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)
LocationIzu Province, Shizuoka, Japan
Coordinates34°58′16″N 138°55′44″E / 34.971°N 138.929°E / 34.971; 138.929
Elevation308 feet[1]
Tokko-no-yu spring, Shuzenji Onsen

Shuzenji Onsen is a geothermal spring system in the Tagata District of Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan, in the central region of Izu Peninsula.

History

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.

Description

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]

Geology

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]

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Shuzenji, Izu-shi, Shizuoka, Japan on the Elevation Map. Topographic Map of Shuzenji, Izu-shi, Shizuoka, Japan". Elevation Map. Retrieved 26 August 2020.
  2. 1 2 "Shuzenji Onsen". Japan Endless Discovery. Retrieved 26 August 2020.
  3. 1 2 Mihaela, Serbulea; Unnikrishnan, Payyappallimana (2012). "Onsen (hot springs) in Japan—Transforming terrain into healing landscapes". Health & Place. 18 (6): 1366–1373. doi:10.1016/j.healthplace.2012.06.020. PMID 22878276. Retrieved 26 August 2020.
  4. ↑ "Shuzenji Onsen". GaijinPot Travel. 10 December 2017. Retrieved 26 August 2020.
  5. ↑ "Dokko no Yu (Shizuoka-ken)". Secret Japan. Retrieved 26 August 2020.
  6. ↑ "Shuzenji Onsen". 50 Onsens. 28 January 2017. Retrieved 26 August 2020.
  7. ↑ "Izu Travel: Shuzen Onsen". Japan Guide. Retrieved 26 August 2020.
  8. ↑ "Discover the town of Onsens, Shuzenji". Wonderland Japan. 2 April 2018. Retrieved 26 August 2020.
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