Koyasu Onsen

Koyasu Onsen is a hot spring in Nagano Prefecture, whose name Koyasu meaning easy childbirth reflects the traditional Japanese association between certain hot springs and the protection of mothers and infants, a category of spring use that has been part of Japanese bathing culture since ancient times when specific springs were the object of blessings for safe childbirth and the well-being of mothers and newborns. Shrines and hot springs dedicated to Koyasu, the deity of easy childbirth, are found throughout Japan, and springs bearing this name were traditionally visited by expectant mothers seeking the protective blessings of the thermal waters. The simple mineral waters of Koyasu Onsen provide gentle and accessible relaxing bathing, and the spring's traditional associations connect it to the deepest cultural dimensions of Japanese hot spring belief, where natural thermal waters were regarded as sacred gifts from the earth tied to the most fundamental human experiences of birth and new life.