This site is a web media that delivers all kinds of trivia, from sightseeing and gourmet spots in the six Tohoku prefectures to local, customs, and history.
Tsuruoka City is home to four hot spring resorts designated as national health resorts: Yutagawa Onsen, Atsumi Onsen, Yunohama Onsen, and Yura Onsen
National hot spring resorts are designated by the Ministry of the Environment as hot spring resorts that meet various criteria suitable for a health resort. As of the end of 2022, 79 hot spring resorts have been designated nationwide, with Tsuruoka City having four, the most of any city or town in Japan
National hot spring resorts are designated by the Minister of the Environment in accordance with the Hot Springs Act as hot spring resorts where the benefits of hot spring use are expected to be substantial and which are utilized as healthy health resorts in order to promote public use of hot springs
The designation criteria are generally based on the following criteria:
Section 1: Conditions regarding hot spring quality and flow rate
The source of the hot spring water used must be a therapeutic spring
The hot spring to be used must have an abundant flow rate, with a standard flow rate of at least 0.5 liters per minute per person
Section 2: Conditions regarding the hot spring area environment, etc
It must be suitable as a resort area in terms of its natural environment, townscape, history, climate, culture, etc
There must be an established plan for the placement of doctors who can provide medical advice on proper hot spring use and health management, or a plan or training policy for the placement of personnel who can provide guidance on bathing techniques in cooperation with such doctors
Appropriate efforts will be made to protect hot spring resources, manage hot spring hygiene, promote public use of hot springs, and take into consideration the elderly and disabled
There are substantial efforts to prevent disasters
There are eight designated national hot spring resorts in Yamagata Prefecture
In addition to the four locations in Tsuruoka City, Yamagata Prefecture also has Zao Onsen (Yamagata City), Ginzan Onsen (Obanazawa City), Goten Onsen (Murayama City), and Hijiori Onsen (Okura Village), which is also the most designated hot springs of any prefecture in Japan
Yudagawa Onsen, the inner sanctum of Tsuruoka, convenient for visiting the Dewa Sanzan mountains
Yutagawa Onsen is a hot spring nestled in the mountains near the center of Tsuruoka City, and was designated a national health resort hot spring in 2015. Known as the inner sanctum of Tsuruoka, it was a popular recreational spot for Shonai feudal lords during the feudal domain era, and was especially popular during the off-season as a therapeutic hot spring resort for farmers
The hot springs are said to have first been discovered around 1,300 years ago, and there is a legend about a badly injured egret that healed its wounds there. The springs are sodium and calcium sulfate springs that are clear, colorless, tasteless, and odorless, with a source temperature of 42.2°C, making them relatively warm and soft with little irritation. The hot springs have a single source and a plentiful flow of 1,000 liters per minute , and are centrally managed. The hot spring facilities include six hot spring inns, two day-trip bathing facilities, and a foot bath, where you can enjoy the fresh hot spring water directly from the source.
Yunohama Onsen is a hot spring resort located along the Sea of Japan in central Tsuruoka City, and was designated as a national hot spring resort in 2018. The hot spring's history dates back 1,000 years ago, when it was discovered when a turtle was healing its wounds on the seashore.
The water is a sodium-calcium chloride spring, slightly alkaline and rich in minerals from the Sea of Japan, making it a high-quality hot spring that warms you up nicely. There are six hot spring sources, which are centrally managed and distributed to each facility. There are 17 hot spring facilities, including 11 hot spring hotels, 4 guesthouses, and 2 day-use bathing facilities. There are also foot baths and drinking fountains. This is also the birthplace of surfing in Japan (there is a record of surfing at Yunohama in an Edo period diary), and there are plenty of activities to enjoy, including marine sports and yoga on the sandy beach.
Hot spring facilities line the sandy beach, with the Sea of Japan stretching out before you. The sunset over the horizon is particularly impressive. Nearby are the Kamo Aquarium,Zenpoji Temple known as the temple dedicated to the dragon god of the sea, and Kamo Port, which flourished as a port of call for Kitamaebune ships from the Edo to Meiji periods and still retains many old buildings. It also has easy access to the center of Tsuruoka City and the Dewa Sanzan mountains, making it a popular hot spring spot year-round as a base for sightseeing in Tsuruoka.
Yunohama Onsen <Information>
Name: Yunohama Onsen
Address: 1 Yunohama, Tsuruoka City, Yamagata Prefecture
Access: By train: Approximately 40 minutes by bus from Tsuruoka Station on the JR Uetsu Main Line to Yunohama Onsen. By car: Approximately 10 minutes on National Route 112 from Shonai Airport IC on the Nihonkai Tohoku Expressway
Google Map
Yura Onsen, where the legend of Prince Hachiko's Yaotome, the founder of Mount Haguro, remains
Yura Onsen is a resort-style hot spring resort overlooking the beautiful scenery of Yura Coast, which has been selected as one of Japan's Top 100 Beaches and Japan's Top 100 Comfortable Bathing Beaches (selected by the Ministry of the Environment), and where Prince Hachiko, the founder of Mt. Haguro, is said to have landed. It will be designated as a national hot spring resort in 2022 (Reiwa 4), and the water quality is sodium-calcium sulfate spring, with a source temperature of 59°C. There are eight hot spring facilities, including hot spring inns and guesthouses.
The "Yaotome Legend" is a legend about the founding of Mount Haguro, in which Prince Hachiko, who was drifting off the coast of Yura, was beckoned to the beach of Yura by eight young women playing flutes from atop a rock, and was then guided to Mount Haguro by a three-legged crow
Yura Coast is a swimming beach, and is connected to Hakusan Island, located about 50 meters offshore, by a vermilion bridge. The sunset over Hakusan Island and the Sea of Japan seen from the coast is a must-see.
Access: Train: Get off at Atsumi Onsen Station on the Uetsu Main Line, then take the bus bound for Yunohama Onsen for approximately 40 minutes. Car: Take the Nihonkai Tohoku Expressway, exit at Shonai Airport IC, and take National Route 112 for approximately 20 minutes
Google Map
Atsumi Onsen boasts an abundant flow of 1,300 liters per minute
Atsumi Onsen is a hot spring with a history of about 1,200 years, located on the Sea of Japan side near the border with Niigata Prefecture. During the Edo period, it flourished as a hot spring for the Shonai domain
The Atsumi River flows through the center of Atsumi Onsen, and although it is only a few hundred meters from the coastline, its unique topography means that it is surrounded by mountains, making it a place blessed with both sea and mountains and a rich natural environment
The spring is a sodium-calcium chloride sulfate spring. It is colorless and transparent, with a slight hydrogen sulfide smell and a salty taste. It was designated as a national hot spring resort in 2019 (the first year of the Reiwa era). There are three wells at the source, with a temperature of around 59°C (a mixture of the three springs), and an abundant flow rate of 1,300 liters per minute
The hot spring facilities include seven hot spring inns, one day-trip hot spring facility, and one foot bath. The morning market held in the hot spring town has a history of about 300 years and is a specialty of Atsumi Onsen. Atsumi turnips, a specialty of the Atsumi region, are still grown using the traditional slash-and-burn farming method, and the traditional dish of pickled turnips is a staple dish at inns and a popular souvenir.
Nezugaseki, close to Atsumi Onsen, is home to many historical heritage sites, including Nezugaseki (also known as Nenjugaseki), a checkpoint on the border between Echigo Province (Niigata Prefecture) and Dewa Province (Yamagata Prefecture and Akita Prefecture), and Nezugaseki Beach, where Minamoto no Yoshitsune is said to have landed
Atsumi Onsen <Information>
Name: Atsumi Onsen
Location: Yuon, Tsuruoka City, Yamagata Prefecture
Access: Train: JR Uetsu Main Line, Atsumi Onsen Station. Car: Approximately 5 minutes from Atsumi Onsen IC on the Nihonkai Expressway
Google Map
Tsuruoka's hot spring inns boast a variety of cuisines that will satisfy everyone
The attractions of Yutagawa Onsen, Yunohama Onsen, Yura Onsen, and Atsumi Onsen are the hot springs and the relaxing environment , but another feature common to all four hot spring resorts is the excellent cuisine, which uses the finest ingredients such as traditional Tsuruoka vegetables, seafood from the Sea of Japan, and Yamagata beef.
The dishes, which combine tradition and innovation and are made with care by our chefs, are sure to satisfy anyone as the flavors that represent Tsuruoka, a UNESCO Creative City of Gastronomy
My love of travel grew, and I used to write a travel magazine, and now I'm a travel writer for the web. During my research, I visited all 47 prefectures in Japan, mainly in the Tohoku region, but my fun part is soaking in hot springs and experiencing traditional Japanese culture such as old townscapes, lifestyles, and performing arts and crafts.
![3809167_m](data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAJYAAACWAQAAAAAUekxPAAAAAnRSTlMAAHaTzTgAAAAaSURBVEjH7cExAQAAAMKg9U9tDQ+gAACAdwMLuAABXZHjmQAAAABJRU5ErkJggg== ""Negaseki" is one of the three ancient Oshu sekies that surpasses Minamoto Yoshitsune and Matsuo Basho [Tsuruoka City, Yamagata Prefecture]")
![3809167_m](https://jp.neft.asia/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/3809167_m-150x150.jpg.webp ""Negaseki" is one of the three ancient Oshu sekies that surpasses Minamoto Yoshitsune and Matsuo Basho [Tsuruoka City, Yamagata Prefecture]")
