A relaxing hot spring to ease your fatigue
In the old days at Yunishigawa Onsen, soldiers who had lost in battle discovered a hot spring bubbling by a dry river bed, and it is said that they soothed their pains and fatigue there. At any onsen, there are various types of baths, but Yunishigawa Onsen is an alkaline hot spring. It doesn’t have the characteristic sulfur smell as is the case at other hot springs, and the water is easy on the skin. In addition, Yunishigawa is located in the popular tourist destination of Nikko among lush nature. In particular, it is a hot spring community running along the valley of the Yunishigawa River with facilities such as ryokan. In spring, many flowers can be seen, and in summer, there is the deep green trees and grass along with the autumn foliage, all of which can be savored while soaking in the bath. Of course, the warm onsen and the winter scenery make for the best combination. You can fully enjoy wonderful scenery throughout the four seasons of the year. Being able to go into a hot spring while viewing the magnificent vistas makes for an onsen community which is good for the body and soul. The enjoyment of Yunishigawa Onsen isn’t just limited to the hot springs. There is regional cuisine that can only be tried here at Yunishigawa. You can enjoy unique dishes with river fish caught from Yunishigawa River, along with deer and bear from the mountains. And then there is ochiudo ryori, or cuisine for defeated soldiers, where the food is cooked in a hearth in the center of a room. After relaxing your fatigue away in the bath, enjoy some filling and delicious food.
The winter landscape at Yunishigawa Onsen
Yunishigawa Onsen is a Historic Cultural Nightscape Heritage Site that boasts beautiful night scenery in Japan. Here, there are winter events such as the Kamakura Festival. At this annual festival, a magical atmosphere is created through the lighting of candles in the kamakura snow huts at night. During the day, there is tobogganing and barbecues held in the kamakura. The festival was held between January and March for 2015. Simply viewing the light of the candles within the pure white snow scenery is enough to warm the heart.