Mezame Onsen

Mezame Onsen—the Awakening Spring—takes its name from the invigorating experience of sulfurous volcanic water on the skin in the early morning, when the sharp, penetrating quality of hydrogen sulfide minerals most dramatically stimulates the senses and revives the body from the torpor of sleep in the Japanese tradition of morning bathing that begins the day with complete thermal renewal. Wakayama Prefecture's deep connection to sacred pilgrimage—the Kii Peninsula hosts both the Kumano Grand Shrines pilgrimage route and the Koyasan Buddhist complex, both UNESCO World Heritage Sites—gives any spring here an additional spiritual dimension in which awakening the body parallels the awakening of spiritual consciousness sought by the pilgrims who traverse these sacred routes. This spring's awakening name and sulfurous character make it a spring of visceral morning renewal in Wakayama's spiritually charged landscape.