Ureshino Onsen Family Hotels: A Gentle First Hot Spring for Babies

Ureshino Onsen, in the southwestern part of Saga Prefecture, is one of Kyushu's leading hot-spring towns and is known as one of Japan's "Three Great Skin-Beautifying Hot Springs." The water has a smooth, silky texture that's gentle on the skin, which is why many families choose it as the place for a baby's or young child's first hot-spring soak. The hot-spring town is dotted with public bathhouses and foot baths, and there are many teahouses serving the local specialty, Ureshino tea, giving the whole area a calm atmosphere perfect for a stroll in a yukata robe.

What sets Ureshino Onsen's family-friendly hotels apart is how well they're set up for families with babies. Ureshino Onsen Hatsunesou, which bills itself as a hotel specialized for guests with children, offers suite rooms with a slide-equipped attraction loft, kids' rooms stocked with picture books and toys you can bring back to your room, and a large communal bath and private baths with tatami-mat washing areas — all designed with kids in mind. Baby essentials such as a bottle-warmer/formula pot, a diaper-disposal bin, and low-irritant baby soap are also provided.

For families who want to unwind at a long-established inn, there's Ureshino Onsen Taishoya, founded in the Taisho era (1925), and Ureshino Onsen Wataya Bessou, which sits on a roughly 66,000-square-meter (about 16-acre) property. Taishoya is a venerable inn made up of three buildings — the Main Building, East Building, and detached cottages — with an in-room bath fed by the hot spring's own source in every room, along with free private baths and allergy accommodations. Wataya Bessou caters to families with babies as young as newborns, offering baby food, stroller and bed-guard rentals, and children's tableware, so families can stay with confidence even at this prestigious hot-spring ryokan.

Nearby, there are spots kids will enjoy, such as the ninja-themed Hizen Yumekaido and Todoroki Falls, and neighboring Takeo City is home to the Saga Prefectural Space and Science Museum, so you won't run out of family outing ideas to pair with your hot-spring stay. The gateway by rail is Ureshino-Onsen Station on the Nishi-Kyushu Shinkansen, and by car it's the Ureshino IC on the Nagasaki Expressway. It's a hot-spring town that's easy to visit for a weekend trip from the Fukuoka or Nagasaki areas.