Akō-Misaki Onsen

Ako-Misaki Onsen rises on the cape at Ako in Hyogo Prefecture, the city immortalized in Japanese cultural consciousness by the Chushingura—the story of the 47 loyal ronin samurai who avenged their master's death in 1703 and were subsequently ordered to commit ritual suicide, creating the most celebrated story of samurai loyalty in the entire Japanese literary and dramatic tradition. The saline waters of this cape spring carry the mineral richness of the Seto Inland Sea coast, where ancient marine geology concentrates chloride minerals that warm and support the body with the lingering heat retention called yudamari, valued in Japanese coastal bathing tradition for sustained warmth after leaving the bath. Bathing at Ako's cape spring combines dramatic Seto Inland Sea maritime scenery with waters that connect, through the city's name, to the most famous act of samurai loyalty in all of Japanese history.