Awazu Onsen Oldest Ishikawa

Awazu Onsen in Komatsu, Ishikawa prefecture, claims to be Japan's oldest onsen still in continuous use, with historical records documenting therapeutic bathing here since 717 AD during the Nara period — a span of over 1,300 years of unbroken Japanese thermal tradition. The chloride-rich sodium spring waters flow into ryokan baths in a traditional hot spring village retaining the intimate atmosphere of old Kaga province, in a region synonymous with refined Kaga cultural traditions including Kenroku-en garden, Kanazawa's Higashi Chaya geisha district, and the extraordinary lacquerware and gold leaf crafts of the Noto Peninsula. Soaking in waters that have welcomed Japanese bathers across thirteen centuries of history — from Nara-period monks to modern city dwellers — creates a direct sensory connection to the full arc of Japanese onsen culture.