is a hot spring resort located approximately 16 kilometers west of the city centre of

Fukushima, Fukushima is the capital city of Fukushima Prefecture, Japan. It is located in the northern part of the Nakadōri, central region of the prefecture. , the city has an estimated population of 283,742 in 122,130 households and a population density of . The ...

Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...

. It is near the source and built along the shores of the

Arakawa River or Ara River may refer to: * Arakawa River (Kanto) or Ara River may refer to: * Arakawa River (Kanto), which flows from Saitama Prefecture and through Tokyo to Tokyo Bay * Arakawa River (Uetsu), which flows from Yamagata Prefecture and throu ...

, at the foot of Mt. Azuma.

Water

The majority of Tsuchiyu's hot spring water comes out of the ground as steam at approximately 150 ℃ then is then piped two kilometers to Tsuchiyu's hotels. The water is largely colorless and clear, has faint traces of

sulfur Sulfur (or sulphur in British English) is a chemical element with the symbol S and atomic number 16. It is abundant, multivalent and nonmetallic. Under normal conditions, sulfur atoms form cyclic octatomic molecules with a chemical formula ...

, and has a pH of 6.5. Some hotels receive their water from a separate source, leading to some hotels using water containing

sodium bicarbonate Sodium bicarbonate (IUPAC name: sodium hydrogencarbonate), commonly known as baking soda or bicarbonate of soda, is a chemical compound with the formula NaHCO3. It is a salt composed of a sodium cation ( Na+) and a bicarbonate anion ( HCO3−) ...

or higher levels of sulfur.

Facilities

There are multiple ''

ryokan A is a type of traditional Japanese inn that typically features ''tatami''-matted rooms, communal baths, and other public areas where visitors may wear yukata and talk with the owner. Ryokan have existed since the eighth century A.D. du ...

'' and hotels in the area for guests to stay the night, along with four free ''

ashiyu An is a Japanese public bath Public baths originated when most people in population centers did not have access to private bathing facilities. Though termed "public", they have often been restricted according to gender, religious affiliation, p ...

'' foot baths placed throughout the area.

Kokeshi dolls

In the mid-19th century artisans in Tsuchiyu began producing wooden ''

kokeshi , are simple wooden Japanese dolls with no arms or legs that have been crafted for more than 150 years as a toy for children. Originally from the northeastern region ( Tōhoku-chihō) of Japan, they are handmade from wood, having a simple trunk ...

'' dolls unique to the area. As Tsuchiyu lies at the mountains foot of Mt. Azuma, in the mid-19th century the route to Tsuchiyu was impassible for around four months a year due to heavy snow. Local craftsmen began to produce kokeshi dolls as a way to make extra money to make up for the lack of guests during these slow periods. Tsuchiyu kokeshi are distinguishable from other kokeshi due to have a smaller head, two black concentric circles on the top of the head, a small mouth, a rounded nose, a red ribbon painted on the hair, a thin body, and colored strips painted on the body using a

potter's wheel In pottery, a potter's wheel is a machine used in the shaping (known as throwing) of clay into round ceramic ware. The wheel may also be used during the process of trimming excess clay from leather-hard dried ware that is stiff but malleable, a ...

Notes

External links

{{Commons category-inline, Tsuchiyu Onsen
Tsuchiyu Onsen Tourism Association Official Site
Hot springs of Fukushima Prefecture Tourist attractions in Fukushima Prefecture Spa towns in Japan Fukushima (city)