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Yunomine Onsen (湯の峰温泉)
Yunomine is a quaint cluster of inns tucked into a small valley deep in the sacred mountains of Kumano. The waters here are said to change color seven times over the course of a day.
Discovered around 1,800 years ago, Yunomine Onsen is thought to be one of Japan’s oldest hot springs. It is an integral part of the Kumano pilgrimage tradition, which spans more than 1,000 years. After their long journey, pilgrims performed hot-water purification rituals in these piping-hot mineral waters before worshipping at Kumano Hongu Taisha.
Japan’s onsen culture is rich, but Yunomine’s profound link to spiritual practice is exceptional. Two sections of the Kumano Kodo have trailheads here—Akagi-goe and Dainichi-goe—making it a popular base for walkers. Hot-water ablutions are still performed today during the spring festival of Kumano Hongu Taisha.
Yuzutsu (湯筒)
At the public hot-spring cooking basin known as “Yuzutsu”, located in the center of Yunomine Onsen town, 90°C spring water wells up. Here, you can boil eggs and vegetables—and in autumn, you can also boil chestnuts.
The stone statue “Yuzutsu Jizo” protects the Yuzutsu. This Jizo is also known as “Kodakara Jizo (Child-giving Jizo)”, as it is said that women who used Yunomine Onsen were blessed with children.
General Information
- Address: 112 Hongucho Yunomine, Tanabe, Wakayama , Japan
- Hours: 05:00–22:00
Ease of Access
Take a Ryujin Bus from JR Kii-Tanabe Station (about 1 hr. 20 min.), or take a Kumano Kotsu Bus or Nara Kotsu Bus from Shingu Station (about 1 hr.) and get off at Yunomine Onsen.
Location
Kumano Hongu Onsen Village, set in the mountains of Kumano in Wakayama Prefecture, is known for three hot springs: Yunomine Onsen, Kawayu Onsen, and Wataze Onsen. This area is home to the World Heritage site Kumano Hongu Taisha Grand Shrine. It’s an ideal place to enjoy historic hot springs as well as hiking along the Kumano Kodo trails, in beautiful terrain shaped by surrounding rivers.
Yunomine Onsen Village
Often referred to as Japan’s oldest spa, Yunomine Onsen village lies in the sacred mountains of Kumano in Wakayama Prefecture, Honshu. The village was built on a natural hot spring where the waters are naturally heated up to 90°C.
High quantities of sulphur in the water create myriad colors on the rocks and contribute to the water’s medicinal properties. Along the riverside, just below the Yunomine Onsen bus stop, is the Yuzutsu basin, which the public can use to cook food. Boiling eggs in the bubbling water is a tradition. Fresh eggs can be purchased at a souvenir shop across the bridge from the basin. Plunging the cooked eggs into the cold running stream cools them down, ready for eating. Sansai mountain vegetables and many other foods can also be cooked here. Yunomine village also forms part of two of the Kumano Kodo Pilgrimage Routes.
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