Unzen Onsen

Onsen

Part of Nagasaki

Prefecture

Nagasaki

Type

Onsen

N/A

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Restaurant Cafe Vegetarian

About This Destination

A historic hot spring resort in the Unzen volcanic mountains, famous for its dramatic jigoku (hells) where steam and boiling water erupt from the barren volcanic earth. It was the first area in Japan designated as a national park.

Unzen Onsen sits at 700 meters elevation in the volcanic mountains of the Shimabara Peninsula and was designated as Japan's first national park in 1934. The town's centerpiece is Unzen Jigoku, a stark landscape of roughly 30 steam vents, bubbling mud pools, and fumaroles where temperatures reach 120 degrees Celsius, all accessible via well-maintained walking paths. In the 17th century these hells were infamously used as a site of Christian persecution, and informational plaques along the trails recount this somber history. The hot spring resort developed in the 19th century as a summer retreat for foreign residents of Nagasaki and Shanghai, giving it an unusually cosmopolitan heritage among Japanese onsen towns. Today visitors can enjoy the strongly acidic sulfur springs at numerous hotels and public bathhouses, purchase onsen tamago eggs cooked in the natural hot springs, and hike to the summit of nearby Mount Fugen for panoramic views of the peninsula and Ariake Sea.

Location

Prefecture: Nagasaki

Address: Unzen, Nagasaki, Japan

Nearest Station: Isahaya Station (bus transfer)

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Visitor Information

Credit Cards: Accepted

Food Options: Local specialties include Unzen onsen tamago (hot spring eggs), guzoni stew, and fresh Shimabara somen noodles. Hotel restaurants serve Nagasaki-influenced cuisine including champon-style dishes.

Official Website

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I get to Unzen Onsen?

From Nagasaki or Isahaya, take a bus to Unzen; the trip takes about 1.5 to 2 hours. It is set high in Unzen-Amakusa National Park.

What are the Unzen Jigoku (hells)?

They are steaming, sulphurous geothermal vents you can walk among on boardwalks. The smell of sulphur is strong and the steam dramatic, especially in cool weather.