Oigami Onsen

This hot spring is surrounded by mountains and has long been known for its effectiveness in treating skin diseases and external wounds.

It is surrounded by the Nikko mountain range to the east, Tanigawa-dake to the west, Akagi and Haruna mountains to the south, and Muson mountain to the north, and faces the valley of the Katashina River, a tributary of the Tone River that flows through the mountains. Ryokans and hotels line the slopes along the Katashinagawa River.

The area has long been known as “Shikki-gawa-ba ni kuso oshojin,” or “the old god of pains and boils,” and has been crowded with visitors for its therapeutic properties against pimples and boils since ancient times.

The area is also known for its abundant nature, including Katashina Canyon, a tributary of the Tone River, and Fukiwari Falls, and is a popular base for sightseeing in Oze.

In early May every year, the Oojin Hot Springs hold the famous “Great Snake Festival,” in which a giant snake mikoshi (portable shrine) is paraded through the streets of the hot spring resort. Other events such as the “Oojin Onsen Poppy Festival” in June, where visitors can enjoy colorful poppies, firefly watching, and the “Wind Festival (Oojin Onsen Fireworks Festival)” in August can also be enjoyed. Visitors can enjoy the beauty of nature in each season, and the valley is especially spectacular when the leaves turn red.

Many inns also offer open-air baths.

One of the specialties of Oojin Onsen is the morning market held from April to mid-November. This morning market is said to be the largest in the Kanto region, and is a tradition in the hot spring resort area, where guests dressed in yukata (light cotton kimono) can be seen shopping for souvenirs. Local vegetables, wild plants, homemade pickles, miso, etc. are all on display, and visitors can enjoy the simple taste of the land, the smiling faces of the people, and the contact with the delicacies of the mountains.

Legend of the Opening of the Hot Springs

The history of the hot spring is long, and the following legend of the opening of the hot spring by a battle of the gods has been handed down in Oojin Onsen.

Once, the god of Akagi Mountain in Ueno Province transformed into a serpent, and the god of Futaarayama in Shimono Province transformed into a centipede, and fought fiercely at Senjogahara over the divine domain of the gods.

One day, the deity of Mt. Akagi was wounded by an arrow and managed to escape to the foot of Mt. When the wounded Akagisan no Kami pulled out his arrow and stuck it in the ground, hot water mysteriously began to boil, and when he soaked his wound in the hot spring, the wound was healed instantly and the Akagisan no Kami drove back the Futaarasan no Kami.

The god of Mt. Akagi is said to have driven back the god, and thus, the oirigami was transformed into an “old god.

In May every year, the “Great Snake Festival” is held at the Roujin Hot Springs to express gratitude to the god of Mt.

Morning Market in Onsen-kyo

In this region, a famous morning market is held from mid-April to mid-November, starting at 6:00 am. At this morning market, many stores sell a variety of goods, including wild vegetables picked in the mountains by farmers in Tone Town, produce from their own fields, pickles, miso, plants, bonsai, and folk crafts.

The most popular type of oyaki is “oyaki,” which is made of wheat flour dough covered with fukinoto miso (bean paste made from butterbur sprouts) or green onion miso, depending on the season, and baked in the ashes of a hearth after being charred in an iron pot.