Photo by Sanicha Yaklai
Photo by Sanicha Yaklai
Photo by Sanicha Yaklai
Houunkaku is a rustic hot springs inn located in mountainous Onikobe. It is famous for its Taki no Yu, a open-air bath formed at the base of a small waterfall, naturally hot due to the mild volcanic activity of the area. The inn makes a great base for casually exploring the area’s volcanic nature, as the Onikobe geyser park and the Onikobe Jigokudani Nature Trail are located just several minutes away on foot.
There’s no barrier between waterfall and bath, so bathers can sit as close to the fall as they like. The baths here are open to day-trippers as well as overnight guests. The indoor baths are gender-separated, but Taki no Yu is a mixed gender bath. Modest bathers needn’t worry—towels or hotel-provided modesty bathing garments can be worn into Taki no Yu.
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Northern Miyagi
