Public bathhouse · Open
Ryujin Onsen Motoyu
- Day-use bathing
- Yes
- Fee
- ¥1,000checked 2026-10-09
- Hours
- 7:00–21:00checked 2026-10-09
Photo information
Save to passport
Official classification
Spring type (therapeutic classes)
Official spring-type name (as recorded)Sodium bicarbonate hot spring
- Source temperature
- 48°C
- pH
- 7.8
- Flow rate
- 103 L/min
- Radon
- Unconfirmed
Appearance & feel
Water colour · Feel
ClearSilky / slippery
Colour and feel are listed only where a source states them. They vary by day and by bath.
What makes it special
Between Koyasan and Kumano, on the clear upper Hidaka River, rises one of Japan's three 'beauty baths': a bicarbonate spring that leaves skin feeling silky.
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.
Ryokan (inn) · Seasonal
Ryujin Onsen Motoyu Annex
- Day-use bathing
- No
- Fee
- Unconfirmedno check date
- Hours
- Unconfirmedchecked 2026-10-09
Hotel · Open
Kirari Ryujin
- Day-use bathing
- Yes
- Fee
- ¥1,000checked 2026-10-09
- Hours
- Unconfirmedchecked 2026-10-09
Getting there
Reachable by public transport
From JR Kii-Tanabe Station, Ryujin Bus takes about 1 hr 20 min to the Ryujin Onsen stop; Motoyu is a 2-minute walk. From Koyasan, the Koyasan–Kumano pilgrimage bus (Nankai Rinkan Bus to Gomadanzan, then Ryujin Bus) takes about 1 hr 45 min; it runs 2 April–30 November and must be booked. By car, about an hour from the Nanki-Tanabe IC.
- Getting there
- Kii-Tanabe Station · 80
- Through the year
- The bus from Koyasan runs only 2 April–30 November. The Koya-Ryujin Skyline can be snowy or icy in winter
- Checked
- 2026-10-09
About the water
Clear, colourless water containing sodium bicarbonate. The local tourism bodies say it leaves skin smooth and moist, which is where the 'beauty bath' name comes from, and that it warms you well. Motoyu drains and refills its baths every day.
Indications (as posted on the analysis)
Bathing: chronic skin conditions, neuralgia, muscle and joint pain, chronic digestive complaints, cuts, burns. Drinking: chronic digestive complaints, diabetes, gout, liver complaints (as listed by the tourism association)
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ryujin Onsen (typical values) | 48 | 7.8 | Unconfirmed | no check date |
Three things not to miss
Photo information
Ryujin Onsen Motoyu
Centre of the village, about 2 minutes' walk from the Ryujin Onsen bus stop A shared bathhouse run by a company formed by the owners of the springs. Indoor baths of local Ryujin cypress and a rock open-air bath facing the river. Adults ¥1,000 (from April 2026), 7:00–21:00 (last entry 20:40), cash only.
It advertises water flowing straight from the source and is drained and refilled daily: the purest way to try Ryujin's water.[2][1][5]
Photo information
The Hidaka River and the spa village
Inside Koya-Ryujin Quasi-National Park A small spa village strung along the Hidaka River. The tourism association suggests the open-air bath at night for stars and the sound of the water.
There is no big resort strip here, just river, forest and quiet, which is the whole point.[1][3]
Photo information
Kamigoten and Shimogoten: echoes of the Kishu Tokugawa
Inns in the village In the Edo period the Kishu lords used Ryujin as a retreat, and the names survive in two inns, Kamigoten ('upper palace') and Shimogoten ('lower palace'). The road the lords travelled from Wakayama Castle was called the Ryujin Kaido.
The inn names still explain why feudal lords made the trek into these mountains.[3]
The story
Found by En no Gyoja, opened by Kobo Daishi
Legend says Ryujin was discovered by En no Gyoja, founder of the Shugendo mountain-ascetic tradition, and opened by Kobo Daishi (Kukai) after the dragon king Nanda appeared to him in a dream. The name, 'dragon god', is said to come from that dragon king, and Motoyu speaks of some 1,300 years of history.[3][2]
A retreat for the lords of Kishu
In the Edo period the Tokugawa lords of Kishu used Ryujin as a country retreat. From Tokugawa Yorinobu onward they came along the Ryujin Kaido from Wakayama Castle, and the inns called Kamigoten and Shimogoten still carry the memory.[3]
A bathhouse run by the spring owners together
Motoyu is a Tanabe City facility, the Ryujin Onsen Centre, run by a company whose members are the owners of the springs, the city among them. The city explains that this lets the supply of source water be coordinated and the bath run in step with the community.[5]
Going solo
Solo stay unconfirmedUnconfirmed
Weekend / peak restrictionsUnconfirmed
Where to eat dinnerUnconfirmed
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.
Dec · Jan · Feb — Motoyu and Kirari Ryujin follow a winter calendar with closures and shorter hours; Motoyu Annex is closed. Yuzu citron bath on the winter solstice
Apr · May · Jun · Jul · Aug · Sep · Oct · Nov — Koyasan–Ryujin pilgrimage bus runs (2 April–30 November)
Food, culture & experiences
Koyasan
The Shingon Buddhist mountain monastery town, linked by the pilgrimage bus[4][6]
About 1 hr 45 min by bus (one change, seasonal)Koya-Ryujin Skyline drive
A scenic mountain road that follows the spirit of the old lords' Ryujin Kaido[3]
Editors' guide
The bus from Kii-Tanabe takes 1 hr 20 min. Soak in Motoyu's cypress bath and the open-air bath above the river, then walk the Hidaka riverbank. To combine with Koyasan, book the pilgrimage bus, which runs spring to autumn.
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
Ryūjin Onsen (龍神温泉) is an onsen (hot spring) located in Ryūjin village, now a part of Tanabe, Wakayama City in Wakayama Prefecture, Japan. Ryūjin Onsen was discovered in the 7th century by En no Gyōja, the founder of Shugendō. Kōbō Daishi, founder of Shingon Buddhism visited the spot in the 9th century. During the Edo period (1603-1868), the onsen was used as a resort area by the Tokugawa ruling family, whose castle was in Wakayama city. Today there are old Japanese inns (ryokans) using the names Kamigoten (Royal Palace) and Shimogoten (Lower Lodgings), from the old feudal system. It is said to be the third best onsen for beautifying your skin in 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
- Motoyu's detailed water-treatment notice and solo stays at inns are unconfirmed
- Source temperature and pH are from Wikipedia
Sources
- 温泉 — 龍神温泉元湯(龍神観光協会)公益社団法人 龍神観光協会 · 2026-10-09
- 龍神温泉元湯 公式サイト(温泉・料金)有限会社 龍神温泉元湯 · 2026-10-09
- 龍神温泉(田辺市熊野ツーリズムビューロー)田辺市熊野ツーリズムビューロー · 2026-10-09
- アクセス(龍神観光協会)公益社団法人 龍神観光協会 · 2026-10-09
- 「田辺市龍神温泉センター 龍神温泉元湯」指定管理者田辺市 · 2026-10-09
- 世界遺産 高野山-熊野 聖地巡礼バス龍神自動車 · 2026-10-09
- 龍神温泉 - WikipediaWikipedia · 2026-10-09
- 龍神温泉元湯・季楽里龍神 営業内容の変更について公益社団法人 龍神観光協会 · 2026-10-09
- 龍神温泉元湯別館(龍神観光協会)公益社団法人 龍神観光協会 · 2026-10-09
Register sources
- 龍神温泉 - Wikipedia(日本語版)Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0 · 2026-10-09
- Wikidata Q11679329Wikidata · CC0 · 2026-10-09
Data status
Name & locationPublishedCoordinatesPublishedSpring typePublishedPhotosPublishedFacilitiesPublishedVisiting info (dated)PublishedEditorial articlePublished
Updated 2026-10-09
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