Iwase Yumoto Onsen

【A thousand years of hot springs, a post town where time stands still】 The lingering echoes of the Heian period and the traces of the Edo period in "Iwase Yumoto Onsen"

Nestled deep in Tenei Village, at the foot of Mt. Nifuki, lies "Iwase Yumoto Onsen." It is said to have been discovered over 1200 years ago by Kobo Daishi (Kukai) during the Heian period, making it one of the oldest hot springs in Fukushima Prefecture. This place, where samurai on their way to Edo would rest and where Minamoto no Yoshitsune and his party are said to have stopped on their way to Hiraizumi, is still a hidden village where "living history" breathes.

■ A thatched-roof house that conveys the scenery of Edo

Walking along the narrow paths of the village, you will be greeted by splendid thatched-roof inns and houses.

• A living post town: The atmosphere of the Edo period, when it thrived as a hidden hot spring and post town of the Aizu domain, is infused in the heavy beams and the smoke of the irori (hearth).
• Tradition of "Yui": The golden roofs, which have withstood hundreds of years of wind and snow, symbolize the wisdom and bonds of the local people who have helped and supported each other. Their appearance vividly depicts the "original scenery of Japan" in the hearts of those who see it.

■ Purifying the soul, refreshing "beautiful skin hot spring"

In the center of the hot spring town, the public baths and each inn are filled with clear, pure hot spring water.

• Indulgence in history: The transparent water, faintly scented with sulfur, has long been cherished as a "beautiful skin hot spring," soothing the fatigue of travelers to the core.

At night, stepping outside from the thatched-roof inn where light spills out, all you can hear is the murmuring of the river and the whispers of the stars that the people of the Heian period must have looked up at. Why not visit this deep mountain sanctuary, enveloped in the "ultimate silence" woven over 1200 years?