Yu no Sawa Onsen
Yu no Sawa Onsen has been well known for its onsen (hot springs) since the 1600s. The onsen are mentioned in official tax documents from the 1700s and 1800s, but the baths here never became a popular tourist site. Rather, they were used by local residents to ease their aches and pains. In fact, it is only since 1978 that tourists and local people have taken baths together.
The three current onsen establishments―Hotel Yutoria Fujisato, Yumoto Nagomi no Yu, and the Rural Environment Improvement Center―draw up the piping-hot spring water for visitors and residents alike. As the closest hot springs to the mountains of Shirakami Sanchi, the onsen of Yu no Sawa often welcome tired hikers coming down from the mountains.
The springs at Yu no Sawa emerge from the ground at around 54 degrees Celsius. The water contains sodium chloride and sulfate.