OUTDOOR SAUNAS / Bungo-Ono City

Bungo–Ono City, situated in Southern Oita Prefecture, features a rich natural environment and is the only region in Kyushu recognised as both a Japan Geopark and a UNESCO Ecopark. In the area you can find a healing steam bath tradition passed down from one generation to the next. This tradition, known as Ishi Buro, features a distinctive steaming method of generating steam by heating medicinal herbs in holes excavated into the walls. In line with this traditional background, Bungo–Ono City proclaimed itself a ‘sauna town’ in July 2021. Although it lacks hot spring resources, despite being part of ‘Onsen–ken Oita’ (hot spring prefecture Oita), the city has developed its own unique attractions.

The city offers various outdoor sauna options, such as beautiful river saunas, tent saunas in underwater limestone caves, and hut saunas. For example, at the ‘Inazumi Underwater Cave’, visitors can enjoy the cool cave water as a cold–water bath throughout the year. Equally, in the riverside sauna at Lodge Kiyokawa, after sweating in the sauna, you can plunge into the crystal–clear waters from Mount Sobo, one of Japan’s 100 most famous mountains. These are must–try unforgettable experiences that make the most of the beautiful natural environment.