A city of water filled with springs
The water of the onsen is clear and colorless with moderate levels of hydrogen carbonate so that it cannot only be bathed in but also drunk; within the city, there are 7 locations to sample the water. Also, there are 2 free foot baths (Kannon jimasengen Park and Yutorogi) as local residents enjoy a close existence with the onsen. Furthermore, there are day-trip hot springs among the onsen facilities, but of course, there are also hotels and ryokan to spend a more leisurely time.
Touring Shimabara Onsen on foot
Around Shimabara Onsen, starting with the chalk-white 5-story keep of Shimabara Castle, you can sightsee the remnants of the old castle town on foot. The samurai residences were built at the same time as the castle and among the 690 houses, Yamamoto House, Shinozuka House and Torida House are currently open to the public for free as a preserved townscape which collectively measures 406.8m in length and 5.6m in width. In the center of the streets, there are canals flowing with spring water as vestiges of the Edo Era, and stone walls which each have their own individual structure. At the rest facility of the samurai residences, you can enjoy the down-home taste of kanzarashi, a dessert of shirotama (rice flour dumplings) and honey. At Koi-no-Oyogu Machi (Town of Swimming Carp), colorful carp taken care by the local residents swim through the abundant water in the canals as they charm the eyes of the tourists. 1500 carp of varying sizes and colors swim in the area. The spring garden Shimeisou is one of the residences by the water which represent Shimabara, and it was created by monks utilizing the spring water after the Meiji Era; its name was derived from the fact that a beautiful view can be seen from all four directions. Mizugashira-no-Ido is a well that was created in 1941 and it continues to provide water even now.