Sakurai Onsen Nara

Sakurai, in the central Yamato basin of Nara Prefecture, is the site of some of Japan's most ancient and sacred archaeology, including the Miwa Grand Shrine — one of the oldest shrines in Japan whose sacred Mount Miwa is itself worshipped as a kami deity — and the Hashihaka Kofun, considered by many historians the burial mound of the legendary princess Yamato Totohimomoso Hime and potentially the oldest large-scale burial mound in Japan. Sakurai Onsen Nara draws on sodium and bicarbonate thermal waters from the geological resources of the Yamato basin volcanic zone, providing restorative baths in a city of extraordinary ancient archaeological depth whose Mount Miwa pilgrimage tradition, the Hashihaka Kofun mystery, and the ancient Yamatoji highway culture connecting the earliest Japanese settlements create a profoundly historically layered spa setting. The Miwa Grand Shrine and the sacred Mount Miwa circling trail, the Hashihaka Kofun and the nearby Makimuku archaeological site where the earliest Japanese state formation is being uncovered, and the traditional somen noodle culture of the Miwa area — Japan's most celebrated somen producer — make Sakurai an extraordinarily ancient and culturally rich thermal destination.