Haraigawa Hot Spring

The scent of firewood and sulfur wafts through the air in the bathroom. The water is excellent. Reservations for the family bath are not accepted. It's first-come, first-served. I used the smaller of the two family baths. The bathtub is a little large for one adult. It's probably too big for two people to fit in at once. The water temperature was quite high, too hot for me at first, so I had to add more water to adjust it. There are two faucets, and the shower pressure is good. There's only one bar of soap, so I brought my own body wash and shampoo. They also have rental towels, but I used my own hand towel. My body stayed warm long after I got out of the bath. There's a rest area behind the reception desk, and a Coca-Cola vending machine. Incidentally, there were only a few vending machines on the way into the mountains from the village in Tsushima Town where the convenience store and restaurant are located. It's probably best to bring your own post-bath drink. I visited after 11:00 a.m. on a weekday, and the larger family bath was already occupied. I'm sure there are many people who come here despite the slight inconvenience, just to enjoy the nice hot water.

This hot spring lies quietly nestled deep in the mountains. Light, refreshing water flows continuously from the faucet, a "free-flowing" hot spring. It's perfect for a relaxing soak. When I visited on a weekday afternoon in December, there was only one other guest. It was nice to have the place almost to myself. The hot spring is heated with firewood, and the smell of burning wood wafted through the air, creating a lovely atmosphere. Even though it was a cold season, the warmth after bathing lingered for a long time, making it a very pleasant experience. After shopping at the Kisaiya Hiroba Roadside Station, I headed to Haraigawa Onsen, but personally, the scenery on the way there was so beautiful it almost brought me to tears, rather than the hot spring itself. I felt that the Tsushima area embodied the original Japanese landscape. As someone who prefers springs with mineral deposits, Haraigawa Onsen's spring quality wasn't my favorite, but it was such a wonderful place that I would like to return just to see the beautiful Tsushima scenery.

It's located deep in the mountains on the Uwajima-Sukumo Line. I visited during Golden Week, expecting it to be crowded. There was a small public bath and three private baths. Reservations cannot be made for the private baths, and although the small bath was available when I arrived, I waited about 20 minutes before using the larger bath. When a bath becomes available, they will come to you at the parking lot to call you. However, the parking lot is right in front of the entrance. Purchased tickets from the ticket machine at the entrance. It was an incredibly cheap price of ¥1,200 for 50 minutes. Apparently, the water is heated using firewood. The water had a sulfur smell, but was colorless, clear, and soft. Even the washing area here feels like a hot spring. The water flowed at an incredible rate. Only bar soap was provided, so you'll need to bring your own. The manager was very friendly, and this hot spring is truly a hidden gem. I highly recommend it.

I was coming from Kochi and almost died after crossing the prefectural border into Ehime, but a local person told me about the hot springs, and I managed to recover my strength. This is a memory from when I cycled around Shikoku in October 2023. I think it was the manager? He was so kind, and the locals were so kind too, I remember almost crying. I took this photo with the rider's permission. Apparently Maezono-san had previously visited Harakawa Onsen on a cycling trip. The local person said, "It's been a while since Maezono-san," but I think he was just being nice. I highly recommend it to anyone on a tour. There seems to be a ranch nearby as well.

Since it was a weekday afternoon, we had the place almost to ourselves. When we headed from Kanjizaiji Temple, we were deep in the mountains and the navigation system took us down a very narrow road. On the way back we passed through Uwajima, which was a good road. It seems that a room that looks like a private family bath has been opened up and is being used as a public bath. Shared soap and shampoo are provided in the bathroom. The water was refreshing with a faint sulfur scent, and the smell of boiler smoke and burning firewood lingered in the air the whole time. This was also quite charming and a great experience.