breathe its steam in the hot-air rooms. Since radon is a gas, inhalation is the method most particular to Misasa. An Okayama University planetary-materials report measured radon in the spring water at 190–2,000 Bq/kg, showing wide variation between sources. According to Wikipedia radon was confirmed in a source in 1914 and Okayama University's medical facility has researched the water for decades.
| Source | Source temperature | pH | Radon | Checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Misasa Onsen (multiple sources measured by Okayama University) | Unconfirmed | Unconfirmed | 190–2000 Bq/kg | no check date |
Three things not to miss
Photo information
Kawara-buro, the riverside bath
On the Mitoku river bank by Misasa bridge (903-1 Misasa) The free mixed-gender open-air bath that the association calls the symbol of Misasa. Open 24 hours all year, except for cleaning on the mornings of odd-numbered days. It is in full view of the bridge, with only a simple changing hut.
A bath owned by the whole town, taken amid the river, the bridge and the inn lights. If you are shy, come before dawn or settle for the adjacent Kawara-no-yu foot bath.[3]
Photo information
Kabu-yu and the drinking fountains
At the edge of the spa (634-1 Misasa) The public bath regarded as the origin of Misasa Onsen. Adults 400 yen, children 250; 9:00–20:45 (from 10:00 on Mondays; last entry 20:15). The adjoining foot bath (8:00–21:00) and drinking fountain (24 hours) are free, as is the 'Kami-no-yu' drinking spring at Misasa shrine's water basin.
Drinking is one of the recognised ways of using a radon spring. Follow the posted rules at the fountains, and consult a doctor if you have a medical condition.[4][5]
Radon hot-air bathing at Suhaa Onsen
939-1 Misasa A facility where you sit in rooms heated by the spring to 32–42 °C at about 90% humidity and breathe radon-laden steam. The high-concentration Furo-an room is 2,800 yen, Koisen-an and Jonetsu-an 2,100 yen, the dry Vaporium 550 yen. 9:30–17:30, by reservation (bookable two months ahead); from junior-high age; bring a change of underwear and a drink.
The 'inhaled onsen' unique to Misasa. Together with bathing and drinking, you can try all three uses in one visit.[2][6]
The story
The white wolf and the bath at the tree root
Misasa is said to have been found more than 850 years ago, at the end of the Heian period. The samurai Okubo Samanosuke spared an old white wolf instead of shooting it, and that night a deity appeared in his dream to reveal where the water lay. It welled from beneath the stump (kabu) of an old camphor tree, hence the name Kabu-yu, still borne by the public bath today. The Mitoku river splits the town into the Misasa and Yamada districts, with about 22 inns along its banks.[1][4][8]
Radon and a century of research
Radon was confirmed in Misasa's water in 1914, and the spa has been known as a radium spring ever since. Okayama University placed a medical facility here to study balneotherapy, and its Institute for Planetary Materials, also in the town, now analyses the sources; its report gives radon of 190–2,000 Bq/kg depending on the source. The association promotes the 'hormesis effect', the idea that a trace of radiation stimulates the body, and recommends three uses: bathing, drinking and inhalation. Each inn has a guide it calls a 'radon sommelier'. We cannot assert medical effects, but Misasa is unquestionably the place to come to learn what a radon spring is.[8][9][1][10]
A spa open to the town
Misasa's virtue is that its water is not locked inside the inns. The Kawara-buro by Misasa bridge is a free, 24-hour mixed open-air bath, closed only for cleaning on odd-numbered mornings. Kabu-yu is a 400-yen public bath with a free foot bath and drinking fountain beside it, and hot water runs through the shrine's purification basin, where you may drink. Foot baths dot the town (Yakushi-no-yu, Kajika-no-yu, Kawara-no-yu), and the renovated Suhaa Onsen (2020) offers radon hot-air inhalation. Without staying a night you can try all three uses in a single day.[3][4][5][6][7]
Going solo
Easy for solo travellersUnconfirmed
Weekend / peak restrictionsUnconfirmed
Where to eat dinnerSome restaurants and izakaya in the spa; the night market runs only on event days
Private bathUnconfirmed
checked 2026-10-09
Through the year
Recommended months
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Months open
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
"Recommended" and "open" are recorded separately. Check the season for seasonal springs.
May — Hanayu Festival with the great tug-of-war 'Jinsho' (spring; dates on the association's event page)
Jun · Jul — Firefly festival and Curie Festival (summer)
Sep · Oct · Nov — Autumn illumination 19 Sept–30 Nov, 20:00–22:00, themed on the white-wolf legend; autumn colour on Mt Mitoku
Jan · Feb — The riverside bath in snow; the hina-doll tour runs winter to early spring
Food, culture & experiences
Mt Mitoku, Sanbutsu-ji and the Nageire-do
The National Treasure Nageire-do hall perched on a cliff; together with Misasa it forms the Japan Heritage site 'Land of purification of the six roots and healing of the six senses'[1]
About 15 minutes by bus or car from the spaModern toji and Nordic walking
The association suggests soaking 1–4 minutes at 40–43 °C then resting 3 minutes, and lends Nordic poles free at the information office (8:30–17:30)[10]
Within the spaCurie Square
A square with a statue of Marie Curie; venue of the summer Curie Festival[8]
Within the spaEditors' guide
Arriving by bus from Kurayoshi, start with a soak at Kabu-yu and a sip at the fountain beside it. Book a session at Suhaa Onsen for the afternoon (bring a change of underwear and a drink). After dinner, when the bridge is quiet, try the Kawara-buro. Next morning head to the Nageire-do on Mt Mitoku. Pace drinking and hot-air sessions to how you feel, and ask a doctor first if you have a medical condition.
The "editors' guide" above is written by the editors from sources; it is not a visitor's opinion.
Photo gallery
Visitor reviews
No reviews yet. While the review platform is being prepared, we do not display fictional reviews or ratings.
Review posting is in preparation, with visit date, facility, comments on water, scenery and access, photos, language and reporting.
Overview
三朝温泉（みささ おんせん）は、鳥取県東伯郡三朝町にある温泉。日本百景。 2017年現在、年間入湯客数は鳥取県内では皆生温泉に次ぐ2位。とっとり梨の花温泉郷を構成する温泉のひとつ。
This overview is based on the lead section of the Japanese Wikipedia article "三朝温泉" (CC BY-SA 4.0). View original page
Unconfirmed & notes
- Individual source temperatures, pH and analysis sheets could not be read; the radon figure is the range from an Okayama University research report (190–2,000 Bq/kg), not a bath-water value
- The public bath 'Tamawari-no-yu' is not listed on the association's site and is omitted
- Bus fare and frequency from Kurayoshi, exact dates of the Hanayu Festival and solo-stay terms at inns are unconfirmed
Sources
- 三朝温泉の効能と歴史 - 三朝温泉観光協会三朝温泉観光協会 · 2026-10-09
- アクセス - 三朝温泉観光協会三朝温泉観光協会 · 2026-10-09
- 露天風呂「河原風呂」 - 三朝温泉観光協会三朝温泉観光協会 · 2026-10-09
- 公衆浴場・足湯・飲泉場「株湯」 - 三朝温泉観光協会三朝温泉観光協会 · 2026-10-09
- 三朝神社・神の湯(飲泉場) - 三朝温泉観光協会三朝温泉観光協会 · 2026-10-09
- 天然ラドン熱氣浴泉「すーはー温泉」 - 三朝温泉観光協会三朝温泉観光協会 · 2026-10-09
- 足湯・飲泉場「薬師の湯」 - 三朝温泉観光協会三朝温泉観光協会 · 2026-10-09
- 三朝温泉 - WikipediaWikipedia · 2026-10-09
- 総合惑星物質解析システムによる温泉の起源と医学的効能の解明(研究実績報告書・岡山大学惑星物質研究所)鳥取県(環境学術研究等振興事業) · 2026-10-09
- 現代湯治のすすめ - 三朝温泉観光協会三朝温泉観光協会 · 2026-10-09
- ラドン熱気浴 - 三朝温泉観光協会三朝温泉観光協会 · 2026-10-09
Register sources
- 三朝温泉 - Wikipedia(日本語版)Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0 · 2026-10-09
- Wikidata Q11355561Wikidata · CC0 · 2026-10-09
Data status
Name & locationPublishedCoordinatesPublishedSpring typePublishedPhotosPublishedFacilitiesPublishedVisiting info (dated)PublishedEditorial articlePublished
Updated 2026-10-09
Suggest a correction or addition