A seaside salt-spring resort on the Sea of Japan — the largest hot spring town in the San'in region, where the beach is right on the doorstep in summer.
Kaike Onsen is a seaside hot spring resort on the northern coast of Yonago City, Tottori Prefecture, facing the Sea of Japan, and is one of the most representative coastal hot spring destinations in the San'in region. Its history is said to have begun in 1891 (Meiji 24) when a fisherman discovered warm water welling up from the sea floor. For more than 100 years since, it has welcomed countless guests seeking the healing waters. The spring is a sodium-calcium chloride type, with an abundant flow exceeding 4,000 liters per minute.
Known also as the "salt spring," these waters are prized for their warming and skin-beautifying effects, and are said to be beneficial for neuralgia, rheumatism, chronic skin conditions, and more. Around 30 ryokan and hotels line the resort, giving it the largest accommodation capacity in the San'in region. In summer, the beach stretches right in front of the inn doors, making Kaike one of the rare hot spring resorts in Japan where guests can enjoy both onsen bathing and sea swimming on the same visit.
The view of the sun setting over the Sea of Japan, with the Chugoku region's highest peak, Mt. Daisen, in the distance, is another hallmark of Kaike Onsen. Accessible by route bus from Yonago Station, it serves as a popular lodging base for exploring the Hoki-Yonago area.