Shioya, town in Shioya district, Tochigi prefecture, Japan
Shioya is a town in the Shioya district of Tochigi Prefecture, in the Kanto region of Japan. The land is a mix of open fields, forested slopes, and small scattered settlements, with hills forming a low, rolling backdrop across the countryside.
Shioya took its current form in the 1950s when several villages, including Tamanyu, Funyu, and Omiya, merged into a single administrative unit. Small temples and older structures scattered across the area still mark the boundaries and identities of those original communities.
The hot spring tradition here is part of everyday life rather than just a tourist attraction, and locals treat a visit to the baths as a regular habit. Sitting in the warm water alongside residents gives visitors a direct sense of how bathing culture is woven into daily routine in rural Japan.
Shioya has no train station, so getting there and moving around is easiest by car or bus, with bus routes connecting the town to nearby urban centers. Roads are quiet and well-suited for driving or cycling between the scattered settlements and the hot spring area.
Shioya Onsen appears on Japan's official list of 100 famous hot springs, a distinction that only a small number of places across the entire country hold. This recognition has drawn visitors from across Japan for generations, even though the town itself remains largely off the main travel routes.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 60,000 contributors worldwide.
