Tsunagi Onsen
繋温泉
A thousand-year-old hot spring resort on the western edge of Morioka, beside Lake Gosho. Legend says Minamoto no Yoshiie once tethered his horse here before bathing, and it is the city’s “back garden.”
Tsunagi Onsen has a history of about a thousand years. Legend says that during the Heian period, Minamoto no Yoshiie tied his beloved horse to a stone while bathing, which gave the place its name. The horse-tethering stone still remains. The hot spring village lies on the shores of Lake Gosho, with about a dozen inns lining the lake, most with views of the water and Mount Iwate. The water is an alkaline simple sulfur spring, leaving skin wonderfully smooth. Many inns accept day-trip bathers. A bus from Morioka Station takes about 30 minutes, and inns usually offer pickup from the station.
Opening hours
Day bathing approx. 11:00–15:00 (varies by inn)
Nearby sights
- Lake Gosho
- Morioka Handi-Works Square
- Koiwai Farm
- Iwate Museum of Art
- Kogensha & Zaimokucho
- Kaiun Bridge & Kitakami River
- Nanshoso
- Morioka Castle Ruins Park