[Miyagi] A fusion of nature and culture in Akiu! Heal your body and mind at the Tenshukaku Natural Park!

Akiu is Sendai's hot spring resort.
The charm of Akiu is that you can enjoy beautiful scenery in every season.
While the natural scenery of Rairaikyo Gorge and Akiu Otaki Waterfall is wonderful, why not take the opportunity to stroll through the gardens that have been created by both nature and humans?

Located further inland from Akiu Onsen is Tenshukaku Nature Park, a park where the beauty of nature has been further enhanced by humans. This time, we will introduce Tenshukaku Nature Park!

What is Tenshukaku Nature Park?

Although it has the name Tenshukaku, it does not mean that there was a castle here.
Sadashige, the third head of the Baba clan, a branch of the Akiu clan, a powerful clan in Miyagi Prefecture, built a "mansion" as an important military location around where Tenshukaku Nature Park is now.
In other words, there was no castle there, but rather the park was built on the site of a "mansion" that functioned like a castle, hence the name Tenshukaku Nature Park.

There are many attractions in Tenshukaku Nature Park, such as the Koyatate Ruins Garden, Ichitaro no Yu, and an auto camping site.
If you're feeling tired from modern life, it might be a good idea to come here for some relaxation!

Koyadate Ruins Garden

The remains of the mansion that served as the castle tower are now open to the public as a garden.
The Akiu stone garden, which makes use of the natural landscape, is an overwhelming sight to behold, and the contrast with the Nishikigoi carp swimming gracefully in the beautiful pond surrounding it is a true collaboration of culture and nature.
Over 100 plum trees and 500 maple trees grow around the pond, and in the spring and autumn many visitors come to enjoy the beautiful scenery.
The Akiu Night Museum, where the maple trees are lit up in the fall, is especially popular.

There are two footbaths in the garden, where you can easily enjoy the hot waters of Akiu Onsen.
There is a small mini footbath near the entrance, but don't be satisfied with just that.

"Yakata no Yu," located in the latter half of the garden, is a magnificent foot bath located in a spectacular spot.
While soothing your tired feet after a stroll through the park, you can also soothe your soul by gazing at the magnificent nature.
This is what it means to heal both body and soul!

Since you're here, we recommend enjoying both foot baths!

Ichitaro no Yu

Akiu Onsen is not all about the hot spring inns around it.
There are also other hot springs that are full of charm that you can never experience at a hot spring in a ryokan.
That is Ichitaro no Yu.

Ichitaro no Yu is a day-trip hot spring located within Tenshukaku Nature Park.
The indoor bath, made of cypress wood and bathed in bright sunlight, is a proud large bath filled with a rich fragrance and a sense of openness.
Meanwhile, the open-air bath offers the charm of the four seasons against the backdrop of the beautiful Koyadate Ruins Garden.

In particular, the view from the open-air bath is something you can never experience in a hot spring town, so be sure to try it out when you visit!
Admission is a separate fee, but if you pay the admission fee to Ichitaro-no-Yu, admission to Koyadate Garden is free, so if you want to enjoy both, just pay the admission fee to Ichitaro-no-Yu!

Other attractions!

There are many other recommended spots in Tenshukaku Nature Park.
The auto camping site, which can be enjoyed from April to October, has 19 tent sites, and you can even rent a stone oven for pizza for a fee.
There is also an open-air bath exclusively for guests, so you can quickly soothe your camping fatigue!

At the sister facility "Kinoie," there is a coffee shop, a pottery shop, an Akiu handicraft shop, and a lodge village, where you can purchase pottery and miscellaneous goods made by Akiu artisans. If you bring a combined admission ticket for the lodge village and auto campground, you will be happy to know that the price of Ichitaro no Yu is discounted!

There are many other attractions in Tenshukaku Nature Park, including soba restaurants and cafes.
If you feel like getting away from your daily life and being healed by nature, head to Akiu right away!
The scenery of each season awaits you!

INFORMATION

Chimon

A thin-haired writer who loves traveling and laughter.
A nice guy who hides thinning hair by shaving his hair!
I will run north and south to make Tohoku smile with my writing!

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