Oyasukyo Great Fountain | The sight of steam spewing out from everywhere is like something out of a movie! [Akita Prefecture]

Along National Route 398 near the border between Miyagi, Iwate, and Akita prefectures, there is a hot spring spot that is rare nationwide, but where bathing is prohibited

Located in Yuzawa City, Akita Prefecture, the Oyasukyo Great Fountain is a fantastical scenic spot where, as its name suggests, clouds of steam rise up!

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What is Oyasukyo Great Fountain?

The rapids of the upper reaches of the Minase River, a tributary of the Omono River, have eroded both banks deeply over the years, forming Oyasu The Oyasu Gorge Great Fountainhead geothermal reservoirs filled with steam and hot water are in the walls on both sides of the Minase River, and cracks leading to these reservoirs have been exposed by the erosion of the Minase River.

It is part of Kurikoma Quasi-National Park is certified as a geosite in Yuzawa Geopark

Not only can you see steam rising from everywhere, but in some places you can even see hot water nearly 100 degrees spurting out, making this a rare tourist spot even on a national level

According to the information board on site, the Edo period travel writer Sugae Masumi also visited the area and wrote in his Takamatsu Diary "there was a tremendous sound like the echo of a thunder god and the hot water gushed out like water bursting," and further wrote "the hot water gushed up 9 to 12 meters, crossed the river and hit the rocks on the other side..." so it's easy to imagine that the force of the hot water gushing out during the Edo period was even more incredible than it is today.

By the way, the locals call "karafuke"

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Access to Oyasukyo Great Fountain

Access to Oyasu Gorge is generally by car, so we recommend using the Daifunyu parking lot at the Minase Tourist and Souvenir Center

The parking lot is spacious enough that you can easily park even during the busiest autumn foliage season, so you should be able to park without any problems. It's conveniently located right next to the downstream entrance to the Oyasukyo Great Hot Spring!

There are two entrances

The Great Fountain has two entrances, one upstream and one downstream.

The stairs on the upstream side are fairly long and straight, while the stairs on the downstream side start opposite the large parking lot of the tourist souvenir shop and are a relatively gentle, winding staircase

Access from the parking lot is good, so this time we used the downstream entrance

Although it is a relatively gentle slope, it is still quite strenuous as it is a staircase that descends into the valley.... There are walking sticks available to borrow at the entrance, so if you are not confident, please use them! Don't forget to return them!

I borrowed two and used them like trekking poles. It was so convenient!

The first half of the trail is a relatively gentle staircase as shown in the photo, but the descent becomes increasingly steeper in the second half

As we descended, we could see many waterfalls, large and small, and it seemed like water was gushing out from everywhere

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Finally, we head to the Oyasukyo Great Fountain

It takes about 10 minutes from the Daifunyu parking lot to reach the promenade that runs right next to the hot spring. You can see faint steam in the foreground, but once you've climbed the stairs, you can see the steam rising up into the air

There are only a limited number of places where you can view the gorge using the walking trails, but the gorge itself is 60m deep and 8km long

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A mysterious and breathtaking view that makes you feel like you've wandered into the world of a movie or story!

Once you reach the top of the stairs, you will first see the rocky area on the left across the river, with hot water constantly dripping and steam rising from it

If you look to the right, you'll see hot water gushing out with incredible force! The water is so powerful that it reaches the promenade

It looks like this when zoomed in. It's a shame the sound can't be conveyed, but it's quite a roar. It's more like a roar than a whoosh

Depending on the level of the eruption, everything in front of you may turn white and you may not be able to proceed. In fact, when I went, the area near the steam was quite hot and I felt a little unsafe. Depending on the day, you may need to turn back rather than forcing your way through.

Unlike hot springs, the sight of hot water gushing out from all over the natural valley is truly mysterious, and it's like the breath of nature, or the greatness of the Earth...it's an overwhelming sight

You will feel as if you have wandered into the world of a movie or story

By the way, when the river floods due to heavy rain, it looks like the image above. It's wise to just give up on bad weather

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The view of the large hot spring from the nearby Kawarayu Bridge is also great!

Once you return to the parking lot, head to the nearby Kawarayu Bridge, where you can look down on the Daifunyu promenade you just walked along

The contrast between the trees in the valley and the steam rising from the abyss has a different charm when seen up close!

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Oyasukyo Daifunto <Information>

• Name: Oyasukyo Daifunto
• Address: Minase Shinsho, Yuzawa City, Akita Prefecture, 012-0183
• Phone number: 0183-47-5080 (Yuzawa City Tourism and Products Association)
• Official URL: Yuzawa City Official Tourism Site "Yuzawa Tabi"

Google Map

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summary

This time we introduced Oyasukyo Daifunto, a famous spot in Yuzawa City, Akita Prefecture. It is popular during the autumn foliage season, but you can enjoy its different charms all year round

One of the attractions is that Oyasukyo Onsen located just upstream

As mentioned above, a risk of flooding , so be sure to check the weather before visiting!

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