The Ultimate Winter Onsen List: Japan’s Top 5 Hot Springs
Japan is home to thousands of hot springs, but only a select few truly shine in winter❄️
In this video, Onsen Sommelier Kyle Card shares five of Japan’s most reputable and rewarding winter onsen destinations, chosen for their scenery, atmosphere, and cultural significance.
From snow-covered open-air baths to historic onsen towns and high-altitude sulfur springs, these locations showcase why Japan is the world’s leading hot spring country, especially during the winter season.
Featured Winter Onsen Destinations:
♨️ Nyuto Onsen (Akita)
♨️ Kinosaki Onsen (Hyogo)
♨️ Kusatsu Onsen (Gunma)
♨️ Manza Onsen (Gunma)
♨️ Ginzan Onsen (Yamagata)
These destinations are well-established, trusted onsen towns with long histories and proven appeal, carefully selected from the countless hot springs found across Japan.
If you’re planning a winter trip to Japan, researching the best onsen towns, or simply want to understand what makes a winter onsen special, this video will guide you♨️
Extra footage provided by:
✨Yamagata no Hoppe YouTube Channel (Ginzan Onsen)
✨Manza Onsen Prince Hotel
https://www.princehotels.co.jp/manza/
✨Nyuto Onsen Village (Official YouTube Channel)https://www.youtube.com/@nyutoonsenkyoofficial4332
ご協力ありがとうございました🙏🏻
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Welcome to The Onsen Guy Channel!
I’m Kyle Card, a certified Onsen Sommelier and long-time Japan resident, here to guide you through Japan’s best onsen (hot springs). From onsen etiquette and rules to discovering the right onsen for your next vacation, I’ve got you covered♨️
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10 Comments
As a Japanese person, this was an interesting ranking. I thought Kusatsu Onsen would be number one, but the fact that Ginzan Onsen was chosen shows that it's not just about the volume and quality of the water, but also the atmosphere, right?
What a great ranking!
Winter hot springs are truly wonderful! I'd heard Ginzan Onsen was good, but I didn't know it would be so crowded! Still, I want to go!
寒い冬には、温泉が一番ですね
私は北海道に住んでますが、北海道にも温泉がいっぱいあるので、ぜひお出で下さい
大歓迎ですよ
Is Manza Onsen the one you have to get to via car, not by walking/hiking, because of the dangerous sulfur levels on the way? Just stayed in Ginzan onsen June last year, gave up on winter as it is impossible to book during winter. What is nice is the hiking trails above Shirogane falls are all accessible unlike in winter. Nyuto Onsen is in my radar but it is so hard to get there by public transportation, And I can't find any availability in Tsurunoyu Onsen ryokan for a solo traveler, the price is for 2 or more people. Kusatsu onsen is ranked #1 in Japan for more than 20 consecutive years already….part of it is because of its accessibility from Tokyo. Going back there early April for 2 nights.
Those look like a true delight; thank you for the ranking. The onsen not being too crowded is an important factor to me, as I'd want to just soak in the atmosphere.
Enjoyed a lot, thank you for sharing. There are too much nice onsens in Japan so that even you couldn't cover my local onsen, I mean yes it's not one of the best in Japan though, keep it going and waiting for your next video. 😀
great opening music 😊
Without Noboribetsu and Yamagata Zao the list is woefully incomplete.
Nice list, Kyle! Hoping to make it out to Ginzan Onsen myself someday… As for Nyuto Onsen, Tsurunoyu at 2:24 also reeeeeeks of sulfur. Obviously immensely beautiful and maybe quite rare since it's co-ed (is that how you'd translate "konyoku"?) but the smell is just… close to unbearable, haha.
Just wot i needed today! Is 38 degrees here in Perth 😱🫠🫠