Futagawa Onsen

Futagawa Onsen in Aridagawa Town, Arida District, Wakayama Prefecture was a bicarbonate and sulfurous thermal spring facility that operated as a beloved local bathing destination until it was forced to close on April 1, 2017, due to the dual challenge of spring source depletion and the severe corrosion of its aging pipe infrastructure — a combination of geological and engineering factors that brought an end to the spring's active life. The Aridagawa district of Wakayama, known for its citrus groves and the rivers that define its agricultural character, was home to this modest spring whose closure left a gap in the community's access to locally heated geothermal water. Futagawa Onsen stands as a reminder of the fragile and finite nature of natural geothermal resources, and the ongoing effort required to sustain the infrastructure of thermal bathing culture in the face of geological change and physical aging.