basic information

Kirishima Onsen lies on the lower slopes of the Kirishima Mountains with a distant view over Kagoshima Bay and Sakurajima below. The area is made up of over a dozen hot springs, of which the largest and best know is Maruo Onsen. With its high concentration of hotels and central location, Maruo Onsen is the representative resort town of the entire Kirishima Onsen area.

The hot spring towns around Kirishima Onsen are dotted with ryokan and hotels of various sizes. Their many hot spring sources appear at every turn, each billowing clouds of steam from what look like large smoke stacks.

There are so many hot spring sources in this volcanic region that they are literally coming up in the streets, venting sulfuric waters said to alleviate ailments such as stomach disorders, nerve damage, and diabetes.

Hot spring sources

Hot spring cooked food stand

Some of Kirishima Onsen's noteworthy baths include Sakura Sakura Onsen, a bath house featuring slightly radioactive mud said to be good for your skin. The mud can be spread over your face and body like a mud pack which is then washed off in the hot spring baths.

Also notable is the Kirishima Iwasaki Hotel which claims to have one of the largest outdoor baths in Japan. The hotel's bath facilities include a variety of pleasing features such as sauna, waterfalls, and a large variety of baths to choose from.

While Kirishima Onsen is quite heavily developed, its high quality waters and its proximity to the natural beauty of Kirishima make it a good base for exploring the national park. Furthermore, it is close to Ebino Kogen and Kirishima Shrine.

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how to get there

Kirishima Onsen does not have the best public transportation network. As a result, it is best explored by rental car. Rental car outlets are available in Miyazaki, Kagoshima, and at Kagoshima Airport.

Most of the buses that serve the area are affiliated with the Kirishima Iwasaki Hotel. The most useful line connects JR Kirishima Jingu Station with the Kirishima Iwasaki Hotel (35 minutes, 550 yen, 7 buses per day) via Kirishima Shrine and Maruo Onsen.

In addition, there are bus lines from JR Kirishima Onsen Station (35 minutes, 510 yen, 4 buses per day) and from Kagoshima Airport (40 minutes, 690 yen, 7 buses per day) via Maruo Onsen to the Kirishima Iwasaki Hotel.

A fourth bus line, which is not affiliated with the hotel, connects Kirishima Shrine with JR Miyakonojo Station (70 minutes, 1250 yen, 5 buses per day) in Miyazaki Prefecture.

How to get to and around Kirishima

1st of 4 most visited sights in Kirishima.
403rd of 557 most visited sights nationwide.

Ratings for Kirishima Onsen:

japan-guide.com Rating:		interesting
User Rating (by 8 users):	78/100	recommended

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