Tazawa and Kutsukake Onsen

Tazawa Onsen is located in the mountains of Mt. Jukanzan, and is a hot spring resort with a historical atmosphere, such as Yukawa's murmuring, lattice door inns, stately gates, and white-walled storehouses. The hot spring is also old, and it is said that it was discovered in the latter half of the Asuka period by a practitioner named Yaku Ozu. A young Shimazaki Toson also stayed there to formulate ideas for his novel, and introduced it as a mountain country-like hot spring in "Sketch of the Chikuma River." The hot springs are also famous as 'children's hot springs', and there is a legend that a long time ago, a mountain witch came to the hot springs to cure the demons of Mt. Oe and give birth to Sakata Kintoki. As you can see from the legend, it is very effective for women, and it is said that women who have no children can take a bath for 37 days, and women who have little milk can take a bath for 27 days. It is called Nyuyu. Kutsukake Onsen is said to have been opened in the Heian period, when Prince Shigeno, the provincial governor, had an eye problem and was completely cured. It is also called ``Kokura no Yu'' because Mt. Fushindake resembles Mt. Ogura in Kyoto. There is a rustic communal bath where local wives wash freshly picked vegetables and wild plants in the washing area using hot spring water. In spring, the rows of cherry blossom trees along the mountain path leading to the hot springs are in full bloom, creating a unique beauty in the rustic scenery of the mountain village. Here, you can feel the tranquility and fresh air, completely alienated from the noise of the city.