is a

hot spring A hot spring, hydrothermal spring, or geothermal spring is a Spring (hydrology), spring produced by the emergence of Geothermal activity, geothermally heated groundwater onto the surface of the Earth. The groundwater is heated either by shallow ...

(''

onsen In Japan, are hot springs and the bathing facilities and Ryokan (inn), traditional inns around them. There are approximately 25,000 hot spring sources throughout Japan, and approximately 3,000 ''onsen'' establishments use naturally hot water ...

'') resort on the edge of Nanao Bay at the base of the Noto Peninsula in Nanao,

Ishikawa Prefecture is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located in the Chūbu region of Honshu island. Ishikawa Prefecture has a population of 1,096,721 (1 January 2025) and has a geographic area of 4,186 Square kilometre, km2 (1,616 sq mi). Ishikawa Pr ...

, 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 Kammu, moved the capital of Japan to Heian-kyō (modern Kyoto). means in Japanese. It is a ...

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

Meiji period The was 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 colonizatio ...

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 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, ...

Nanao Line 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