Shima Onsen Walking Tour: 1.8 Miles of Retro Streets

The oldest inn in Japan inspired a Ghibli film, and it sits on the main street you'll walk.

This three-hour walking tour explores Shima Onsen, a hot spring town that has kept the look and feel of the 1950s and '60s. Your guide has lived there over 40 years and walks you through old roads and neighborhoods, shows you how hot springs are managed by hand, and introduces you to locals and their sweets shops. The tour includes stops at two or more cafes where you taste local specialties (steamed buns, Japanese sweets and Western pastries), and visits the inn said to have inspired Spirited Away.

Step-by-step itinerary

Explore Shima Onsen hot spring town

• Visit oldest inn, Spirited Away model
• Walk retro town and old road
• Learn hot spring culture and history
• Enjoy local sweets at cafe

The experience

The walk covers about 1.8 miles through streets that don't appear in typical guidebooks. Your guide, a resident of four decades, points out the methods used to manage the hot spring sources and explains the history and culture that shaped the town. You move at a pace that leaves room for conversation with locals you meet along the way, and the guide speaks English or Japanese depending on your group.

Two stops at local cafes and sweets shops are built into the itinerary. You taste what people who live here actually eat: hot spring steamed buns, traditional Japanese sweets, and Western pastries from shops that have served the town for years. The oldest inn, one of the models for the animated film Spirited Away, sits on the route and you visit it as part of the walk. If conditions are right, you may also see wild animals that pass through the town.

What’s included

• Walking tour with a guide who has lived in Shima Onsen for over 40 years.
• visit to the oldest inn in Japan.
• local sweets tasting at two or more cafes and shops.
• time to meet and talk with locals.
• explanation of hot spring culture and the methods used to manage the springs.

Before you book

Days and timesEvery day except ThursdayDeparts at 09:30

AgesAdult (12 to 85 years) · Under 12: can't be booked

GroupUp to 10

Live guideEnglish and Japanese

Meeting point and pickupNo hotel pickup: you go to the meeting point. Ends back at the starting point.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund.

ConfirmationConfirmation within 48 h

Prices and times updated today

Good to know

Low physical effortPets welcomePublic transport nearbyNot recommended with back problems

Operated by Shima Spa Guide with Pro

Is this one for you?The tour starts in Shima Onsen itself and moves entirely on foot through the town, so you don't need a car or a ride from your accommodation: public transport gets you there, and the walk does the rest. Choose this if you want to move at a pace that leaves room for conversation with locals and a guide who actually lives in the place.

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Top questions

What languages is the tour guided in?

Live guide in English and Japanese.

What happens if it rains?

It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund. Free cancellation up to 24 h before the start.

What is the oldest inn in Shima Onsen, and why does it matter?

The inn is said to be the oldest in Japan and is one of the models that inspired the animated film Spirited Away. You visit it during the walk as part of the tour's route through the town.

How far do we walk on this tour?

The walking distance is approximately 1.8 miles through the old roads and retro streets of Shima Onsen. The full tour takes three hours, including stops at cafes and time to talk with locals.

What kind of sweets will I eat, and where?

You stop at two or more local cafes and sweets shops to taste hot spring steamed buns, Japanese sweets, and Western pastries that are popular in the town. The guide takes you to places locals actually go.

Is this tour suitable if I don't have a car?

Yes. Public transportation options are available near Shima Onsen, and the tour itself is entirely on foot through the town streets, so you don't need a vehicle to participate.

Could we see wildlife during the walk?

Wild animals do pass through Shima Onsen, and if conditions are right, you may encounter them during the tour. It's not guaranteed, but it's a possibility the guide watches for.