Nasu-Yumoto: Hot Springs, Landscapes and Legends

Nasu-Yumoto brings together the landscape on the southern slopes of Chausu-dake and the history of a hot spring resort. The town is the centre of the Nasu hot spring area. If you’re looking for a holiday rental in this area, you’ll find a distinctive mix of nature, traditional stories and hot spring culture: Sesshoseki is associated with a fox legend, while Shika no Yu offers insights into the history of the resort.

A hot spring resort on Chausu-dake

Nasu-Yumoto lies on the southern slopes of Chausu-dake. At the foot of the mountain, in a valley above the hot spring area, there is an area with sulphur gas and scattered large and small rocks. This landscape gives the town a distinctive connection to nature. Its character differs from the historical stories and architectural history that visitors can discover elsewhere in Nasu-Yumoto.

This combination makes the destination appealing: Nasu-Yumoto is shaped not only by its role as a hot spring resort, but also by its mountain setting and the valley landscape. Families who enjoy gathering different experiences on holiday can explore nature and local history as two distinct themes. You can decide whether your trip should focus on the surroundings of Chausu-dake, the culture of the hot spring resort, or both.

Sesshoseki: Walking trail and fox legend

Sesshoseki lies in the hot spring district of Nasu-Yumoto, 200 metres north of the main building of Nasu Onsen Shrine, beyond the car park by the Yukawa River. A wooden boardwalk leads around Sesshoseki to the sights of Nasu Onsen Shrine and Sentaijizō, making for an easy stroll. If you’re travelling with children, you can use the trail as an opportunity to explore the surroundings together, rather than focusing your visit solely on the stories about the place.

Sesshoseki is associated with the legend of a nine-tailed fox with a white face and golden fur. The fox lends the place a fairytale quality that pairs well with a walk. Literature is also part of its history: Matsuo Bashō visited Sesshoseki and left the haiku “Ishi no ka ya natsu kusa akaku tsuyu atsushi”. The legend and the poem offer different ways to experience the same place—through a story or a literary image.

Shika no Yu and the history of the hot spring resort

Shika no Yu represents another side of Nasu-Yumoto. The present-day bathhouse has a bathing building from the Meiji era and an entrance area from the Taishō era. The two parts of the building therefore date from different periods. If you’re interested in architecture and the development of the hot spring resort, you can appreciate two historical layers of design here, rather than viewing the bathhouse as a single, uniform structure.

Traditional scenes of yu-momi and timed bathing can still be seen in the wooden communal bath. These scenes offer a glimpse of traditional bathing customs. The name Shika no Yu is also connected to a story: according to legend, a hunter came upon the spring in the early 7th century while pursuing a deer. The legend, bathing customs and historical parts of the building each give the place a distinct connection to the history of the hot spring resort.

Nasu-Yumoto as a base for your trip

Nasu-Yumoto has modern hotels alongside traditional inns for hot spring visitors. This variety is part of the character of the resort. When looking for a holiday rental in Nasu-Yumoto, you can start by considering which side of the town you want your trip to focus on: the landscape around Chausu-dake, an easy walk near Sesshoseki, or the cultural history of Shika no Yu. This lets you choose your destination based on the experiences that interest you most.

If you’d like to expand your travel plans to include more places, here are some more destinations in Tochigi: Tochigi, Ōtawara, Ashikaga, Sano, Mooka, Mashiko, Nikkō and Nasu.

For the broader travel overview: Tochigi Prefecture.