Totsukawa Onsen

In short

Totsukawa Onsen is a hot spring resort located on the shores of Futatsuno Dam lake in Totsukawa Village. Among the three hot spring areas in the village, it has the largest concentration of traditional Japanese inns (ryokan) and shops. In 2004, Totsukawa Village became the first municipality in Japan to issue a "Declaration of 100% Free-Flowing Hot Springs," allowing visitors here to soak in water straight from the spring.

• ​Iori-no-Yu​​: A public bathhouse situated in the center of the hot spring town, where you can bathe while taking in the views of the lake stretching out just outside.
• ​Drinkable Hot Spring Water​​: The water at Totsukawa Onsen is drinkable, and foot baths as well as hot spring drinking spots are available.
• ​Yaen​​: A human-powered ropeway where riders pull a rope themselves to cross the river.

History & Highlights

Totsukawa Onsen is a hot spring resort situated in the Hiratani area of Totsukawa Village. Positioned beside the lake of Futatsuno Dam, it is home to the largest gathering of inns and shops within the village. Totsukawa Village features three hot springs—Tosenji Onsen, Totsukawa Onsen, and Kamiyu Onsen—which are collectively referred to as the Totsukawa Onsen-kyo (hot spring district).

The source of Totsukawa Onsen is said to have been discovered by a charcoal burner during the Genroku era (1688–1704). The source is situated upstream along the Kamiyukawa River, a tributary of the Totsukawa River. Facilities such as hotels in the hot spring area receive water channeled from this source 3.4 kilometers away. The spring quality is a sodium-hydrogen carbonate and chloride spring, said to keep bathers warm long after leaving the water. The hot spring water of Totsukawa Onsen can also be drunk.

In 2004, Totsukawa Village became the first in Japan to make a "Declaration of 100% Free-Flowing Hot Springs." All hot spring facilities throughout the village provide completely free-flowing water without circulating or reusing it, without reheating, without chlorination, and without dilution. The village explains that this practice is made possible by its abundant volume of spring water.

What to See & Do

• ​Iori-no-Yu​​: A public bathhouse located in the center of the resort that welcomes day-use bathers. Guests can enjoy the scenery of the lake spreading out right before them. Foot baths, hand baths, and a drinking spring facility are also provided.
• ​Subaru no Sato's Hoshi-no-Yu and Yaen​​: The hot spring health center "Hoshi-no-Yu" in Subaru no Sato offers indoor baths, open-air baths, cypress wood baths, waterfall-style cascading baths (utaseyu), and reclining baths (neyu), as well as a pool using hot spring water. On the grounds of Subaru no Sato, there is also the "Yaen," a human-powered ropeway used to cross to the opposite riverbank. Passengers board a suspended wooden cage (yakata) and pull the rope hand-over-hand to move forward. This reproduces for tourism what local residents once used in their daily lives.
• ​Mandarin Ducks in Winter​​: Futatsuno Dam is one of Japan's leading wintering grounds for mandarin ducks. From November to March, about 2,000 mandarin ducks fly here.

Travel Tips

A 2-minute walk from the Totsukawa Onsen Bus Terminal brings you to the regional exchange center "Ikora." It also features a drinking spring spot and a foot bath, making it easy to sample the waters of Totsukawa Onsen in addition to the baths at your accommodation.

By car, it is approximately 73 kilometers from the Gojo Interchange on the Keinawa Expressway via National Route 168. According to the village's guide, it takes about 90 minutes to Tosenji Onsen, where the Totsukawa Village Office is located, and about 15 minutes more from there to Totsukawa Onsen. By train and bus, take a Nara Kotsu bus bound for Shingu Station from Kintetsu Yamato-Yagi Station, and get off at Totsukawa Onsen. The bus journey takes about 4 hours.

Hatenashi Village, perched midway up the Hatenashi Pass traversed by the Kumano Pilgrimage Route Kohechi, lies about 1.5 kilometers to the southwest, while Tamaki-jinja Shrine is located about 5.9 kilometers to the east-southeast.