Yunomine Onsen

Yunomine Onsen is one of Japan's oldest hot springs, tucked into a narrow valley a short drive from Kumano Hongu Taisha, and for centuries pilgrims on the Kumano Kodo purified themselves in its waters before worship. At its centre a small stream steams beside the road, and a hut over the water holds Tsuboyu, a bath carved from natural rock that fits only a couple of people and is rented in half-hour turns; it is listed as part of the Kumano World Heritage site. Nearby public baths offer a regular tub and a stronger 'medicine bath', and visitors can buy eggs and vegetables to cook in the boiling spring at the Yuzutsu spring. The village makes a natural overnight stop for walkers on the Kumano Kodo.