[Access] Approx. 1 hour by car from JR Nikko Station
[Website] Oku-Nikko Yumoto Onsen Yumoto Itaya (Japanese)
After a snow hike to see the frozen waterfalls of Iori Falls, my body was pretty chilled, so I headed to Oku-Nikko Yumoto Onsen to warm up. I’d been wanting to visit Onsen-ji Temple for a while, but unfortunately, it was closed (I wonder if it’s even open these days…). As I was walking back from Onsen-ji, located a bit further in, towards the hot spring town, I decided to check out the hot spring sources. Among the several covered sources, I spotted the name “Itaya” and got curious, so I decided to check it out.
Steam was rising from Onsen-ji, so it felt like the hot springs themselves were active, but unfortunately, it was closed when I visited, and I didn’t have much time, so I decided to give up on it. Since Onsen-ji is located further back from the hot spring town, near the source, I decided to explore the hot spring sources on my way back to town.
There are several source huts in the wetlands, with wooden boardwalks laid out for walking. Steam rises from the huts, and the scent of sulfur fills the air, really building up the anticipation of getting into a warm hot spring!
I found the name “Itaya” on one of the source huts and decided to head to that ryokan, which turned out to be larger than I expected. I was a bit worried they might not offer day-use hot springs, but they welcomed me in.
As I entered the bathhouse, the soft scent of hydrogen sulfide filled the air, and the milky white water was so beautiful – truly, the quintessential onsen experience. It’s probably been since Zao Onsen last autumn or Dake Onsen in Fukushima that I’ve encountered such a distinct hot spring. The water quality is a sulfur-containing calcium-sodium sulfate-bicarbonate spring with a total dissolved solids of 1584 mg/kg, and the source temperature is quite high at 75.7 degrees Celsius. From its appearance and scent, you might imagine it to be strongly acidic, but the pH is 6.6, making it gentle on the skin. When I tasted it, there was no sourness, just a slight bitterness. The outdoor open-air bath, with the lingering cold, felt incredibly good, and I thought the gentle water was so inviting I could stay in it forever.
At this time of year, Oku-Nikko isn’t too crowded, so you can really relax and enjoy the hot springs in a quiet town, and the mountain views are fantastic. It seems like a great place to come for a leisurely stay.