Kirishima International Hotel (3930-12 Takachiho, Makizono-cho, Kirishima City, Kagoshima Prefecture) will open a new facility on its premises, Kirisuna (sand steam bath), on June 1.
Suna-mushi hot springs, known as a unique Japanese bathing method, uses the pressure of the sand and the high-temperature thermal effect to promote perspiration and warm the whole body from the core in a short period of time, providing a refreshing and invigorating experience. This is the first Suna Mushi Spa facility in the city.
The sand used is not the sea sand used in Ibusuki, but silica sand (mountain sand) derived from shirasu. The facility is equipped with 28 beds in two cells for both men and women to use at the same time, lockers, shower rooms, and various amenities.
Located about 30 minutes by car from Kagoshima Airport, it is open to hotel guests as well as day-trip visitors. The day-trip fee is 2,500 yen for adults and 1,250 yen for elementary school students and younger. Hotel guests pay 1,500 yen for adults and 750 yen for elementary school students and younger.
In conjunction with this opening, the hotel’s milky white rock bath open-air “Shirushino-yu” will be renovated and reopened in the new building where “Kirisuna” is located; it was temporarily closed for renovation of the main building in May 2023, but has been reborn as a more comfortable and relaxing space with new plantings and interior design. Visitors can enjoy a series of bathing experiences, such as sweating in the Suna Mushi Onsen followed by a soak in the hot spring.
After taking a bath, special health-friendly drinks are offered free of charge. Three types of drinks will be available to enjoy after bathing, including a fresh fruit black vinegar drink from Fukuyama Black Vinegar “Kogoshida” and herb tea from “Mighty Leaf”.
Admission for one-day use is 1,000 yen for adults and 500 yen for elementary school students and younger. Admission is free for hotel guests and those using the “Kirisuna” sand bath.
In addition, the dinner buffet at the hotel’s restaurant, Kirishima Yumemuri Terrace, will offer a commemorative menu of “steamed basket dishes” named after the Kusamushi hot springs.
It is made with Kagoshima Kurobuta pork sausage, Satsuma chicken, and local vegetables, and is prepared as a basket steamed with okara mixed with Kirishima tea to resemble sand, allowing visitors to experience the local character through food and hot spring baths.
© Source travel watch