From Sightseeing to Local Cuisine: 8 Must-Do Activities at Yamaguchi’s Hidden Gem, Tawarayama Onsen
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Tawarayama Onsen, a retro hot spring town in Yamaguchi Prefecture, is famous for its healing public bath culture. Discover 8 must-try activities, from sightseeing to delicious local food!
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National hot spring resorts are designated by the Minister of the Environment under the Hot Springs Act as healthy hot spring resorts where the benefits of hot spring use are expected to be sufficient. 79 hot spring resorts have been designated nationwide (as of October 2024). National hot spring resorts are selected based on the following criteria. 1. Conditions regarding the quality and volume of hot spring water (1) The source of the hot spring water used must be a therapeutic spring. (2) The hot spring water used must have an abundant volume of water. The standard volume of water flow must be 0.5 liters per minute or more per hot spring user. 2. Conditions regarding the environment of the hot spring resort (1) The hot spring is suitable as a resort from the perspective of the natural environment, townscape, history, climate, culture, etc. (2) A plan for the placement of doctors who can provide guidance on proper hot spring use and health management from a medical perspective, or a plan for the placement or training policy of personnel who can provide guidance on bathing methods, etc. in cooperation with the doctors, must be established. (3) Appropriate efforts will be made to protect hot spring resources, manage the hygiene of hot springs, promote public use of hot springs, and take into consideration the elderly and disabled, etc. (4) Enhanced efforts to prevent disasters.
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Table of Contents
- 1. Enjoy the public baths "Machi no Yu" and "Shirozaru no Yu"
- 2. Stroll through the retro Showa-era atmosphere of the hot spring town
- 3. Experience nature through cycling
- 4. Mara Kannon: A shrine for praying for fertility and safe childbirth
- 5. Try the local specialty "Three Monkeys Manju"
- 6. Try local products and roasted coffee
- 7. Enjoy soba noodles and game dishes made with local ingredients
- 8. Stop by Nagato City's Popular Sightseeing Spots
- access
Please also read this article for information on recommended accommodations at Tawarayama Onsen and nearby tourist spots.
1. Enjoy the public baths "Machi no Yu" and "Shirozaru no Yu"
Tawarayama Onsen has been selected as a national health resort for its excellent spring quality. Instead of having indoor baths in its accommodations, the unique feature is that visitors use the public baths "Hakuen no Yu" and "Machi no Yu". This public bath hopping culture, along with a Showa retro atmosphere, provides visitors with a unique sense of relaxation.
Machi no Yu
"Machi no Yu" is a popular hot spring among local residents and is the origin of Tawarayama Onsen, which is bustling from early morning until late at night. It is an alkaline simple hot spring, and is characterized by its soft, transparent, colorless water. It is particularly effective for neuralgia, muscle pain, and joint pain, making it ideal for those who want to slowly relieve the fatigue of everyday life.
The baths are available from the morning for a reasonable fee, and the drinking spring spots within the facility are also popular! They are known for leaving your skin smooth after a bath.
Hakuen no Yu
"Hakuen no Yu" is one of the public baths alongside Machi no Yu, and its name comes from a white monkey that appears in legend. You can enjoy a free-flowing hot spring. The alkaline simple hot spring is gentle on the skin and is expected to have skin-beautifying effects.
In addition to the indoor bath, there is also an open-air bath surrounded by rocks, a foot bath, and a bath for pets, making it a popular, authentic public bathhouse.
2. Stroll through the retro Showa-era atmosphere of the hot spring town
This hot spring town stretches for about 300m and features an old-fashioned wooden inn and two public baths. You can enjoy the old-fashioned buildings and small shops as you walk along the street. After dusk, the lights come on in each inn, creating an even more retro atmosphere.
If you go down a small alley, you will come across the "Shokawa" river that runs through the center of the hot spring town, where you can feel the natural atmosphere that changes with the seasons. Along with the murmuring of the river, the whole hot spring town is enveloped in a nostalgic atmosphere... You will feel as if you have traveled back in time.
From late May to the end of June, it is also a great place to see fireflies. Unlike large-scale tourist destinations, the quiet and peaceful atmosphere here seems to enhance the charm of this hot spring resort.
3. Experience nature through cycling
Electric bicycles are available for rental at the Tawarayama Farmers' Market "Yukuri Club" and "Guesthouse Neruyama." Enjoy the surrounding nature while cycling through the tranquil scenery that is unique to hot spring resorts!
There are also cycling courses that will allow you to fully enjoy Tawarayama Onsen, so grab a map and head out! There are two courses available, each with a different length and different sightseeing spots.
Since it is an electric bicycle, it is safe even on hilly roads. Tawarayama Onsen is a place where nature shows its beautiful expressions in every season, and the silence of the mountains is soothing to the soul. The countryside that spreads out as far as the eye can see is breathtakingly beautiful. You can enjoy the fresh greenery in early summer and the autumn leaves in autumn.
4. Mara Kannon: A shrine for praying for fertility and safe childbirth
Tawarayama is home to a somewhat unique spot, the Mara Kannon.
Its origins are said to date back to an incident in which the surviving son of the Sengoku period feudal lord Ouchi Yoshitaka was captured and killed on Mt. Tawara, and the boy's penis was removed and taken away as proof that he was a boy. Feeling pity for this, the villagers built a shrine here.
Nowadays, it has become a place where many people visit to pray for fertility and safe childbirth.
5. Try the local specialty "Three Monkeys Manju"
The "Three Monkeys Manju", named after the legend of the white monkey who discovered Tawarayama Onsen, is a Japanese sweet made of fluffy castella cake filled with sweet bean paste.
They are carefully hand-baked one by one from early in the morning, making them the perfect souvenir. The freshly baked ones are especially delicious! Some customers even come early in the morning to buy the unwrapped buns. If you're lucky, you might even be able to find some freshly baked ones.
6. Try local products and roasted coffee
At the Tawarayama Agricultural Produce Direct Sales Shop "Yukuri Club," you can buy seasonal vegetables and processed foods brought by local farmers.
There is a wide selection of handmade processed goods and rare local foods. You can also purchase "Tawarayama Yuzu Tea" made from yuzu berries from Tawarayama and other Nagato City specialties here! You can also buy Fukuda Sengetsudo's Three Monkeys Buns and Tabeyama's bento lunches.
You can also purchase coffee from "Coffee & Roaster Yama," brewed with water from Tawarayama! Enjoy your cafe time and savour a cup of aromatic local coffee.
7. Enjoy soba noodles and game dishes made with local ingredients
At the restaurant "Tabeyama," you can enjoy handmade soba noodles and game dishes made with deer and wild boar from Tawarayama.
The gibier processed at Tawarayama is odorless and easy to eat. It is high in protein and low in calories, and even beginners can easily try it.
In addition to the tatami-mat tables, the restaurant also has terrace seating, allowing you to dine while feeling the refreshing natural surroundings. The restaurant also offers special seasonal menus that make full use of ingredients from Tawarayama.
8. Stop by Nagato City's Popular Sightseeing Spots
Savor local flavors at Senza Kitchen
Why not take a short trip from Tawarayama Onsen and stop by Senza Kitchen? Senza Kitchen is a roadside station in the Senzaki area of Nagato City, Yamaguchi Prefecture, and is Nagato's kitchen, stocked with fresh seafood, locally grown vegetables, and Yamaguchi specialties.
There are plenty of diverse dining experiences to choose from, including a market area where you can purchase fresh fish delivered directly from the fishing port, restaurants serving seafood and local cuisine, and even a food court where you can enjoy takeout food.
The Grill House inside the facility is a self-service barbecue restaurant where you can bring in anything you buy at the roadside station Senza Kitchen. You can also buy freshly caught seafood and have it made into sashimi!
This time, you can purchase high-quality ingredients such as squid, abalone, and turban shells at bargain prices and grill them yourself! Another great thing about this experience is that you can enjoy watching your food being cooked while looking out over Senzaki Bay.
There is also a souvenir corner with a wide selection of local sake, including "Dassai," a famous sake that represents Yamaguchi Prefecture. There are also many unique Yamaguchi specialties that can only be tasted locally, so you can enjoy choosing souvenirs that are unique to the prefecture.
This is also brought into the grill house and enjoyed with freshly grilled seafood.
Don't forget to take photos at Motonosumi Shrine!
Located about 40 minutes from Senza Kitchen, the popular tourist spot "Motonosumi Shrine" is an attractive shrine with a beautiful view of 123 red torii gates lined up against the backdrop of the Sea of Japan. Built in 1955, it is said to bring good luck in business, good catches, and love.
The shrine standing on the cliff and the view of the torii gates line the mountain are popular photo spots, and are a popular spot visited by many foreign visitors to Japan. The scenery of the blue skies that spreads from summer to autumn is particularly beautiful, but the white waves of winter are also a great season for photography.
The "offering" challenge, which involves throwing coins into the offering box placed at the top of the approximately 6m-high torii gate, is highly challenging, and is famous for the large number of worshippers who take on the challenge, both to test their luck and to pray for overcoming the challenge.
I tried several times but unfortunately I couldn't get in... I encourage everyone to give it a try.
access
We recommend accessing Tawarayama Onsen by bus or rental car.
If you take the bus, you will need to transfer several times, so it is important to check the schedule in advance.
If you are traveling by bus from Yamaguchi Ube Airport (same applies if you are traveling by bus from Shin-Yamaguchi Station)
First, take a bus from the airport to Shin-Yamaguchi Station (about 30 minutes).
After arriving at Shin-Yamaguchi Station, take the direct bus from Nagato City to Shin-Yamaguchi Station to Senza Kitchen.
You can board the bus without a reservation if there is availability, but we recommend making a reservation in advance via the web or phone. (The ride takes about 1 hour and 30 minutes.)
To get to Tawarayama Onsen from Senza Kitchen, take the Sanden Bus (approximately 40 minutes) or a taxi (reservation required).
There is only one bus per day, but if it fits your schedule, we recommend the Nagato Sightseeing Taxi. Please note that reservations must be made at least one day in advance and that it is a shared taxi.
If traveling by bus from Yamaguchi Ube Airport (Friday, Saturday, Sunday, Monday)
A direct bus runs from the airport to Senza Kitchen only on Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays and Mondays. There are only two buses a day, but the fare is 3,500 yen for adults one way. (The ride takes about 1 hour and 30 minutes.)
If you are planning to travel on Friday, Saturday, Sunday or Monday, we recommend using this service.
If you are coming from Fukuoka by bus
There is a direct bus called "Otozurego" (reservation required) that runs from Hakata Station or Fukuoka Tenjin Bus Terminal to Nagato City and Senza Kitchen. It runs once a day (days of operation may vary) and costs 4,000 yen one way and 7,000 yen round trip (available only online).
National hot spring resorts are designated by the Minister of the Environment under the Hot Springs Act as healthy hot spring resorts where the benefits of hot spring use are expected to be sufficient. 79 hot spring resorts have been designated nationwide (as of October 2024). National hot spring resorts are selected based on the following criteria. 1. Conditions regarding the quality and volume of hot spring water (1) The source of the hot spring water used must be a therapeutic spring. (2) The hot spring water used must have an abundant volume of water. The standard volume of water flow must be 0.5 liters per minute or more per hot spring user. 2. Conditions regarding the environment of the hot spring resort (1) The hot spring is suitable as a resort from the perspective of the natural environment, townscape, history, climate, culture, etc. (2) A plan for the placement of doctors who can provide guidance on proper hot spring use and health management from a medical perspective, or a plan for the placement or training policy of personnel who can provide guidance on bathing methods, etc. in cooperation with the doctors, must be established. (3) Appropriate efforts will be made to protect hot spring resources, manage the hygiene of hot springs, promote public use of hot springs, and take into consideration the elderly and disabled, etc. (4) Enhanced efforts to prevent disasters.
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