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.
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.
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 heacvy 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.
