VISIT KANAZAWA, JAPAN - Official Travel Guide

This hot spring resort is located in a mountainous area surrounded by greenery. It has a long history, and is said to have been discovered in 718.

During the feudal era, successive lords of the Kaga Domain also used to visit this hot spring resort in Kanazawa.

Recently, the area has served as a model for an anime stage, and the Yuwaku Bonbori Festival, named after the festival that appeared in the anime, is held every year in October.

It is said that in 718, a farmer from the nearby area discovered this hot spring when he saw an egret healing itself in the spring. During the period of feudal rule, successive lords of the Kaga Clan and their families used the hot spring regularly, and its efficacy often cured and restored people's health. It is said that in recognition of this, the owner of the bathhouse was given special permission to assume the family name and carry a sword, a privilege granted to samurai.

At the beginning of the Taisho era (1912-1926), it was exhibited as one of the best springs in Japan at the Universal Exhibition of Fountains held in Germany, based on the recommendation of the Ministry of Home Affairs at that time, and the quality of the spring was recognized. Since then, the spa has been visited by many writers and artists, and is also known as the "hot spring of romance" where Yumeji Takehisa, a Taisho era poet known for his unique paintings of beautiful women, spent his days in bliss with his favorite woman, Hikono.

Historic buildings that still carry the vestiges of Kaga Hyakumangoku of the Edo period are open to the public. Divided into two zones, the farmhouse zone and the machiya/samurai house zone, the buildings provide visitors with easy-to-understand explanations of the lifestyle and way of life in those days. All of the buildings in the park are nationally designated important cultural properties or valuable tangible cultural properties of Ishikawa Prefecture and Kanazawa City. Monthly events are held in the private houses, such as demonstrations of traditional handicraft making, allowing visitors to experience traditional Kanazawa and other traditional events.

As Yuwaku Onsen Town is a hot spring resort, there are many hot spring hotels lining the streets.

Why not take a relaxing soak in the hot springs of history and romance while feasting on Kaga cuisine that uses an abundance of seafood from the sea and the mountains?

Located deep in the Yuwaku hot spring resort area, "Gyokusen-ko Lake" has a tranquil setting, and visitors can enjoy a quiet stroll along the lakeside.

An "＊Himuro(Ice hut)" still exists along the shores of this lake, and records show that the Kaga Clan used to transport the ice they dug out of the Himuro every summer to Edo(present Tokyo), far away from Kanazawa, to be presented to the Tokugawa Generals in Edo(Tokyo).

Even today, the "Himuro-no-Yukizume (Snow Packing)" event is held in January and the "Himuro Opening" event in June.

*Himuro... facility that functions as a cold storage facility by storing ice and snow

Shirasagi Foot Bath, a spot for relaxation in Kanazawa's Yuwaku hot spring resort area.

The exterior of the building incorporates the "wooden lattice" design that is often seen in the Yuwaku Onsen area, and the use of Tomuro stones and gold leaf also give the building a Kanazawa-like appearance. 

Please enjoy the healing space for body and mind while bathing in the footbath and experiencing the seasonal beauty of Yuwaku Onsen's nature.

Kanazawa Yuwaku Sosaku-no-mori Handicraft Center is located in woods and consists of old private houses moved into the woods, where full-scale creative activities of woodblock printing, dyeing, weaving are performed, and finished products are exhibited as well.

Moreover, the center is fully equipped with training facilities and accommodations that can be used at a low rate. You can enjoy a variety of exchanges through creative activities in the center surrounded by nature.