Shuzenji Onsen

Shuzenji takes its name from the temple founded here by tradition in 807 by Kobo Daishi, who is said to have struck the rock in the river bed with his staff and brought up hot water. That spring, Tokko no Yu, is still in the middle of the Katsura river, marked by a small roofed structure on a rock; it can no longer be bathed in but the water runs. The town is small, built along both banks with red bridges, and the two set pieces are the bamboo path - a short walk under a planted grove with a round bamboo bench in the middle - and Chikurin no Komichi, its lit continuation. The temple has a museum with a mask connected to a grim episode in the Kamakura shogunate's family history. Several inns date back centuries, and the writer Natsume Soseki nearly died of a haemorrhage at one of them in 1910.

History

The hot springs have been used for more than fourteen centuries, and folklore says Kobo Daishi, who lived from 774 to 835, found them by probing the rocks of the river with his staff (Wikipedia, Shuzenji Onsen).

What you'll find

• Tokko no Yu - a spring in the middle of the river, marked by a small roofed structure.
• The bamboo path - a short planted grove walk with a round bench at its centre.
• Red river bridges - the town built along both banks of the Katsura.
• An 807 foundation - the temple whose name the town carries.

When to go

Late November for maples along the river. Two days.

Things to know

It is small - the walkable centre takes half an hour. The bamboo grove is short and busy with photographers. The river spring cannot be bathed in. Inn prices in autumn are high and book out.

Nearby

Jogasaki coast is east across the peninsula; Dogashima is west.

Key facts