# Yunotsu

> A one-street onsen town running down a narrow valley to a small Sea of Japan harbour, once the port that shipped silver from Iwami Ginzan and one of the 14 component parts of that World Heritage Site. Shimane Prefecture says it is the only onsen town in Japan chosen as a Preservation District for Groups of Traditional Buildings. Come for the two old public baths, Motoyu and Yakushi-yu, and Iwami kagura at the town shrine on Saturday nights. Quiet, with little to do after dark beyond that.

- Prefecture: Shimane
- Type: Onsen
- Address: Oda, Shimane, Japan
- Official site: https://yunotsu-meguri.jp/

Yunotsu is one street long. It runs about 800 metres up a narrow valley from a small harbour on the Sea of Japan coast of Shimane, with wooden inns, lattice-fronted houses and temples on both sides and rock walls close behind them; many houses stand on ground cut out of the bedrock. In 2004 the town was chosen as a national Preservation District for Groups of Traditional Buildings, and Shimane Prefecture says it is the only onsen town in Japan with that status. Since 2007 it has also been one of the 14 component parts of the Iwami Ginzan Silver Mine and its Cultural Landscape. In the 16th century this harbour served the silver mine at Omori, and the cove of Okidomari just to the north, a separate component, was where silver went out by ship.

The baths are the reason to come, and the two public ones sit almost opposite each other. Motoyu, also called Senyakuto, is the older. The bathhouse says the spring has been flowing for more than 900 years and has a tanuki legend about how it was found. It has three tubs, at roughly 38 to 40°C, 43 to 44°C and 46 to 48°C, no showers and nothing provided, so bring soap and a towel. Yakushi-yu across the street costs 600 yen; its spring rises about 2 metres underground at around 46°C and goes into the bath untreated. The Taisho-era wooden building beside it is a cafe, and there is a roof terrace over the old town.

On Saturday nights the small Tatsu-no-Gozen Shrine holds Iwami kagura, the loud, fast masked dance of western Shimane, from 20:00 to 21:30. Every seat must be booked in advance.

The downsides: there is not much else here. Shops are few, it is very quiet after dark, and parking is limited. Omori and the silver mine are about 20 minutes away by car, but by public transport you need a bus and a train.

## FAQ

### Which bath should I choose, Motoyu or Yakushi-yu?

Both if you can; they are almost opposite each other. Motoyu is the older, plainer bathhouse with very hot tubs (the hottest is 46 to 48°C), no showers and nothing provided, and it opens at 6:00. Yakushi-yu costs 600 yen, has a cafe next door and a roof terrace, and is closed on Tuesdays.

### How do I see the kagura in Yunotsu?

Book a seat in advance by phone with the Yunotsu Onsen ryokan association (050-1808-2216). Performances are at Tatsu-no-Gozen Shrine on most Saturdays from 20:00 to 21:30 and cost 2,000 yen. Photos are allowed but video is not. Staying the night makes it easy, as the show ends late and the shrine has no parking.

### How is Yunotsu connected to the Iwami Ginzan silver mine?

Yunotsu was the harbour town for the mine, and silver was shipped out from the cove of Okidomari just to the north. The townscape, Okidomari and the old road between them and the mine are separate component parts of the Iwami Ginzan World Heritage Site, inscribed in 2007. The mine at Omori is about 20 minutes away by car.

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Source: Yunotsu — Japan Voyage