Several Japanese cities are increasing the “bathing tax” for overnight visitors to onsen (hot spring) resorts, in an attempt to deal with rising tourism.
This tax has been raised in regions including Hokkaido, Beppu in Oita prefecture, and Shizuoka, according to local reports, to help fund conservation projects and protect hot spring resources.
According to TheAsahi Shimbun, originally set at 150 yen (£0.8), the tax has been raised in several regions with some cities even increasing the tax to 300 yen (£1.5) or more.
In Japan, onsen tourism plays a crucial role in boosting local economies. Towns and resorts are centred around onsen (hot spring) facilities that draw millions of visitors, both domestic and international, annually. Onsen tourism also provides jobs in hotels, ryokan (traditional inns), restaurants, and various service sectors.
In Japan’s Shizuoka Prefecture, the Ito city will raise the bathing tax to 300 yen by October 2025 (up from 150 yen) due to a decline in onsen water levels. It was also reported that Higashi-Izu town will also raise its bathing tax to 300 yen starting March 2025.
In Hokkaido’s Kushiro city, the authorities raised the bathing tax to 250 yen for overnight stays at some resorts, with plans to increase it to 300 yen, the outlet reported.
In 2020, several cities like Noboribetsu city, Sobetsu town, Toyako town, and Date city raised their bathing tax to 300 yen. In Oita Prefecture, Beppu city raised the bathing tax in 2019 from 150 yen to 250 yen for stays with room and board between 6,001 yen (£31) and 50,000 yen (£259). The tax rate surged to 500 yen (£2.6) for stays exceeding 50,000 yen, the highest in Japan.
Onsens are natural geothermal water sources, rich in minerals, that have been utilised in Japan for centuries for their therapeutic health benefits.
A couple of years ago, Yutaka Seki of the Japan Onsen Association told The Japan Times that without proper management, the increased use of these natural resources in modern times will significantly impact the surrounding environment.
“It’s inevitable that the environment will be adversely affected if proper use isn’t taken into consideration.”
Japan’s estimated 27,000 onsen sources stem from volcanic activity, geothermal energy, and fossil seawater formations. The 1948 Hot Spring Act defines an onsen as water, vapour, or gas (excluding hydrocarbon-based natural gas) that either meets specific chemical criteria or has a temperature of at least 25C.
