or simply Yunogō 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 ...

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 1,826,059 (1 February 2025) and has a geographic area of 7,114 Square kilometre, km2 (2,746 sq mi). Okayama Prefecture ...

Japan Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the Asia, Asian mainland, it is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan and extends from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea ...

. The waters of the Yunogo hot springs (

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 ...

in Japanese) are a mixture of

sodium chloride Sodium chloride , commonly known as Salt#Edible salt, edible salt, is an ionic compound with the chemical formula NaCl, representing a 1:1 ratio of sodium and chloride ions. It is transparent or translucent, brittle, hygroscopic, and occurs a ...

and

calcium chloride Calcium chloride is an inorganic compound, a Salt (chemistry), salt with the chemical formula . It is a white crystalline solid at room temperature, and it is highly soluble in water. It can be created by neutralising hydrochloric acid with cal ...

, 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 Herons are long-legged, long-necked, freshwater and coastal birds in the family Ardeidae, with 75 recognised species, some of which are referred to as egrets or bitterns rather than herons. Members of the genus ''Botaurus'' are referred to as bi ...

(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 Buddhadharma and Dharmavinaya, is an Indian religion and List of philosophies, philosophical tradition based on Pre-sectarian Buddhism, teachings attributed to the Buddha, a wandering teacher who lived in the 6th or ...

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 Watching - Early April - The night time cherry blossom watching bus tour to Tsuyama Castle (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 A music box (American English) or musical box (British English) is an automatic musical instrument in a box that produces Musical note, musical notes by using a set of pins placed on a revolving cylinder (geometry), cylinder or disc to pluck ...

- 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. Soy is a staple crop, the world's most grown legume, and an important animal feed. Soy is a key source of f ...

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 The is a railway line operated by West Japan Railway Company (JR West) connecting and in Okayama Prefecture, Japan. Stations All-stations and limited-stop services called operate over the line. In the "Rapid" column in the table below, "O ...

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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