Shima Onsen

Shima Onsen in the Nakanojō area of Gunma prefecture is a traditional mountain hot spring resort village deep in the forests of the Agatsuma valley, whose bicarbonate sodium spring waters have been prized within a thermal tradition for over 1,000 years. The village's collection of ryokan (traditional inn) buildings, their wooden facades and lantern-lit paths reflecting the careful aesthetic of Japanese traditional architecture, creates an atmosphere of genuine historical continuity in a setting of mountain forest and cold, clear river water. Shima Onsen gained particular fame when it provided the atmospheric inspiration for Hayao Miyazaki's beloved animated film Spirited Away — the bath house of the film's spirit world bears a striking resemblance to the historic Sekizenkan ryokan, one of Japan's oldest surviving onsen inns. The combination of legendary thermal waters, Ghibli animation heritage and exquisite traditional Japanese architecture makes Shima Onsen a pilgrimage destination of cultural significance.