Shuzenji Onsen is a geothermal spring system in the Tagata District of

Shizuoka Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan located in the Chūbu region of Honshu. Shizuoka Prefecture has a population of 3,637,998 and has a geographic area of . Shizuoka Prefecture borders Kanagawa Prefecture to the east, Yamanashi Prefecture to the northea ...

, Japan, in the central region of

Izu Peninsula The is a large mountainous peninsula with a deeply indented coastline to the west of Tokyo on the Pacific coast of the island of Honshu, Japan. Formerly known as Izu Province, Izu peninsula is now a part of Shizuoka Prefecture. The peninsul ...

History

The hot springs have been used for over fourteen centuries for their therapeutic properties. Folklore tales describe the discovery and founding of the hot springs by

Kobo Daishi Kobo may refer to: Places * Kobo (woreda), a district in Ethiopia ** Kobo, Ethiopia, a town * Kōbo Dam, Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan * Mount Kōbō, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan People First name * Kōbō Abe (1924–1993), pseudonym of Japanese w ...

(774-835), a Buddhist monk who probed at the rocks in the river with his walking stick (''tokko'') releasing the hot spring water. The historical town that was built up around the geothermal system was also called Shuzenji, however it has since merged into the city of Izu.

Description

''Tokko-no-yu'' is the best known hot spring in the system; it is located between the banks of the Katsura River in the middle of Shuzen town. A small rustic open-air public bath house has been built above the spring containing an ''ashiyu'' or foot spa. ''Kawara-no-yu'' is a hot spring in the system that is used as a public foot bath; it is located at the riverside. There are numerous commercial spa hotels and historic ryokan in the area, as well as ''Hakoyu'', the public bathhouse.

Geology

The

onsen In Japan, are the country's hot springs and the bathing facilities and traditional inns around them. As a volcanically active country, Japan has many onsens scattered throughout all of its major islands. There are approximately 25,000 hot ...

system is part of the Amagi volcanic mountain range. In Japan, more than 27,000 hot spring sources exist, many of which, including Shuzenji Onsen have been developed into onsen towns.

References

{{Reflist Hot springs of Shizuoka Prefecture Spa towns in Japan Geothermal areas Balneotherapy

History

Description

Geology

See also

References