Three Natural Hot Springs in Takamatsu: Busshozan, Pokapoka or Kirara?

The three natural hot springs in Takamatsu suit different day plans. Busshozan Onsen is the choice if you want every bath supplied flow-through. Takamatsu Pokapoka Onsen has the largest leisure setup, with two saunas and 11 bath types.

Kirara opens at 6 a.m., making it easier to fit before an early flight or a day on the Kotoden line. All three are natural hot springs, but that does not mean every pool in a large complex uses the same source water.

Busshozan is about the spring, not a long list of features

Busshozan’s operator describes the water as a sodium bicarbonate-chloride spring and says all of its baths are flow-through. That clear supply detail is its best distinction. The indoor bath and the outdoor hinoki and hiba baths share the same general appeal, without requiring you to figure out which pool is the source-fed one.

The facility is a 10-minute walk east of Kotoden Busshozan Station. Admission is ¥700 for visitors aged 13 and over, and ¥350 for children aged three and over. It closes on Tuesdays; when Tuesday is a public holiday, it closes the following day.

Weekends can be busy in the smaller bathing areas, so an early visit may leave more room. Towels are not included with admission; bring your own or ask about sales or rental options.

This is a good fit for a focused soak before lunch or after exploring the town. There is a rest area and a dining room, but the operator does not present a sauna circuit or bedrock-bathing floor as the main product. If you want a choice of saunas and a half-day lounge stay, spend the higher admission at Pokapoka instead.

Pokapoka is a full leisure complex with one important distinction

The complex has 11 bath types, two saunas and two cold-water baths at different temperatures. Its natural spring comes from about 1,400 metres below ground and is used in the source-fed rock bath. The popular high-concentration carbonated bath is artificial, not the same spring.

Dining and rest facilities suit a longer visit, but not a quiet quick soak. The southern Takamatsu location is easier by car; public-transport visitors should plan the bus connection.

Kirara makes the early start practical

Kirara’s “Takamatsu Crater Spring” is drawn from just under 300 metres below the western edge of the crater. The published flow rate describes the source, not each bathing pool.

Shampoo and body wash are supplied. The facility refuses guests with tattoos, including fake tattoos.

It opens at 6 a.m. and closes at midnight, with last entry at 11 p.m. On the third Tuesday of each month, it opens at 5 p.m. rather than in the morning. Kotoden’s Kuko-dori Station is about a 10-minute walk away; the Ichinomiya bus stop is about seven minutes on foot. A taxi from Takamatsu Airport takes roughly 20 minutes, according to the operator. That makes Kirara the simplest early soak before an airport transfer, though flight check-in time still sets the real cutoff.

For a different Kagawa bath with an outdoor sauna focus, see Kotohiki Kairo in Kanonji. If your day is built around the shrine approach rather than Takamatsu City, the Kotohira day-use guide covers a separate set of bathing windows.

Sources

• Busshozan Onsen: hours, prices, source and access
• Takamatsu Pokapoka Onsen: bathing facilities
• Takamatsu Pokapoka Onsen: hours and prices
• Natural Hot Spring Kirara: current information
• Jalan: Busshozan Onsen visitor reviews
• Jalan: Takamatsu Pokapoka Onsen visitor reviews

Checked: 2026-09-27