Visit Wakayama

People have long come to Shirahama to restore their health in its hot springs, and Saki-no-Yu is reputedly the oldest of them. It sits right at the water’s edge, close enough that spray from the Pacific reaches the tub. It’s wonderfully freeing to bathe so close to the sea. As you watch the horizon from the bath, the fatigue of daily life melts away and you are warmed through to the core, leaving you refreshed in mind and body.

Shirahama Onsen is one of Japan’s three oldest hot springs, along with Arima in Hyogo Prefecture and Dogo in Ehime. All three appear in texts dating back to around the eighth century. Of the Yuzaki Seven, a set of ancient baths along this coast, Saki-no-Yu is the only public bathhouse left in its original form. Its great natural rock pools were carved out by the rough waters of the Pacific. The water is a sodium chloride and bicarbonate spring, rich in salt and sulfur, so you will catch the scent of sulfur and see white mineral crystals forming in the water. It stimulates circulation and holds heat well, warming you right through and keeping the chill off long after you get out. The baths open from the morning, so why not warm yourself up and work up an appetite before heading out for some fresh seafood?

After a soak by the sea, treat yourself to a lunch of Shirahama’s famous seafood. Fisherman’s Wharf Shirahama, just a short way from Saki-no-Yu, is the place to go. Seafood comes in straight from the nearby Yuzaki fishing port, alongside other local produce. Three restaurants share the building, each serving the local catch in its own style. Stop in as you pass through the area or make it the destination and spend the whole day feasting.

Fish landed at Yuzaki and other nearby ports is the foundation of the cooking in Shirahama. Menus are filled with sashimi, seafood rice bowls, and other ocean fare. The bowls, heaped with catch from Yuzaki, are the local favorite—just the thing after a long soak. The restaurants and markets around Shirahama Onsen also serve the local fish simmered or grilled. Enjoy the baths and the food together, and you’ll appreciate Shirahama all the more.

Anyone who wants to bathe outdoors with a spectacular view of the sea

Anyone looking to unwind at one of Japan’s three oldest hot springs

Anyone who wants the freshest possible seafood after a soak

Anyone who wants to experience Shirahama through its hot springs and its food

A centuries-old bath, open to the sky and looking out over the Pacific, Saki-no-Yu will free you from the stresses of daily life and leave you restored. Then it’s on to fresh local seafood. Come to Shirahama for a special combination of sea, hot springs, and great food!

Kyoko Kitade visits more than 300 hot springs a year in Japan and abroad. Drawing on her qualifications and expertise, she shares the appeal of hot springs with audiences around the world through media appearances, lectures, and her work as an influencer. As an expert able to assess and evaluate water quality, she also works with national and local government bodies, supervising tourism experiences and attractions built around hot spring resources and advising on regional development that makes the most of the local waters. She is a university lecturer and serves on tourism policy committees.