Saki no Yu Outdoor Bath

Saki-no-Yu Open-Air Bath is located in the hot spring town on the southern side along Shirarahama Beach. It is a historic bath, said to have been used in 658 by Empress Saimei and Prince Naka-no-Oe, and later by Tokugawa Yoshimune during the Kishu Domain era. While many hot springs line the street, Saki-no-Yu’s defining feature is its "scenery." Facing the Pacific Ocean, the bath feels almost unified with the sea, with the waves close enough to hear clearly—making for an open, nature-immersed bathing experience. The spring quality is sodium chloride spring (natrium chloride), known for warming the body thoroughly and providing strong heat-retention. Claimed benefits include sensitivity to cold, neuralgia, muscle pain, joint pain, as well as chronic skin conditions and chronic gynecological conditions. A nearby shop also sells "onsen eggs," so you might try one as a local treat. Access: from JR Kinokuni Line "Shirahama Station," take a Meiko Bus and get off at "Yuzaki." Walk about 5 minutes west toward the tip of the peninsula, and you’ll reach Saki-no-Yu Open-Air Bath.