Hijiori Onsen

Hijiori Onsen in Yamagata Prefecture takes its name from the distinctive elbow-shaped gorge—hijiori—in which the spring emerges, a geological formation where the river turns sharply through volcanic rock to create the sheltered valley that has cradled this sulfated-sulfurous spring for centuries in the mountain interior of the ancient Mogami region. The combination of sulfated and sulfurous waters creates a spring of exceptional mineral complexity, pairing the smooth feel of sulfate-rich water with the distinctive aroma of sulfurous volcanic compounds. Set deep within Yamagata's mountain landscape, Hijiori represents the hidden, intensely mineral character of Japan's most remote volcanic springs in one of Tohoku's most dramatic gorge settings.