Shiobara Onsen Tochigi

Shiobara Onsen Tochigi is located in Nasushiobara City, Tochigi Prefecture, in the dramatic Houkigawa River gorge where the river has carved deep into the volcanic Nasu mountain range — a spectacular canyon where over 200 hot springs emerge directly from the gorge walls at naturally high temperatures, reflecting the intense geothermal activity of the Nasu volcanic zone above. The sulphurous waters of Shiobara's 11 distinct hot spring areas vary in character from crystal-clear to milky-white to yellow-tinged, reflecting the diversity of volcanic mineral deposits along the gorge, and have been sought by visitors for over 1,200 years since the springs are first recorded in historical chronicles of the late Heian period. Shiobara's combination of autumnal foliage — when the gorge fills with red and gold maple leaves — dramatic waterfall scenery, and the therapeutic intensity of its diverse sulphurous springs makes it one of the Tohoku-Kanto borderland's most scenically and therapeutically extraordinary onsen destinations.