Yunotsu Onsen Shimane Prefecture
Yunotsu Onsen 温泉津温泉
Jake Davies
The main street of the old-fashioned hot spring resort of Yunotsu
At the bottom of the main street on the waterfront in the Tourist Information Office and small car park
Yunotsu is a small, quiet, old-fashioned type of hot spring resort dating back 1,300 years. The town is a sleepy fishing village on the Japan Sea coast of Shimane.
Yunotsu is part of the Iwami Ginzan World Heritage Sites and also a Preservation District for Groups of Historic Buildings, the only hot spring in all of Japan to be registered as such.
Motoyu, one of the two, very small, public hots spring baths in Yunotsu
Next to the two public onsens, this former bathhouse is now a stylish cafe and antique shop
Attractions
A narrow lane running up the hill from the small fishing harbor is lined with traditional ryokan. Other buildings from a time gone by are also awaiting you in this quiet and secluded historic resort.
For those who want to do more than just pay a quick one day visit to the Iwami Ginzan World Heritage site and the surrounding attractions, then Yunotsu is a good choice to base yourself as accommodations in the area are few and far between.
Overnight visitors will find not a lot to do in the evenings other than relax! Yunotsu lacks the commercialism and neon of many other hot spring resorts.
Put on your yukata and geta and wander down to the waterfront to enjoy the view, atmosphere, and quiet.
There are a couple of small izakaya and eateries though, but on Saturday nights one of the shrines on the main street will be all lit up. Most of the guests in town will be heading there because there is a performance of the local entertainment, Iwami Kagura.
Iwami Kagura, a dynamic, high speed, colorful type of dance theater, is beginning to become known throughout Japan. However, most Japanese have not seen it and these Saturday night performances are a great opportunity to experience a unique folk art.
Near the top end of the town are two small, public onsens that are both typically "retro".
Motoyu and Yakushiyu are both open from early in the morning and are used by locals and visitors alike. The Yakushiyu has waters highly rated by the Japan Onsen Association, and also has a nice space upstairs for relaxing after your soak. You can also climb up to a balcony with views over the rooftops.
For daytime visitors there are plenty of walks along the scenic coast, with several quiet inlets and bays, including Okidomari, the old port that serviced the silver mine at Iwami Ginzan.
On Saturday nights the local shrine is illuminated in preparation for an exciting performance of Iwami Kagura
The Naito Family residence, now a Japan Heritage site, was where the family that controlled the town lived for centuries
Shrines, Temples, Sake & Ceramics
Like any Japanese town, there are several shrines and temples worth exploring, and there are a few cafes and shops.
If you like sake, stop in at the Wakabayashi Sake Brewery and try their kaishun, the tipple that has been drunk by locals for more than a century.
Just up the hill from the top of the town is Noborigama Pottery, and here you can see some of the biggest climbing kilns in Japan.
Worth seeing, three of these kilns rise up the hillside and are now covered with tile roofs. Twice a year firings take place and all year round there are classes in pottery as well as a gift shop.
Smoke billows from one of the twice-yearly firings at the climbing kilns of the Noborigama Pottery
Tourist Information Office
There is a small Tourist Information Office right next to the waterfront that can help with information about local events and festivals etc. They also have a map, in Japanese, of the area and free wifi. On the second floor is a small museum about the town.
Yunotsu Tourist Information Office
791-4 Yunotsu, Oda-shi, Shimane 699-2501
Tel: 0855 65 2065
Hours: open daily from 8.45 am to 5.30 pm.
Wakabayashi Sake Brewery has been in operation for more than 100 years
Accommodation
Places to stay in Yonotsu include Tabinoyado Kiunsoh, a traditional ryokan with modern facilities. Yuzuriha, a three star ryokan, is in the village of Oda, a short drive away. Ryokan Nushiya is located a short journey south of Yunotsu on the coast.
Access
Yunotsu is a station on the JR Sanin Line. By express it is one hour from Matsue, about 6 hours from Osaka, and about 4 hours from Hiroshima via highway bus to Hamada.
Omori and Iwami Ginzan are less than 30 minutes' drive by hire car.
The Iwami Ginzan Kaido walking trail connects Omori with Yunotsu.
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Yunotsu is a small, quiet, old-fashioned type of hot spring resort dating back 1,300 years located on the Japan Sea coast of Shimane Prefecture.
