Nyuto Onsen
3 – 5 NOV · 2 NIGHTS · BASE 2 OF 5
Nyuto Onsenkyo is a cluster of seven secluded hot-spring ryokans deep in the Towada-Hachimantai National Park in Akita Prefecture — reachable only by a single mountain road, with no convenience store, no independent restaurants, and each ryokan running its own distinct bath. The trip stays at Taenoyu and spends its two days hopping between the other baths on foot and by local shuttle.
Where you're staying
Taenoyu 妙の湯
- Address
- 2-1 Komagatake, Obonai, Tazawako, Semboku-shi, Akita
〒014-1201 秋田県仙北市田沢湖生保内駒ケ岳2-1 - Check-in
- from 1500
- Check-out
- by 1000
- Cost
- ¥84,000 (S$697.36, booked direct)
- Paid by
- UOB VS
- Phone
- +81 187-46-2740
- reserve@taenoyu.com
- Note
- Bathing tax payable on arrival, not included in the above.
- Map
- Open in Google Maps ↗
What to see
In order of the trip's own route: the Lake Tazawa stops on the way in, the seven Nyuto Onsen baths, then the Kakunodate stops on the way out.
See the full trip map ↗Statue of Tatsuko — Lake Tazawa
- Gold-colored bronze statue by sculptor Funakoshi Yasutake, erected 1968, on the lake's western shore.
- Depicts Tatsuko, a legendary local beauty who prayed to keep her looks forever and was transformed into a dragon as a result — said to still inhabit the lake.
- Its gold finish against Lake Tazawa's cobalt-blue water (Japan's deepest lake, 423m) makes it the area's signature photo spot.
Goza no Ishi Shrine — Lake Tazawa
- Stands at the lake's north end; the name traces to 1650, when Akita domain lord Satake Yoshitaka reportedly stopped to rest here while touring the lake.
- Its vermilion torii gate appears to rise directly out of the lake water — the shrine's most photographed feature.
- Grounds tie into the Tatsuko legend: a sacred spring where she's said to have drunk before becoming a dragon, and a "Mirror Stone" said to have reflected her image.
(2A) Ogama Onsen 大釜温泉
covered by Yumeguri-cho — reference fare ¥700
- Opened 1962 in a repurposed wooden former school building — old classrooms now serve as changing rooms, dining hall, and baths.
- Rare gender-segregated bathing setup — most Nyuto ryokans emphasize mixed-gender rotenburo instead.
- Has the only footbath in the whole Nyuto Onsen area (open Apr 1–end Oct); the arsenic-containing acidic saline spring's open-air bath stays usable even in winter.
(2B) Magoroku Onsen 孫六温泉
covered by Yumeguri-cho — reference fare ¥700
- Named after its founder — a small ryokan of black wooden buildings clustered directly around its own spring sources, reached by crossing a bridge over a clear mountain stream.
- Radium mineral spring, traditionally used for gastrointestinal complaints, wounds, and skin conditions.
- Indoor stone bath fed by two "waterfall" spouts for massaging sore muscles; a separate large outdoor bath is women-only.
(1B) Kuroyu Onsen 黒湯温泉
covered by Yumeguri-cho — reference fare ¥800
- Opened 1674, historically used by the Satake Hokke family who ruled Kakunodate — 350+ years of continuous history.
- Despite the name ("black hot spring"), the water is actually a milky bluish-white sulfur spring.
- Considered the most water-rich source in Nyuto Onsen — 3 indoor baths plus 2 outdoor baths, set deepest in the forest of the seven properties.
(1A) Tsurunoyu Onsen 鶴の湯温泉
covered by Yumeguri-cho — reference fare ¥700
- The oldest ryokan in the area — used therapeutically from 1638 by Akita's feudal lord Satake Yoshitaka.
- Its "Honjin" thatched-roof building (~1860), the area's most-photographed structure, began as lodging tied to the lord's entourage; its guest rooms are kept deliberately old-fashioned (irori hearth, oil lamps, no TV/AC).
- Famous mixed-gender open-air bath with bluish-white sulfur water fed by a spring bubbling up directly beneath the bath itself.
(3A) Ganiba Onsen 蟹場温泉
covered by Yumeguri-cho — reference fare ¥800
- Founded 1846, with two spring sources feeding the property. The name comes from the crabs (kani/gani) once abundant in the adjacent mountain stream.
- Water is colorless and clear — notably rare in Nyuto Onsen, where most springs run milky-white.
- Signature mixed-gender open-air bath sits ~50m from the main building in old-growth forest, lit by paper lanterns at night.
(3B) Kyukamura Nyuto Onsenkyo 休暇村乳頭温泉郷
covered by Yumeguri-cho — reference fare ¥800
- Opened 1965 as a government-run "Kyukamura" (national vacation village) lodge inside Towada-Hachimantai National Park — the newest, most modern-facility of the seven Nyuto properties.
- Two distinct spring waters on-site: Nyuto-no-Yu (reddish-brown, gentler, traditionally for cuts/burns) and Tazawako-Kogen-no-Yu (milky sulfur spring, for circulation).
- Open-air baths set directly in surrounding beech forest; its restaurant also serves day visitors at lunch.
Samurai District — Kakunodate
- Kakunodate was founded in 1620 as a castle town by Ashina Yoshikatsu, laid out with separate samurai and merchant quarters — the samurai quarter survives largely unchanged even though the castle itself is entirely gone.
- Officially billed as the "Little Kyoto of Michinoku" by Japan's own national tourism organization, not just a tourist-brochure phrase.
- Nationally designated an Important Preservation District; lined with weeping cherry trees (shidarezakura), some 300+ years old and nationally designated Natural Monuments.
Ishiguro House — Kakunodate
- Built 1809 — the oldest surviving samurai residence on Bukeyashiki Street and in Kakunodate overall.
- Home of the Ishiguro family, retainers to the ruling Satake clan; the family still resides in part of the house today.
- Rotating interior displays include samurai armor, clothing, old maps, tools, and swords.
Aoyagi Samurai Manor — Kakunodate
- Aoyagi family settled in Kakunodate in 1602, serving over 200 years as chief border guards between the Akita and Iwate domains.
- Grounds cover just under 1 hectare enclosed by a dark wood fence — the largest of Kakunodate's preserved samurai residences open to the public.
- Formal yakuimon-style front gate built 1860 by master carpenter Shibata Iwatarō, granted to the family as a reward for its service.
- Thatched-roof main house was lived in by descendants until 1985; the grounds now hold several small museum buildings — armor and weapons, samurai-era daily tools, an Akita folk museum, and antique cameras/gramophones.
Hinokinai Riverside — Kakunodate
- Formal name is the Hinokinai River Embankment (檜木内川堤) — a nationally designated Place of Scenic Beauty.
- A roughly 2km stretch of riverbank planted with Somei Yoshino cherry trees in 1934, distinct from the ~300-year-old weeping cherries lining Bukeyashiki Street.
- Selected one of Japan's 100 Best Cherry Blossom Spots in 1990; about a 15-minute walk from JR Kakunodate Station.
Where to eat
Nyuto Onsen has no independent restaurants, cafes, or even a convenience store — every meal here comes from Taenoyu's own kitchen. Vegetarian meals are already confirmed directly with Taenoyu for this stay (reservation No.000000035701): no meat, no seafood (no fish, no chicken) — eggs, dairy, onion, and garlic are all fine. The Kakunodate stop on the way out does have a few independent options, listed below.
See more food options on the trip map ↗Sakura no Sato — Kakunodate
On Bukeyashiki Street, next to the Kawarada family's samurai residence. Known for Hinai-jidori oyakodon (Akita's own chicken-and-egg rice bowl — often sells out by ~1330) and Inaniwa udon. Not vegetarian-friendly by default — the signature dish is chicken-based.
Open in Google Maps ↗Kosendō — Kakunodate
Inaniwa udon specialist inside an old samurai-district house. Signature dish is agodashi (flying-fish stock) udon — check with the restaurant for a non-fish broth option.
Open in Google Maps ↗Hyakusuien — Kakunodate
400-year-old kyodo ryori (local cuisine) restaurant along the cherry-tree tunnel, 3 min walk from Bukeyashiki Street. Known for kuri-okowa (chestnut rice) and, seasonally, rabbit or bear hot pot — but does have a vegetarian set: 豆腐精進鍋セット (tofu shojin-nabe set) with inaniwa udon, ¥2,500.
Open in Google Maps ↗Where to shop
See more shopping options on the trip map ↗Ando Jozo Miso — Kakunodate
- Brewery founded 1853; miso, soy sauce, and pickles still made by a method unchanged for 150+ years.
- Its brick storehouse fronting the street was built in 1891 after repeated fires hit the merchant district — among the oldest surviving brick storehouses in Tohoku.
- Free tastings of miso, soy sauce, and pickles offered inside.