Kawara-buro
MISASA ONSEN’S KAWARABURO
By Misasa Onsen’s iconic main bridge that leads into town is the beloved FREE public onsen bath Kawaraburo. Set in Misasa River itself, this rock rotenburo onsen has two baths for visitors to immerse themselves in the healing radon waters of Misasa. With a simple wooden fence and changing area to afford a little bit of privacy to undress, the onsen offers unspoiled views of the river and the surrounding onsen town. Traditionally pilgrims would bathe here before embarking on the sacred pilgrimage to Mt Mitoku. Once the pilgrimage was completed, they would return to bathe once more for a final purification.
Kawaraburo is not only free, but tattoo friendly and is one of the few remaining Konyoku “mixed onsen” throughout the country. For those who are a bit shy, on the other side of the changing area (closer to the bridge side) is one of the town’s free public foot baths. If you’re unsure of the steps of how to enjoy onsen, read the full onsen etiquette guide here.
Please Note: This article contains some affiliate links. If you make a reservation through one of these links,
I will receive a small commission at no additional cost to you. Every property and destination featured on this website has been personally experienced by the writer, and are their personal thoughts and opinions.
SOAKING AWAY
In all my time exploring onsen, I’ve never seen a public onsen so beloved.
No matter the time of day, or the weather (unless it was an especially horrible storm or heavy rain), or unless it was a cleaning day; Kawaraburo always had someone bathing in it
Elderly locals would come together and have a chat, with others coming and going. The onsen truly embodies the spirit of community that goes back to ancient times of onsen bathing.
*as always I was given permission and the time to shoot in the public onsen.
A TRADITIONAL KONYOKU ‘MIXED’ ONSEN
For visitors who want to experience a true traditional onsen bathing experience like the olden times - Kawaraburo is one of the few remaining Konyoku “Mixed” onsen where men and women soak together without barriers. Towels are not allowed to be worn in the onsen at all. So if understandably that is out of your comfort zone, enjoy an onsen day trip at one of the other ryokan’s public onsen baths or book an overnight stay at one of the many onsen ryokan in the town. Several of which have private onsen baths either to reserve or within guestrooms.
WHERE TO STAY
It’s best to enjoy Misasa with at least an overnight stay, however 2-3 nights are ideal if you want to hike Mt Mitoku and have some leisurely time to explore the town. Misasa Onsen has a range of accommodations available, from smaller, simpler hotel style onsen ryokans, to historic and traditional premises, through to larger options with a variety of room types available. During my travels there I stayed at the historic RYOKAN OHASHI where my room had two private outdoor onsen for me to enjoy! The larger more modern style MISASAKAN with its relaxing rose filled public onsen and lastly MANSUIROU where their suite rooms enjoyed panoramic views of the town. All have rooms with private onsen available.
