Yutagawa Onsen

Located on the Sea of Japan side of Yamagata Prefecture, this hot spring area is representative of the Shonai region, which is famous for its rice. Opened in 712, it is one of the oldest hot springs in the Tohoku region with a history of 1,300 years. It has long been known as "Shonai Tagawa no Yu", and has always been ranked high in the east in hot spring rankings that have been published many times since the Edo period. It is thought that the area was very popular as a hot spring resort for people in the neighborhood to refresh themselves during the Dewa Sanzan pilgrimage. The temperature of the source is around 43 degrees Celsius, which is rather lukewarm, and is said to be effective not only in treating arteriosclerosis, diabetes, gout, etc., but also in relieving stress by stimulating the parasympathetic nerves.