Ibusuki Sand Baths

The Ibusuki Sand Baths, Where Bathers In A Light Robe Are Buried Up To The Neck In Warm Volcanic Sand Heated By Hot Spring Water On A Seaside Beach In Southern Kagoshima. A Short Session Is The Point; A Soak In A Plain Onsen Follows. · Ibusuki, Kagoshima

The sand baths of Ibusuki are one of the odder things you can do on the southern tip of Kyushu. At the Saraku hall on the beach at Yunohama, in Ibusuki on the southern Satsuma peninsula of Kagoshima, staff in rubber boots dig a shallow trench, you lie down in a light yukata, and they shovel warm volcanic sand over you, heated from below by hot spring water. The weight is surprising, the heat soaks in, and you sweat heavily. The usual session is about 10 to 15 minutes, and the staff time it for you. Afterwards you rinse and soak in a plain bath - confirm what is included. Kaimon-dake, a neat cone called Satsuma Fuji, sits on the skyline. It suits curious travellers, people with stiff muscles and anyone who likes a slightly silly experience. Allow about two hours with the bath. It is worth the trip if you are already in Kagoshima, about an hour away, and not worth a special journey for a quick fix. Sulphur smell is mild.

Saraku sand bath hall, Yunohama, Ibusuki, Kagoshima, on the beach about 50 minutes by the Ibusuki no Tamatebako train or by road from Kagoshima, Ibusuki, Kagoshima, Japan

The Saraku hall is usually open from morning to late afternoon, with the last sand session starting well before closing, and it may close for a short break one day each year - confirm hours and last admission before you go. Sessions are not booked in advance in the usual way; you buy a ticket at the desk, hire a yukata and towel, and queue if busy. From Kagoshima-Chuo, the Ibusuki no Tamatebako limited express, a seasonal tourist train, or the ordinary JR line takes roughly an hour; confirm the schedule. IC cards work on JR in Kagoshima but cash is needed at the desk.

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