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 ...

located in the former town of Ohata, which is now part of the city of Mutsu in northern Japan.

Description

The onsen consists of 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 ...

surrounded by

old growth forest An old-growth forestalso termed primary forest, virgin forest, late seral forest, primeval forest, or first-growth forestis a forest that has attained great age without significant disturbance, and thereby exhibits unique ecological featur ...

s located along the Ohata River within Shimokita Hanto Quasi-National Park. The area includes a nationally-run

campground A campsite, also known as a campground or camping pitch, is a place used for camping, overnight stay in an outdoor area. In British English, a ''campsite'' is an area, usually divided into a number of pitches, where people can camp overnight u ...

called 'Kokusetsu Yagen Yaeijo'. Oku-yagen Hot Spring is located 2 km upriver and an called 'Kappa-no-yu' . The outdoor baths 'Oku-yagen Onsen Rest House' and 'Fufu-kappa-no-yu' (Wedded Kappa Bath) are run by the municipality and are both located along the riverside. Kappa-no-yu Hot Spring is located next to an abandoned inn. With little to no upkeep, this hot spring is closed and drained during the winter months. Clogging the drain will fill the pool in 7–8 hours, but the pool will need to be cleaned by removal of leaves and twigs prior to use. The water is can be enjoyed during the winter months. During the summer it can be too hot to get into. Public transportation to the onsen is provided by Shimokita Kōtsu buses to Ōhata from

Shimokita Station is a railway station in the city of Mutsu, Aomori Prefecture, Japan, operated by East Japan Railway Company (JR East). It was formerly also the terminal station for the Shimokita Kōtsu Company's , which closed in 2001 and was replaced by a bu ...

on the

Ōminato Line The is a railway line operated by East Japan Railway Company (JR East). It connects Noheji Station and Ōminato Station on the Shimokita Peninsula in eastern Aomori Prefecture. Station list :●: All rapid service trains stop, ○: Some ra ...

East Japan Railway Company The is a major passenger railway company in Japan and is the largest of the seven Japan Railways Group companies. The company name is officially abbreviated as JR-EAST or JR East in English, and as in Japanese. The company's headquarters are ...

History

The onsen was discovered in 1615 by an ally of

Hideyori Toyotomi was the son and designated successor of Toyotomi Hideyoshi, the general who first united all of Japan. His mother, Yodo-dono, was the niece of Oda Nobunaga. Early life Born in 1593, he was Hideyoshi's second son. The birth of Hideyori cre ...

, who retreated here after the defeat of the Toyotomi forces at the summer siege of Osaka Castle. The onsen was named after a

tool A tool is an object that can extend an individual's ability to modify features of the surrounding environment or help them accomplish a particular task. Although many animals use simple tools, only human beings, whose use of stone tools dates ba ...

used in the making of traditional herbal medicine, which it resembled. Oku-yagen Onsen claims an even older history. In 862, Jikaku Daishi, who discovered

Osorezan is the name of a Buddhism, Buddhist temple and folk religion pilgrimage destination in the center of remote Shimokita Peninsula of Aomori Prefecture, in the northern Tōhoku region of northern Japan. The temple is located in the caldera of an ac ...

, suffered a great injury after he got lost. The story is that he was saved by a ''kappa'' (water imp) who immersed him in the waters of the 'Kappa-no-yu' bath, thereby healing his injury.

References

External links

{{coord, 41, 23, 09, N, 141, 03, 10, E, source:kolossus-jawiki, display=title Tourist attractions in Aomori Prefecture Hot springs of Aomori Prefecture Landforms of Aomori Prefecture Mutsu, Aomori