What kind of place comes to mind when you think of a hot spring?
A hot spring surrounded by snowy mountains.
A quiet hot spring in a forest.
A hot spring overlooking the sea.
A hot spring near a large city.
In Japan, hot springs can be found not only in the mountains and along the coast, but also near cities and on remote islands.
Your country may also have some well-known hot springs.
Explore the map with me and compare where Japan’s hot springs are located and how they are distributed with the hot springs in your country.
Explore Japan’s hot springs on the map
On this map, you can see the total number of hot spring sources and the volume of hot spring water discharged in each prefecture.
Select the “Total Sources” or “Discharge Volume” button to change the map colors. Select a prefecture to see its number of hot spring areas, total number of sources, and discharge volume.
As you zoom in, ♨ markers appear at places where hot spring water was analyzed in the past. Select a marker to see information such as the hot spring or source name, recorded area, temperature at the time of investigation, pH, and sampling date.
You can also search by prefecture or hot spring name using text, or use the microphone button to search by voice.
Look near a city you know or a place you would like to visit and see what hot spring records you can find.
About the map data
The number of hot spring areas, total number of sources, and discharge volume for each prefecture are based on the Ministry of the Environment’s Hot Spring Use in Fiscal 2024. The figures show the state of Japan’s hot spring resources as of March 31, 2025.
The ♨ markers represent historical records included in AIST’s Hot Spring Chemical Analysis Data. They are not a list of hot spring facilities currently in operation, and the dates of investigation vary by location.
A place without a marker does not necessarily have no hot springs. Each marker shows an approximate location and does not indicate the exact site of a spring or the entrance to a facility.
The displayed temperature was measured at the source and may differ from the temperature of the water in a bathing pool. The pH value is only a guide to acidity or alkalinity. Temperature and pH alone cannot determine a hot spring’s type or therapeutic effects.
How many hot springs are there in Japan?
According to the Ministry of the Environment, Japan has 2,839 hot spring areas and 27,899 hot spring sources. Together, they discharge 2,477,713 liters of water per minute.
The number of hot spring areas and the number of sources are not the same. A single hot spring area may contain multiple sources.
The data card lets you compare the number of hot spring areas, total number of sources, and discharge volume for Japan as a whole and for its nine regions.
After looking at the national figures, return to the map and see where the individual hot spring records are distributed.
What I noticed while making the map
What struck me was that hot springs are found throughout Japan.
All 47 prefectures, from Hokkaido in the north to Okinawa in the south, have hot springs.
When you zoom in, you may find not only famous hot springs but also places whose names you have never encountered before.
Compare them with the hot springs in your country and look for similarities and differences.
Why not explore the map to find a hot spring in Japan that you would like to visit?
Explore hot springs in a region that interests you
The regional articles let you explore hot springs using a separate map and data card for each part of Japan.
Hokkaido / Tohoku / Kanto / Koshinetsu / Chubu and Hokuriku / Kinki / Chugoku / Shikoku / Kyushu and Okinawa
Sources: Ministry of the Environment, Hot Spring Use in Fiscal 2024 (data as of March 31, 2025); Geological Survey of Japan, AIST, Geothermal Resources of Japan: Hot Spring Chemical Analysis Data (published in 2020)
The Ministry of the Environment total of 27,899 sources and the 7,203 AIST analysis records differ in scope, reference date, and counting method, so the figures are not expected to match. Before visiting, check the facility’s or local government’s official information for its current location and operating status.