Japan – Hot spring baths in Scenic Island of Kyushu
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After a half hour, Haruvuki Ito has had enough and climbs out of the knee-deep, hot spring water and takes a towel to dry himself.
It’s a familiar ritual for Haruvuki who visits the hot water springs on the market square in Shimabara town everyday.
This part of the country is dotted with hot springs and most people on the southern Japanese island of Kyushu regularly visit them.
The abundance of natural springs led to Japan’s bathing culture, which fulfils an important role in stabilising society, as well as looking after the nation’s bodily health.
Many Japanese could not imagine life without hot springs. “I come here everyday to relax and meet friends,” says Haruvuki as he dries himself.
Other places to relax in Shimabara are its teahouses, such as Shimabara Mizuyashiki, which was built in 1872 and is an oasis of calm.
Visitors sit on the tatami mats sipping tea while gazing at a green pool. The teahouse is a good place to try specialities such as kan-zarashi, a sweet tasting dumpling made from rice flour.
The town also has a castle constructed in 1964 modelled on the original which was built in 1615 and served as the residence of the local ruler.
Shimabara was extended in the 17th century into a fortified town for strategic reasons. Today, it marks the point of entry for visitors travelling to Unzen Amajkusa National Park.
At the heart of the park is the small town of Unzen, about 30 minutes by bus from Shimabara.
The area is famous in Japan for its natural, hot springs and is popular with people from all over the country who flock there for a few days every year to try the waters.
Every hotel has its own communal bathhouse for guests. The springs are not the only attraction the area can boast of; the national park has spectacular mountains and volcanoes to offer also.
Trekkers can take a cable car to the mountain station from where a path leads over Mount Myoken, 1,333m high to Mount Kunimi at 1,347m.
The volcano on Mount Fugen, 1,360m high, is currently active and visitors are advised to get no closer than a few hundred metres from the crater.
The crater at Mount Heisei Shinzan, 1,486m high, is also off-limits. The Mount Unzen Disaster Memorial in Shimabara is testament to the volcanoes’ destructive power.
Volcanoes are also a major feature of Aso National Park, about 90km east of Shimabara. At the heart of the park is a volcano crater 18 to 24km in diameter.
But it is the park’s stunning beauty that is the main attraction for visitors and there are several observation points along the crater where travellers can stop and admire the view.
Towering above the scene are the mountains of Takadake, Nekodake, Eboshidake, Kishimadake as well as the active volcano Nakadake.
The city of Aso also has numerous public bathhouses for visitors, sometimes in locations where they would least be expected.
Aso Shimodajo Fureai Onseneki is at first glance just a small railway station into which leads a single track line.
“The station was almost shut down a couple of years ago,” explains Seiji Kosawazu, the stationmaster.
Then someone had the bright idea of tapping a nearby hot spring and constructing two bathhouses inside the station, saving it from closure. The bathhouses are separated by gender and are popular with locals who pay a small fee to use the spring water.
“We have had a few foreigners here as well,” says the stationmaster.
Beppu in the northeast of Kyushu is also renowned for its hot springs. Its surrounding hills are a good place to visit at sundown to view the plumes of steam billowing above this small port town.
Beppu might seem a little rough in the daytime but it does have Mount Takasaki, home to about 1,200 apes who live wild on its slopes.
At the foot of the mountain beside the coast is Oita Aquarium where walruses, sharks and other sea creatures can be seen.
Of course Beppu is also a good place to go for a dip and enjoy what many Japanese like to do for entire weekends at a time.
It is common to see people walking between the bathhouses wearing robe-like garments. Hotels usually have private facilities for tourists who want a more reserved bathing atmosphere.
However, there is less chance of meeting people like Haruvuki Ito, who prefer to take a dip at the market square.
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