Public bathhouse · Open
Saki-no-yu
- Day-use bathing
- Yes
- Fee
- ¥500checked 2026-10-09
- Hours
- 10–3月 8:00–17:00 / 4–6月・9月 8:00–18:00 / 7–8月 7:00–19:00checked 2026-10-09
Photo information
Save to passport
Official classification
Spring type (therapeutic classes)
Official spring-type name (as recorded)Sodium chloride spring (Saki-no-yu, Shirara-yu, Miyuki source) / sulfur-bearing sodium chloride strong-salt spring (Mabuyu source)
- Source temperature
- 32–85°C
- pH
- Unconfirmed
- Flow rate
- Unconfirmed
- Radon
- Unconfirmed
Appearance & feel
Water colour · Feel
ClearLight
Colour and feel are listed only where a source states them. They vary by day and by bath.
What makes it special
Saki-no-yu has been in use since the Manyoshu era, and its tubs sit at the edge of the Pacific. No soap allowed: the water runs straight into the sea.
Why?
The town of Shirahama describes Saki-no-yu as a bathing pool 'surviving from the Manyoshu era' and states that soap and shampoo are not allowed because the water drains into the sea.[2]
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
Muro-no-yu
- Day-use bathing
- Yes
- Fee
- ¥420checked 2026-10-09
- Hours
- 9:00–11:30, 14:00–21:30(7:00–9:00は町民専用)checked 2026-10-09
Baths2
| Type | Gender | Source | Bath temperature | Free-flowing | Added water | Heated | Recirculated | Disinfected |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Indoor bath | Separate | Mabuyu (sulfur-bearing sodium chloride strong-salt) | Unconfirmed | Unconfirmed[3] | Unconfirmed[3] | Unconfirmed[3] | Unconfirmed[3] | Unconfirmed[3] |
| Indoor bath | Separate | Miyuki (sodium chloride) | Unconfirmed | Unconfirmed[3] | Unconfirmed[3] | Unconfirmed[3] | Unconfirmed[3] | Unconfirmed[3] |
Public bathhouse · Open
Shirara-yu
- Day-use bathing
- Yes
- Fee
- ¥420checked 2026-10-09
- Hours
- 9:00–11:00, 14:00–21:30(7:00–9:00は町民専用)checked 2026-10-09
Public bathhouse · Seasonal
Shirasuna open-air bath
- Day-use bathing
- Yes
- Fee
- ¥0checked 2026-10-09
- Hours
- 5/1–6/30・9/1–9/13 土日祝 10:00–15:00 / 7/1–8/31 無休 12:00–17:30checked 2026-10-09
Getting there
Reachable by public transport
From JR Shirahama Station (about 2 h 40 min from Shin-Osaka by Kuroshio limited express) Meiko buses reach the spa town and beach in 10–15 minutes. Nanki-Shirahama Airport (about 75 min from Haneda) is also 10–15 minutes away by bus. Ten highway buses a day from Osaka.
- Getting there
- Shirahama Station · 15
- Checked
- 2026-10-09
About the water
Shirahama's water is salty, as befits the seaside; the town's notices describe it by taste, 'clear, medium salt' or 'clear, strong salt'. There are several sources: Saki-no-yu and Shirara-yu are chloride springs, while Muro-no-yu's 'Mabuyu' is a strong-salt spring that also carries sulfur, so character varies within one town. Sources run 67–78°C and are cooled for the tubs. Research attributes this heat, in a place with no volcano, to hot groundwater rising from the subducting plate. Chloride water is said to keep bathers warm; we make no medical claims.
Indications (as posted on the analysis)
Neuralgia, joint pain, chronic skin conditions, women's complaints, etc. (as posted by the town for Saki-no-yu)
Indications are an official statement based on the water analysis, not a guarantee of treatment. They are kept separate from opinions.
| Source | Source temperature | pH | Radon | Checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saki-no-yu | 78 | Unconfirmed | Unconfirmed | no check date |
| Mabuyu | 74 | Unconfirmed | Unconfirmed | no check date |
| Miyuki source | 78 | Unconfirmed | Unconfirmed | no check date |
| Shirara-yu | 66.8 | Unconfirmed | Unconfirmed | no check date |
Three things not to miss
Photo information
Saki-no-yu
Tip of the Yuzaki headland (Shirahama 1668) An open-air bath on sea rocks, 78°C sodium chloride water. 500 yen (age 3 and up); hours change with the season.
This is the 'Muro hot water' visited by Prince Arima in 657 and then by three emperors, recorded in the Chronicles of Japan and the Manyoshu.[2]
Photo information
Two sources side by side at Muro-no-yu
A few minutes from Saki-no-yu (Shirahama 1665) Two tubs: 'Mabuyu' (sulfur-bearing sodium chloride strong-salt spring, 74°C) and 'Miyuki' (sodium chloride spring, 78°C). 420 yen.
Two of the town's sources can be compared in one cheap public bath.[3]
Photo information
Shirara-yu and the beach
Facing Shirara Beach (Shirahama 3313-1) A public bath whose upstairs tubs look onto white sand and sea. 66.8°C sodium chloride water, 420 yen.
In summer the free swimsuit bath 'Shirasuna' set into the beach also opens: sea and spa in the same spot.[4][5]
The story
The hot water of Muro
The spring appears in the Chronicles of Japan as the hot water of Muro: Prince Arima came in 657, followed by imperial visits in 658, 690 and 701, and the Manyoshu holds poems about it. The site is Saki-no-yu, whose tubs sit on the rocks at the tip of the headland, and this record is why Shirahama is counted with Arima and Dogo among Japan's three oldest springs.[2][8]
A new source in 1922
Beside the ancient Yuzaki baths, the present resort on the Shirara Beach side grew only after a new source was struck in 1922. An imperial visit in 1929 made the name known nationwide, an airport followed, and Shirahama became Kansai's seaside resort. The town thus has two faces: the old headland baths and the newer beach ones.[8]
Salt water, heat from the deep
Shirahama's sources are hot, 67–78°C, and nearly all chloride springs; Muro-no-yu's 'Mabuyu' is a strong-salt spring with sulfur too, so one building lets you compare two sources. There is no volcano nearby; recent research points to hot groundwater rising from the subducting Philippine Sea Plate as the heat source.[2][3][4][8]
Bathing at the water's edge
Saki-no-yu's hours follow the season, from 7 a.m. in summer and until 5 p.m. in winter. Soap is banned, so wash at Muro-no-yu a few minutes away. In summer the free Shirasuna pool set into the beach takes swimsuits, and you can walk from it into the sea. Fifteen minutes by bus from Shirahama Station, about the same from the airport, it works as a day trip from Kansai.[2][5][7]
Going solo
Easy for solo travellersUnconfirmed
Weekend / peak restrictionsUnconfirmed
Where to eat dinnerMany eateries around the spa town and beach
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.
Jul · Aug — Beach season; Saki-no-yu opens at 7:00 and Shirasuna runs daily
May · Jun · Sep — Shirasuna opens weekends and holidays only
Dec · Jan · Feb — Saki-no-yu closes at 17:00; mind the waves on rough days
Food, culture & experiences
Shirara Beach
White-sand beach at the heart of the town[1]
Right in front of Shirara-yuEngetsu Island, Senjojiki, Sandanbeki
Coastal scenic spots[8]
10–15 min by bus or car from Saki-no-yuSites linked to Prince Arima
His 657 visit is recorded in the Chronicles of Japan[2]
Around Saki-no-yuFoot baths
The town lists several foot baths[1]
Around townEditors' guide
Start at Saki-no-yu for sea and spring together (it may close on rough days), then compare two sources and wash at Muro-no-yu. In the evening watch the beach from the upstairs bath at Shirara-yu; in summer add Shirasuna in a swimsuit. The town-run baths are cheap: all of them together cost under 1,500 yen.
The "editors' guide" above is written by the editors from sources; it is not a visitor's opinion.
Photo gallery
Visitor reviews
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Overview
Nanki-Shirahama Onsen (南紀白浜温泉, Nanki-Shirahama onsen) is a hot spring resort in the town of Shirahama, Wakayama Prefecture, Japan.
This overview is based on the lead section of the English Wikipedia article (CC BY-SA 4.0). View original page
Onsen areas nearby
Unconfirmed & notes
- pH and total mineral content of each source not confirmed; analysis sheets not read
- Meiko bus frequency not confirmed
- Solo-stay terms at inns and fireworks dates not confirmed
Sources
- 白浜町 温泉(外湯一覧)白浜町 · 2026-10-09
- 白浜温泉 崎の湯白浜町 · 2026-10-09
- 白浜温泉 牟婁の湯白浜町 · 2026-10-09
- 白浜温泉 白良湯白浜町 · 2026-10-09
- 露天風呂 しらすな白浜町 · 2026-10-09
- 南紀白浜観光協会 公式サイト南紀白浜観光協会 · 2026-10-09
- 南紀白浜観光協会 アクセス南紀白浜観光協会 · 2026-10-09
- 南紀白浜温泉 - WikipediaWikipedia · 2026-10-09
Register sources
- 南紀白浜温泉 - Wikipedia(日本語版)Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0 · 2026-10-09
- Wikidata Q11408352Wikidata · CC0 · 2026-10-09
Data status
Name & locationPublishedCoordinatesPublishedSpring typePublishedPhotosPublishedFacilitiesPublishedVisiting info (dated)PublishedEditorial articlePublished
Updated 2026-10-09
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