Iiwase Yumoto Onsen's "Thatched Roof" Inn

【The steam of Heian, memories of 1200 years】 The history told by Iwase Yumoto Onsen 'thatched-roof inn'

Nestled in the mountains of Tenei Village, Iwase Yumoto Onsen boasts a history of over 1200 years, believed to have originated during the early Heian period, in the era of Emperors Tenji and Tenmu, or discovered by Kobo Daishi (Kukai). The inn with its symbolic thatched roof is not just a lodging facility but a living time capsule that conveys the 'history of prayer and healing' from the medieval to modern times.

■ Did Yoshitsune also find healing? A post town where legends live on

This land is marked by numerous footprints of historical heroes.

• The legend of Yoshitsune and Benkei: In the late Heian period, there is a legend that Yoshitsune and his group, fleeing from his brother Yoritomo to Oshu Hiraizumi, healed their travel fatigue at this hot spring. The mountain ridges they must have gazed upon during their arduous mountain crossing still welcome travelers today, unchanged from that time.
• The prosperity of the Edo post town 'Yumoto': During the Edo period, it thrived as a hidden hot spring of the Aizu domain and as a transportation hub connecting Niki, Iwase, and Aizu. Many of the current thatched buildings inherit the style of that time, quietly conveying the fervor of the past when samurai and merchants passed through.

■ Experience 'Eternal tranquility' under the thatched roof

The blackened beams and pillars, smoked by the irori hearth, have supported the lives of generations.

• A living cultural heritage: The thatched roof is a crystallization of wisdom that the local people have preserved with the spirit of 'Yui'. When you place yourself beneath it and soak in the flowing spring water, you feel as if you are melting into the torrent of time that has continued since the Heian period.

The 'soul of Japan' that was lost in exchange for convenience still breathes here. The sacred spring of Heian, loved by heroes and protected by farmers. Would you like to embark on a journey to unravel a thousand years of history under the golden roof?