Oushuku Onsen Kawacho

Kawacho is a wooden, traditional Japanese inn in Oushuku Onsen, Shizukuishi Town, Iwate Prefecture, at the foot of the Ou Mountains. The hot spring is said to have been discovered in the Tensho era (1573-1591), giving it a history of about 450 years. Legend has it that an injured bush warbler (uguisu) soaked its foot in the spring to heal, which gave the area its name. The inn takes overnight guests and also offers day-trip bathing.

The water is an alkaline simple spring with a source temperature of 52 C and a flow of more than 3,000 liters per minute. The open-air bath, the cypress indoor bath and the hokutoseki mineral bath all use 100% free-flowing water straight from the source. The water is gentle on the skin, and its indications include muscle and joint pain, lower back pain, rheumatism, high blood pressure, skin conditions and chronic digestive ailments.

The baths are separated by gender and include a cypress indoor bath with hotter water, a mineral stone bath and an open-air bath. Day-trip bathing costs 700 yen for adults, 400 yen for elementary school children and 200 yen for children aged 3 and over, from 11:00 to 18:00 (last entry 17:00). The inn is closed on Mondays and Tuesdays. Fees and open days may change, so check in advance. Free parking for 30 cars is available.