Nagayu & Lamune Onsen

Nagayu is one of the most charming onsen resorts anywhere in Japan. A small town aside a river, it has a lovely and particularly unspoilt charm. While most visitors bathe in the elegant, upmarket inns found here, a mixed-sex bathing pool in the middle of the river is free for anyone who has an outgoing disposition.

More privacy is afforded at Lamune Onsen, known for its unusual, fizzing carbonated waters. A fantastic spectacle, the baths themselves are housed in equally intriguing buildings designed by Terunobu Fujimori, one of Japan’s top architects who is acclaimed for his quirky, organic designs.

Kur Park Nagayu, designed by Shigeru Ban, is a residential onsen hot spring facility with emphasis on health and well-being.