Yamanaka Onsen

Onsen

Prefecture

Ishikawa

Type

Onsen

N/A

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Restaurant Cafe

About This Destination

One of the Kaga onsen towns, in the valley of the Daishoji River. The public bath, Kikunoyu, costs 500 yen and is split into two separate buildings, one for men and one for women. Below the town, a 1.3 km riverside path through Kakusenkei gorge runs between a cypress bridge and a magenta S-shaped one.

Yamanaka is one of the Kaga onsen towns, about half an hour by bus inland from Kaga Onsen Station, and the one that still feels like a town rather than a row of big hotels. Its history is put at 1,300 years. Matsuo Basho came in 1689 on the journey he wrote up as Oku no Hosomichi, stayed nine days, and ranked the water with Arima and Kusatsu as one of the three great springs of Japan. It is also where he and his companion Sora parted. The center of town is Kikunoyu, the public bath. It is unusual in being two buildings, the men's bath and the women's bath a few steps apart, with the Yamanaka-za theater on the women's side. Inside, both are plain and roomy, and they are as much the residents' bath as the visitors'. The other reason to come is Kakusenkei, the gorge of the Daishoji River just below the town. A path runs 1.3 km along the water between Korogi Bridge, built entirely of hinoki cypress, and Kurotani Bridge. Halfway along is Ayatori Bridge, a 94.7 m footbridge bent into an S and painted magenta, designed by Teshigahara Hiroshi, head of the Sogetsu school of ikebana, to arrange the gorge the way you would arrange flowers. It is lit every night. The path is uneven and slippery after rain, so wear proper shoes.

Location

Prefecture: Ishikawa

Address: Kaga, Ishikawa, Japan

Nearest Station: Kaga Onsen Station (Hokuriku Shinkansen), then bus to Yamanaka Onsen

Opening hours: Mon–Sun 06:45–22:00

Closed: Kikunoyu closes on the 2nd and 4th Tuesday of each month (the next day if the Tuesday is a public holiday), plus occasional maintenance days.

Hours note: Hours are for Kikunoyu. Admission is 500 yen for anyone 12 or older, 150 yen from 6 to 11, and 70 yen from 3 to 5.

Best time to visit: All year. Autumn color in the gorge is the busiest time; spring green and winter snow are quieter

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Visitor Information

Credit Cards: Unknown

Food Options: The streets around Kikunoyu have cafes and sweet shops, and the Kaga tourism site maps a half-day eat-and-walk route through the onsen town.

Official Website

Frequently Asked Questions

What are Kikunoyu's hours and fees?

6:45 to 22:00. Adults (12 and over) pay 500 yen, children 6 to 11 pay 150 yen and children 3 to 5 pay 70 yen. It closes on the 2nd and 4th Tuesday of the month (the next day if that is a holiday). The men's and women's baths are in separate buildings a few steps apart.

How long is the Kakusenkei walk?

The path is 1.3 km between Korogi Bridge and Kurotani Bridge, with Ayatori Bridge about halfway. It is a riverside trail with steps and uneven stones rather than a paved promenade, so give it an hour at an easy pace and wear shoes with grip.

Why is Basho connected with Yamanaka?

Matsuo Basho stayed nine days in 1689 on his Oku no Hosomichi journey. He praised the water as one of the three great springs of Japan, alongside Arima and Kusatsu, left a haiku about the scent of the hot spring, and parted here from his travelling companion Sora.