When winter rolls around, it may seem tempting to retreat indoors until the warm weather returns. Yet doing so would mean missing the opportunity to experience one of the greatest pleasures Japan has to offer – thawing the winter from your bones with a steaming hot onsen!
Nagasaki Prefecture is an ideal place to do so, as the properties of the water from the hot springs vary across the prefecture, meaning that each town offers a completely different bathing experience.
To help you choose the perfect onsen town to visit, we've put together a guide to the prefecture's greatest bathing spots. We've also included just some of the great activities you can do, and cafes and sightseeing spots you can visit before or after your trip to the onsen. Soon, you won't be wondering which onsen you should visit, you'll be wondering which onsen you should visit first!
As you walk through Obama Onsen, steam can be seen billowing from vents in the street. This may seem strange at first, until you learn that the town features the hottest and among the most active hot springs in the whole of Japan!
Obama Onsen is a real joy to visit particularly because on almost every corner you can see how this powerful natural resource is being used. Numerous bath houses, open air onsen, and even a hot-spring powered "mushigama", or "steamer" (in which baskets of vegetables, meat and eggs are cooked by the steam) are all examples of this.
Plus, many of the activities that the town has to offer can be enjoyed with a wonderful sea view or, at the right time of the day, overlooking a spectacular sunset!
Take a stylish tea break
Walk a short way up a hill from the main Obama sights, and you will discover Karimizuan 刈水庵. This is the brainchild of Unzen-born Kosei Shirotani, who set out with the aim of transforming the tiny Karimizuan area, with around 50 residents, into an eco-village.
He refurbished three of the area's empty buildings into an exhibition space, a shop selling wares of local designers and a stunning top floor cafe. The profits of these spaces are plunged back into further renovating the community. So, a purchase of one of the shop's products, or a visit to the cafe, supports this worthwhile project.
The cafe itself is decorated in soft wooden tones with striking light fixtures, stylish furniture and is bathed in natural light. Korean and Japanese influences can be seen in its design, reflecting Shirotani's international career. The drink sets are works of art in themselves, the stand-out choice being tea made from lemongrass grown in Karimizuan's garden with tiny, delicate biscuits.
Hot Foot 105
Whilst Obama has a variety of different public baths, and local hotels, in which to bathe your entire body – our onsen recommendation for this famed resort is a record breaking footbath.
The Hot Foot 105 refers both to the temperature of the water – at 105 degrees, the hottest in Japan – and the length of the footbath – at 105 metres, also the longest in Japan. Its length means that many people can enjoy the footbath at the same time, making it a prime people-watching spot. If you tire of this, the view of the sea is unrivalled, especially as the sun sets.
If you're travelling with a canine friend, he can enjoy a splash in the last five meters of the bath, which is specially reserved for doggy bathing. And, once you've grown accustomed to the heat, why not try a short walk along the bath? The stones massage your feet as you do so, perfect after a long day of sightseeing!
The Nagazasshi is Nagasaki's No. 1 English language magazine. You can read it online at www.nagazasshi.com
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Collaboration Pages: January-February 2016 issue
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