The water of Ryujin onsen is well known as one of the best hot springs in Japan for beauty treatment. The onsen is tucked in the middle of Mount Gomadan. Viver a Viagem has been to this amazing hot spring and share the experience with you.

Ryujin is located in the heart of Kii peninsula, between the pilgrimage route of Kumano Kodo and close to Mount Koya, Osaka, Nara and Wakayama. Kyoto is not far from Ryujin as well. Despite being close to some of the most visited cities in Japan, its specific location – tucked in the mountains – makes it a good off the beaten destination for those venturing the Kumano area. As a matter of fact, English speakers are rare to find. Learn some Japanese beforehand.

My starting point was Mount Koya. I hopped on a bus and went straight to Ryujin after a quick bus change in Gomadan. The road to the onsen during mid fall is absolutely beautiful, with colourful foliage all over the places.

I stayed at Shimogoten, one of the two oldest ryokans in the village, commissioned by Yorinobu Tokugawa and build in 1647 as a place for him to relax.

Save some time to enjoy the surrounding nature from your room. Sit on the window frame and listen to the river running, gaze to the trees and hear the wind that shakes the leaves; breath the pure air and feel the scent of tatami straw coming from the floor.

Water here is famous for smoothen skin, treat neuralgia, wounds and burns. If ingested, it helps treating gastrointestinal and hepatic disturbs. The water temperature is 48ºC/118ºF. It is really hot! I have to confess it was quite hard to get into the tub for the first time, until I got used to it. The temperature is hot enough for making your blood pressure rise and making you dizzy. Once you get out, you’d better go inside since the wind can be chilly.

Read also Everything about hot springs in Japan and know what to do at an onsen.

Days goes by slowly. You enjoy it in your pace. Start with a thermal bath, then dress a yukata (cotton traditional robe used in ryokans), stroll at the city’s main street, and then soak once again. Night comes and it’s time for dinner.

Dinning at a ryokan is a must-have experience for those visiting Japan. Everything about it is special. The ryokan might be a hundred-year-old house located in a beautiful and historic section of a city; local ingredients will surely be the main attraction of your meals; and the tableware is carefully chosen according season and dish being served.

Speaking of seasonal ingredients and tableware, have you noticed the motives on the chinaware? They all remind autumn, just like the meticulously placed twigs and wrapping paper inside each drawer. Japanese luxury is synonymous of subtly.

In 2003 Ryujin onsen served as inspiration to Nezuten, a book by Ghibli Studio’s renowned art director Kazuo Oga. The story is set during the 50s and tells the adventure of two guys wanting to earn money selling mice tempura to foxes and racoons.

According to locals foxes and racoons parade with a giant trout and look for mice tempura during the night time. They already knew mice tempura was a favourite treat for these animals, so they gathered mice during years, bough a big frying pan, oil and headed to Ryujin onsen.

The story depicts their journey through a scenery painted in watercolor.

On my last day after flipping through the pages I realised I was doing the opposite. The guys came from Tanabe to Ryujin onsen and I was doing the other way round. For a moment I felt part of that story.

How to get there

From Osaka: hop on a train bound Kii Tanabe, once you get there change for a bus bound to Gomadanzan. Hop off at Ryujin Onsen;

From Wakayama: hop on a train bound Kii Tanabe, once you get there change for a bus bound to Gomadanzan. Hop off at Ryujin Onsen;

From Mount Koya: hop on a bus bound Gomadanzan, once you get there change for a bus bound to Kii Tanabe. Hop off at Ryujin Onsen;

Check timetable for buses running through Mount Koya and Kii Tanabe

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