or simply Yunogō 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 ...

town located in Mimasaka city of

Okayama Prefecture is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located in the Chūgoku region of Honshu. Okayama Prefecture has a population of 1,906,464 (1 February 2018) and has a geographic area of 7,114 Square kilometre, km2 (2,746 sq mi). Okayama Prefectur ...

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 ...

. The waters of the Yunogo hot springs (

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 ...

in Japanese) are a mixture of

sodium chloride Sodium chloride , commonly known as salt (although sea salt also contains other chemical salts), is an ionic compound with the chemical formula NaCl, representing a 1:1 ratio of sodium and chloride ions. With molar masses of 22.99 and 35.45 g ...

and calcium chloride, with the amount of discharge at 540 L/min. The waters are said to have healing effects on those suffering from chronic digestive disorders, nerve pain, rheumatism, arthralgia, chronic feminine problems, and skin problems.

History

Yunogo Onsen is known as “Sagi no-yu,” or hot water of the

heron The herons are long-legged, long-necked, freshwater and coastal birds in the family Ardeidae, with 72 recognised species, some of which are referred to as egrets or bitterns rather than herons. Members of the genera ''Botaurus'' and ''Ixobrychus ...

(sagi is the Japanese word for

egret Egrets ( ) are herons, generally long-legged wading birds, that have white or buff plumage, developing fine plumes (usually milky white) during the breeding season. Egrets are not a biologically distinct group from herons and have the same build ...

or heron) because 1,200 years ago a

Buddhist Buddhism ( , ), also known as Buddha Dharma and Dharmavinaya (), is an Indian religion or philosophical tradition based on teachings attributed to the Buddha. It originated in northern India as a -movement in the 5th century BCE, and ...

high priest named En-nin-houshi discovered an injured heron bathing its wounded leg in the waters of a hot spring in Yunogo. This is how the special healing powers of these waters were discovered, and they now have evolved into a spot where people come to relax and enjoy the waters. There is a statue of En-nin with a heron outside of the “Yunogo Sagi Onsen-kan,” the public bathhouse created in the exact spot where the heron's hot spring was discovered.

Events

* Night Time

Cherry Blossom A cherry blossom, also known as Japanese cherry or sakura, is a flower of many trees of genus ''Prunus'' or ''Prunus'' subg. ''Cerasus''. They are common species in East Asia, including China, Korea and especially in Japan. They generally ...

Watching - Early April - The night time cherry blossom watching bus tour to

Tsuyama Castle is a castle in Sange, Tsuyama, Okayama prefecture, Japan. Tsuyama is home to one of Japan's three major ''hirayama'' (平山城 hilltop) style castles along with Himeji Castle and Matsuyama Castle (Iyo), which were constructed around the same ti ...

(Kakuzan Park.) This is one of the best cherry blossom viewing spots in western Japan. (bus: 30 min. one way) * Koinobori (carp streamer) - Early April to early May - 30 koinobori are flown from the “You-ragi Bridge” on the Yoshino River. * Mimasaka Furusato Summer Festival, Firework Show - Early July - Many night vendor stalls open at the time of festival, alongside a firework show. * Yu-jinja Shrine Autumn Festival - Middle of October - Hoping for fertility, people carrying miniature shrines ( mikoshi) and danjiri walk around the area in Yunogo. * Decorative Illumination - Early December to early January - Decorations illuminate the spring resort area in the winter night.

Points of Interest

* You-ragi Bridge Fountain - A fountain in the image of a white heron stands as a symbol of Yunogo Onsen. The fountain illuminates during nighttime. * Japan Museum of Contemporary Toy & Hall of Music Box - More than 100-year-old music boxes and wind-up dolls, as well as the toys made after 1950 are exhibited. * Yunogo Onsen Train Model & Retro Toy House - Diorama of train models and classic toys are collected here. * Ohyama Observatory - A vast and panoramic view of Yunogo Onsen and the Chūgoku Mountains can be seen from this observatory. * Roadside station, Saisai-jaya - The delicacies of Sakushu, black

soybeans The soybean, soy bean, or soya bean (''Glycine max'') is a species of legume native to East Asia, widely grown for its edible bean, which has numerous uses. Traditional unfermented food uses of soybeans include soy milk, from which tofu and ...

and other processed foods, as well as local foods and flowers of the season can be purchased here.

Access

By Bus: 1 hour and 40 min. from JR Okayama St. by bus headed to “Yunogo Onsen”. Get off the bus at “Yunogo.” 40 min. from Tsuyama St. of the JR Tsuyama Line by bus headed to “Yunogo Onsen.” Get off the bus at “Yunogo.”
By Car: 10 min. from Mimasaka IC of Chugoku Express Way

References

External links

Official Yunogo Onsen Town Homepage
(Japanese)
Official Okayama Prefecture Tourism Information Homepage
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