Driving through Kinugawa Onsen – Japanese Hot Spring Resort [Slow TV] 4K

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Kinugawa Onsen (鬼怒川温泉) is a hot spring resort in the city of Nikkō, Tochigi, Japan. The place is named after the Kinugawa River (literally “angry demon river”), which flows through it.

Two hours by train from Tokyo, hot springs were first found in the area in the early Meiji period.

The area was extensively developed for tourism in the 1970s, but has since experienced severe economic difficulties after a downturn caused by the 1990s recession, exacerbated by troubles at the insolvent Ashikaga Bank (a major local lender). However, in 2008 the city’s tourism industry received a boost as high car and airplane fuel costs have caused travelers to seek tourist destinations more easily reachable by train, such as the Kinugawa Onsen.
(Wikipedia)

Tochigi Prefecture (栃木県, Tochigi-ken) is a prefecture of Japan located in the Kantō region of Honshu. Tochigi Prefecture has a population of 1,943,886 (1 June 2019) and has a geographic area of 6,408 km² (2,474 sq mi). Tochigi Prefecture borders Fukushima Prefecture to the north, Gunma Prefecture to the west, Saitama Prefecture to the south, and Ibaraki Prefecture to the southeast.

Utsunomiya is the capital and largest city of Tochigi Prefecture, with other major cities including Oyama, Tochigi, and Ashikaga. Tochigi Prefecture is one of only eight landlocked prefectures and its mountainous northern region is a popular tourist region in Japan. The Nasu area is known for its onsens, local sake, and ski resorts, the villa of the Imperial Family, and the Nasushiobara station of the Shinkansen railway line. The city of Nikkō, with its ancient Shintō shrines and Buddhist temples, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
(Wikipedia)

Onsen (hot springs)
In Japan, hot springs bubble up everywhere, and for hundreds of years Japanese people have enjoyed them mainly for health benefits and socializing. Bathing at onsen is a great way to enjoy Japan—not just to try the various types and experience their reputed beneficial physical effects, but also to enjoy their natural settings and perhaps a leisurely stroll around the spa towns where they are often located. You might also be surprised to find that onsen waters come in different colors, green or black, for instance; many such waters are thought to help smooth the skin or relieve back pain. So, whether you’ve never tried onsen before or are already an habitué, it’s an experience not to be missed and one that you’re likely to enjoy.

Hot springs are waters heated by geothermal energy and, in Japan, they’re practically everywhere. The country is reputed to have over 2,500 onsen; some gush to the surface, while others are reached by tapping subterranean sources more than 1,000 meters underground. Hot spring temperatures vary widely, from nearly 100ºC (211ºF) to as cool as 20ºC (68ºF). Everywhere in Japan, visitors will find hotels and traditional inns or day spas with onsen for their enjoyment.

The foremost benefits of hot springs bathing are that they warm the body and impart physical and mental relaxation. Bathing in waters just the right temperature activates the body’s various systems and is said to stimulate circulation and speed up the metabolism. Many onsen also contain certain dissolved minerals, which are said to help heal illness or injuries. Learning about the benefits of each hot spring you visit is one of the added pleasures of the experience.

Japanese people have been enthusiastic onsen bathers since ancient times. In the Edo period (1603–1868), especially, the habit of bathing at onsen spread rapidly among the general public and it soon became popular to spend weeks at a time at places with hot springs for rest and recuperation. This practice continues today, mainly in the Tohoku region in the northeastern part of the country.

Hot springs also frequently appear in literary works. For example, Niigata’s Echigo-Yuzawa Onsen is where the story takes place in Snow Country, by Yasunari Kawabata, winner of the Nobel Prize for literature, and the setting for Botchan, by Soseki Natsume, is Ehime’s Dogo Onsen.

Videos on Tochigi:

Sense of Beauty | The Grace of Japan, TOCHIGI

For your smile. ” The Grace of Japan, TOCHIGI 2020 ”

Filming Date: August 8th, 2020

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