is a

hot spring A hot spring, hydrothermal spring, or geothermal spring is a spring produced by the emergence of geothermally heated groundwater onto the surface of the Earth. The groundwater is heated either by shallow bodies of magma (molten rock) or by circ ...

(''

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 ...

'') resort on the edge of Nanao Bay at the base of the

Noto Peninsula The Noto Peninsula (能登半島, ''Noto-hantō'') is a peninsula that projects north into the Sea of Japan from the coast of Ishikawa Prefecture in central Honshū, the main island of Japan. The main industries of the peninsula are agricultur ...

in Nanao,

Ishikawa Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan located in the Chūbu region of Honshu island. Ishikawa Prefecture has a population of 1,140,573 (31 October 2019) and has a geographic area of 4,186 km2 (1,616 sq mi). Ishikawa Prefecture borders Toyama Prefecture to ...

, Japan and one of several well-known, high-end ''onsen'' resorts in Japan.

History

Wakura Onsen has existed as a resort for 1,200 years. According to legend, the hot springs were originally discovered by a fisherman who noticed an injured crane bathing its wing in the warm water. There is a monument called the "Hot Water Reservoir of Wakura," located in the center of the onsen town "commemorating a heron resting in the ocean that led to the discovery of the hot springs." The onsen was first mentioned in early

Heian period The is the last division of classical Japanese history, running from 794 to 1185. It followed the Nara period, beginning when the 50th emperor, Emperor Kanmu, moved the capital of Japan to Heian-kyō (modern Kyoto). means "peace" in Japanese. ...

documents, however full scale development initiated with the improvement of railway access in the

Meiji period The is an era of Japanese history that extended from October 23, 1868 to July 30, 1912. The Meiji era was the first half of the Empire of Japan, when the Japanese people moved from being an isolated feudal society at risk of colonization ...

Location

The Wakura hot springs system is are located next to the sea. There is a bathhouse in the town center that is open to the public for a fee. There are several ''ashiyu'' (foot baths) that are scattered throughout town that are available for public use without a fee. Across from a large ryokan complex is a ''hiroba'' (public square) with a hot spring sourced fountain, a shrine, and a park. Nearby is the Kado Isaburo Museum .

Access

Wakura Onsen is approximately five minutes by car from

Wakura Onsen Station is a railway station in the city of Nanao, Ishikawa, Japan, operated jointly by West Japan Railway Company (JR West) and the private railway operator Noto Railway. Lines Wakuraonsen Station is served by the Nanao Line, and is located 59.5 kilome ...

on the

JR West , also referred to as , is one of the Japan Railways Group (JR Group) companies and operates in western Honshu. It has its headquarters in Kita-ku, Osaka. It is listed in the Tokyo Stock Exchange, is a constituent of the TOPIX Large70 index, and ...

Nanao Line The is a railway line in Ishikawa Prefecture, Japan, operated by West Japan Railway Company (JR West) and the Noto Railway. It runs between Tsubata Station in Tsubata and Anamizu Station in Anamizu. JR West operates the section between Tsuba ...

and Wakura IC on the Nanaota-Tsuruhama Bypass ( National Route 249).

References

External links

*
Wakura Onsen official tourism site

Tourist attractions in Ishikawa Prefecture Hot springs of Ishikawa Prefecture Spa towns in Japan Nanao, Ishikawa {{ishikawa-geo-stub

History

Location

Access

See also

References

External links