Yu no Sawa Onsen

Yu no Sawa Onsen near the Shirakami Sanchi mountains in Akita has been known for its springs since the 1600s, though for most of that time the baths served local residents rather than tourists. Only since 1978 have visitors and locals soaked together. Three establishments, Hotel Yutoria Fujisato, Yumoto Nagomi no Yu, and the Rural Environment Improvement Center, draw water from sodium chloride and sulfate springs that emerge at around 54 degrees Celsius. Hikers coming down from Shirakami Sanchi often stop here to recover. The setting is low-key and functional, far from the polished resort feel of better-known onsen towns.