Iwamuro Onsen
岩室温泉
A small hot-spring town at the foot of Mount Yahiko with about three hundred years of history, known as “Niigata's backyard garden.” It pairs well with a visit to Yahiko Shrine.
Iwamuro Onsen lies at the foot of Mount Yahiko in Nishikan Ward, Niigata City. Its hot springs began to be used in the mid-Edo period. Legend says they were discovered when an injured white heron was seen healing itself here. As a post-station hot spring on the Hokkoku Kaido and called “Niigata's backyard garden,” it was once a place of leisure for geisha from Furumachi. The hot-spring street is small, with about a dozen inns. The waters are saline sulfide springs, and you can bathe at communal bathhouses or at inns on a day-visit basis. There is a free foot bath at the entrance to the street. The area also has rural scenery such as the tree-lined rice-drying rack paths of Natsui. It is about one hour by bus from Niigata Station, or about 10 minutes by taxi from Yahiko Station. It is a good place to spend a night after visiting Yahiko Shrine.
Opening hours
All day (varies by facility)
Nearby sights
- Yahiko Shrine & Mt. Yahiko
- Teradomari Fish Market Street
- Marinepia Nihonkai (Niigata City Aquarium)
- Hakusan Shrine & Hakusan Park
- Former Saito Family Villa
- Furumachi & Furumachi Hanamachi
- Bandai Bridge
- Ponshukan Niigata Station