Yunomine Onsen Hongu

Yunomine Onsen in Wakayama Prefecture is one of Japan's oldest hot springs, recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site as part of the Sacred Sites and Pilgrimage Routes in the Kii Mountain Range. The sulfurous waters are hot enough to cook eggs, and the tiny Tsuboyu — a modest stone-walled bath set in the middle of the hot spring river — is the world's only UNESCO-listed bathing facility and has been used by pilgrims walking the Kumano Kodo trails for over 1,800 years. The onsen village of Yunomine retains a timeless, intimate atmosphere with wooden ryokan reflected in the steaming river and soft light filtering through the forested valley. Soaking in these spiritually charged waters, at the end of a day's pilgrimage walk, is among the most profound thermal experiences in Japan.