Kirishima Onsen

Kirishima Onsen sits in the volcanic foothills of the Kirishima mountain range in Kagoshima, where mineral-rich spring water emerges from deep underground in a range of types, from milky sulfur baths to clear iron-rich pools. Many ryokan and public bathhouses offer open-air rotenburo with views across forested valleys toward Sakurajima on clear days. The surrounding Kirishima-Kinkowan National Park has good hiking through volcanic landscapes of crater lakes and steaming fumaroles, with Kirishima azaleas blooming spectacularly in late May. Kirishima Jingu, one of Kyushu's most important Shinto shrines with ties to Japan's founding mythology, adds another reason to spend a full day here.