Yudaonsen in Yamaguchi, “the Kyoto of the West”

A hot spring in use since the Muromachi Period and a legend that predates that.

t is said that Yudaonsen Hot Spring was discovered about 800 years ago when a white fox was seen bathing its wounds in the waters of the hot spring. According to this legend, there was a small pond that belonged to a temple at the foot of Mount Gongen. Every evening a white fox came to the small pond to dip its wounded foot into the water of the pond. The head priest of the temple observed this fox and wondered why it behaved in this way. Out of curiosity, he went to the pond. As he scooped up some water with his hands, he noticed that the water of the pond felt rather warm. When he plunged his hands deeper into the water, to his surprise, he felt the rushing flow of copious amounts of warm water gushing up from the bottom of the pond. Not only that, a golden statue of Yakushi Nyorai Buddha appeared before him. Henceforth this spring became widely known as the White Fox Hot Springs, a place where people suffering from a range of illnesses could be cured by praying to this Buddha and bathing in the hot springs.
It is said that ever since that time the hot springs have prospered, and this story of the legend of the white fox became associated with Yudaonsen.

The abundant hot spring water contains elements that promote beautiful, silky smooth skin.

Yudaonsen is a simple alkaline hot spring and its soft spring water that is very gentle on the skin is its hallmark feature. The colorless, clear hot spring water is believed to have therapeutic benefits for ailments such as neuralgia, muscular pain, joint pain, frozen shoulder, motor paralysis, stiffness of joints, bruises, joint sprains, chronic digestive disorders, hemorrhoids, poor circulation, recuperation after illness, fatigue recovery, and improving one’s health. However, the most notable characteristic is the alkaline content of the water. Spring water with high alkalinity in the range of pH9.14 is said to make the skin soft and smooth. The temperature of the source spring is 72°C, and it retains its high temperature, which is very rare for a non-volcanic hot spring. Yudaonsen is also surprisingly endowed with copious amounts of hot spring water, with a flow of about 2,000 tons per day. Yudaonsen Hot Spring is indeed a bountiful blessing of nature.

A pleasant spot for enjoying the source of Yudaonsen Hot Springs.

Yunoya was completed in December 2011. One of seven Yudaonsen hot spring sources, Yunoya was developed as a tourist facility where visitors could enjoy viewing the source of a hot spring that releases 2,000 tons of hot spring water a day. An 8m high timber structure tower is the symbol of this facility. It is here that visitors can view through an inspection window the continual gush of 125 liters of hot spring water per minute rising from the spring source 500m below the ground. There is also a potable spring water drinking place where visitors can actually drink the spring water. Be sure to take a moment to look at the display explaining the therapeutic benefits of Yudaonsen Hot Spring and introducing the people of Yudaonsen.