Ryokan in Unzen
雲仙A hot-spring town at about 700 metres among the steaming vents (jigoku) of Mount Unzen on the Shimabara Peninsula, inside Japan's first national park. Buses from Nagasaki take about 100 minutes. Below it on the coast is Obama Onsen, with some of the hottest springs in Japan.
Choosing an area in Unzen
Unzen Onsen 雲仙温泉
The mountain town around the hells, a summer resort since the Meiji era.
Obama Onsen 小浜温泉
A seaside spring on Tachibana Bay, west of the mountain.
Unzen through the year
Spring春
March to May
The Unzen azaleas flower around the hells in late April and at Nita Pass from mid to late May.
Summer夏
June to August
At 700 metres the town stays cool, which made it a summer resort in the Meiji era.
Autumn秋
September to November
The leaves turn at Nita Pass in late October and around the town by mid-November.
Winter冬
December to February
Frost and rime ice whiten the trees on the mountain (the 'hana bouro').
The ryokan
Listed stays
18 approved listings · 18 total in Unzen
Photo credits
Houjyou-Minori, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons; Kanesue, CC BY 2.0, via Flickr; gtknj, CC BY 2.0, via Flickr; 663highland, CC BY 2.5, via Wikimedia Commons