Rakuten Travel, a travel reservation service provided by Rakuten Group, has announced the ranking of hot spring resorts with rising popularity, ranking the total number of overnight stays at each hot spring resort in 2025 compared to the previous year.
Tendo Onsen” in Yamagata Prefecture, which ranked first, saw a 1.7-fold increase in the total number of overnight guests over the previous year, with a particularly large increase in the number of guests with children, which was about three times that of the previous year. This is due to the fact that the area is well-equipped with lodging facilities such as “Anda no Mori Yamagata Tendo,” which will open in winter 2024 and offer all-inclusive services for families, “Roadside Station Tendo Onsen,” which has a plaza with large playground equipment, and an orchard where visitors can experience fruit picking. The reason for this is that there are a variety of places suitable for family trips with children, including accommodation facilities such as
The city is conveniently located, and visitors can tour around Zao Onsen Hot Spring, where tree ice can be seen in winter, and Ginzan Onsen Hot Spring, a popular hot spring resort town with its scenic beauty. Tendo City boasts the largest production of shogi (Japanese chess) pieces in Japan, and the city is also developing its town with shogi (Japanese chess) as its central theme, with monuments in the shape of shogi pieces and facilities related to shogi scattered throughout the city.
Tateyama Onsen” in Chiba Prefecture, in second place, is located at the southern tip of the Boso Peninsula. The total number of visitors increased more than 1.2 times over the previous year. There are many lodging facilities where visitors can bathe while overlooking the Pacific Ocean, creating a sense of openness in the hot spring experience. The sea breezes create a comfortable and pleasant climate throughout the year, and the area is popular as a summer resort where marine sports and other activities can be enjoyed in summer, with particularly strong growth in August in 2025.
Yamanaka Onsen” in Ishikawa Prefecture, ranked third, has a history of 1,300 years since its opening, and many ryokan (traditional Japanese-style inns) line the banks of the Tsurusenkei River. Visitors can enjoy strolling along the promenade of the Tsurusenkei River, the seasonal beauty of the valley seen from the open-air baths of the inns, and the culture of Yamanaka, including the traditional craft of Yamanaka lacquerware and the dancing of geiko. The opening of new lodging facilities has attracted attention, and year-on-year growth has been driven especially by visitors with children.
Oita Prefecture’s Beppu Onsen, ranked No. 4, is a hot spring resort where visitors can enjoy a variety of spring qualities, and has seen the rebranding of popular lodging facilities and the opening of new buildings, and was ranked second in Japan in the Rakuten Travel 2025 Annual Ranking of Popular Hot Spring Destinations, calculated based on the total number of overnight visitors in 2025.
Takeo Onsen, in Saga Prefecture, ranked fifth, has the vermilion-lacquered “Takeo Onsen Roman Gate” as its symbol, and a hot spring resort area lined with day-trip public bathhouses and retro coffee shops, where visitors can enjoy the historic atmosphere of the area. The area is also said to be gaining popularity due to the release of an animated film set in Saga Prefecture.
© Source travel watch