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 ...

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 nemaki and talk with the owner. Ryokan have existed since the eighth century A.D. du ...

surrounded by

old growth forest An old-growth forest or primary forest is a forest that has developed over a long period of time without disturbance. Due to this, old-growth forests exhibit unique ecological features. The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Natio ...

s located along the Ohata River within

Shimokita Hanto Quasi-National Park Shimokita may refer to: * Shimokita District, Aomori * Shimokita Peninsula * JDS Shimokita, a Japanese ship * JS Shimokita, a ship operated by the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force * Shimokita (train) The is a "Rapid" limited-stop train servi ...

. The area includes a nationally-run

campground Campsite, campground, and camping pitch are all related terms regarding a place used for camping (an overnight stay in an outdoor area). The usage differs between British English and American English. In British English, a ''campsite'' is an ...

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 bus ...

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 r ...

East Japan Railway Company The is a major passenger railway company in Japan and 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 in ...

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 united all of Japan toward the end of the Sengoku period. His mother, Yodo-dono, was the niece of Oda Nobunaga. Early life Born in 1593, he was Hideyoshi's second ...

, 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 Physical object, object that can extend an individual's ability to modify features of the surrounding environment or help them accomplish a particular task. Although many Tool use by animals, animals use simple tools, only human bei ...

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