Namezawa Onsen

Namezawa Onsen is a hot spring in Minakami Town, Tone County, Gunma Prefecture, one of the eighteen springs that constitute the renowned Minakami 18-yu hot spring cluster in the mountains at the headwaters of the Tone River, also known colloquially as Shaka no Reisen or the Sacred Spring of Shakyamuni Buddha, designated as a national health resort hot spring area and noted in the national topographic survey maps as Namezawa Mineral Spring. Minakami Town in the northern Gunma mountains is one of Japan's finest hot spring resort zones, combining eighteen distinct spring areas with the outdoor adventure activities of the Tanigawa mountain range including the dangerous Ichinokura cliff, Japan's most technically demanding rock climbing face, and the abundant white-water rivers of the Tone headwaters that attract rafters and kayakers from the greater Tokyo metropolitan area. The simple mineral waters of Namezawa Onsen contribute to the comprehensive thermal bathing heritage of the Minakami cluster, whose national health resort designation recognizes the collective quality of its waters and their role in the well-being and relaxation of visitors from the highly urbanized Kanto lowlands.