| Shuzenji Onsen | |
|---|---|
 The Hot Springs of Shuzen Temple, 1853 woodcut by Utagawa Hiroshige, Part of the series Famous Places in the Sixty-odd Provinces, No. 14 (Tōkaidō group) | |
| Location | Izu Province, Shizuoka, Japan |
| Coordinates | 34°58′16″N138°55′44″E / 34.971°N 138.929°E Coordinates: 34°58′16″N138°55′44″E / 34.971°N 138.929°E |
| Elevation | 308 feet [1] |
Shuzenji Onsen is a geothermal spring system in the Tagata District of Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan, in the central region of Izu Peninsula.
The hot springs have been used for over fourteen centuries [2] for their therapeutic properties. [3] Folklore tales describe the discovery and founding of the hot springs by Kobo Daishi (774-835), a Buddhist monk who probed at the rocks in the river with his walking stick (tokko) releasing the hot spring water. [4] The historical town that was built up around the geothermal system was also called Shuzenji, however it has since merged into the city of Izu.
Tokko-no-yu is the best known hot spring in the system; it is located between the banks of the Katsura River in the middle of Shuzen town. A small rustic open-air public bath house has been built above the spring containing an ashiyu or foot spa. [2] [5] Kawara-no-yu is a hot spring in the system that is used as a public foot bath; it is located at the riverside. [6] There are numerous commercial spa hotels and historic ryokan in the area, as well as Hakoyu, the public bathhouse. [7]
The onsen system is part of the Amagi volcanic mountain range. [8] In Japan, more than 27,000 hot spring sources exist, many of which, including Shuzenji Onsen have been developed into onsen towns. [3]
Shizuoka Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan located in the Chūbu region of Honshu. As of December 2019, Shizuoka Prefecture has a population of 3,637,998 and has a geographic area of 7,777.42 km2 (3,002.88 sq mi). Shizuoka Prefecture borders Kanagawa Prefecture to the east, Yamanashi Prefecture to the northeast, Nagano Prefecture to the north, and Aichi Prefecture to the west.
In Japan, onsen are the country's hot springs and the bathing facilities and traditional inns around them. As a volcanically active country, Japan has many onsens scattered throughout all of its major islands.
Atami is a city located in Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan. As of 1 May 2019, the city had an estimated population of 36,865 in 21,593 households and a population density of 600 persons per km². The total area of the city is 61.78 square kilometres (23.85 sq mi).
Itō is a city located on the eastern shore of the Izu Peninsula in Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan. As of 31 July 2019, the city had an estimated population of 68,773 in 36,717 households and a population density of 550 persons per km². The total area was 124.13 square kilometres (47.93 sq mi).
Beppu is a city in Ōita Prefecture on the island of Kyushu, Japan. As of March 31, 2017, the city had a population of 122,643 and a population density of 980/km2 (2,500/sq mi). The total area is 125.13 km2 (48.31 sq mi). Beppu is famous for its hot springs.
The Izu peninsula is a large mountainous peninsula with a deeply indented coastline to the west of Tokyo on the Pacific coast of the island of Honshū, Japan. Formerly known as Izu Province, Izu peninsula is now a part of Shizuoka Prefecture. The peninsula has an area of 1,421.24 km2 (548.74 sq mi) and its estimated population in 2005 was 473,942 people. The peninsula’s populated areas are located primarily on the north and east.
Higashiizu is a town located in Kamo District, Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan. As of 30 June 2019, the town had an estimated population of 12,155 in 6264 households, and a population density of 160 persons per km². The total area of the town is 77.83 square kilometres (30.05 sq mi).
Kawazu is a town located on the east coast of Izu Peninsula in Kamo District, Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan. As of 1 August 2019, the town had an estimated population of 7,203 in 3334 households, and a population density of 71 persons per km². The total area of the town is 100.79 square kilometres (38.92 sq mi). The town is noted for its Kawazu sakura, a variety of early-blooming sakura.
Minamiizu is a town located at the southern tip of Izu Peninsula in Kamo District, Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan. As of 1 July 2019, the town had an estimated population of 8,231 in 3895 households, and a population density of 74 persons per km². The total area of the town is 110.58 square kilometres (42.70 sq mi)
Izu is a city located in central Izu Peninsula in Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan. As of 1 April 2019, the city had an estimated population of 30,678 in 13,390 households, and a population density of 84 persons per km2. The total area of the city was 363.97 square kilometres (140.53 sq mi).
Izunokuni is a city located in Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan. As of 10 July 2019, the city had an estimated population of 48,579 in 21,257 households and a population density of 506 persons per km2. The total area of the city is 94.62 square kilometres (36.53 sq mi).
Shuzenji was a town located in Tagata District, Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan, in central Izu Peninsula.
Izu-Ōkawa Station is a railway station in the town of Higashiizu, Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan, operated by the privately owned Izu Kyūkō Line.
Shuzenji Station is a railway station located in the city of Izu, Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan operated by the private railroad company Izuhakone Railway.
Takanoyu Onsen (鷹の湯温泉) is one of several hot springs in the Akinomiya Hot Springs area of the city of Yuzawa, in southern Akita Prefecture. The onsen is nestled in a small gorge along the banks of the Yakunai River. Because of its secluded location, it is referred to as a Hitou, or hidden hot spring.
The Izu-Jūkan Expressway is an incomplete two-lane national expressway in Shizuoka Prefecture. It is owned and operated primarily by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (MLIT), but has a short section maintained and tolled by the Central Nippon Expressway Company at its northern terminus with the Tōmei Expressway. The route is signed E70 under MLIT's "2016 Proposal for Realization of Expressway Numbering."
Mine Onsen, also known by the name of the public bathhouse facility, Odoriko Onsen, is a geothermal hot spring located in Daifunto park, Kawazu, Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan. The hot springs are accessible from Tokyo on the Odoriko or the Super View Odoriko train lines.
Hakone Onsen, or Hakone Hot Springs, is a general term for numerous thermal spas located in the town of Hakone, Ashigarashimo District, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan, an area formerly known as Sagami Province. Situated about 90 km southwest of Tokyo and 60 kilometers east-southeast of Mt. Fuji, it is one of the most popular hot spring resorts in central Japan. At least twenty hot spring spring resorts exist around Mt. Hakone, an area that is designated as part of the Fuji Hakone Izu National Park.