Onsen- Hot Springs
Ranging from modern, crowded and rather flashy and expensive (such as Hanamaki Onsen) to traditional, inexpensive and full of atmosphere like Yudosan Mountain Onsen near Yamagata City or Tôjiba Onsen, a rustic, secluded onsen used for convalescence. Buy an onsen book at any bookstore, and ask your colleagues for their favourite locations.
· ÔSAWA ONSEN: Take a taxi from Hanamaki station. Traditional onsen with a mixed riverside rotemburo (open-air onsen). (\400 onsen only, \3,500 overnight)
· MATSUKAWA ONSEN: Near Hachimantai ski ground. Traditional style onsen with a riverside konyoku (mixed bathing) and sekiburo (stone bath) in the hillside.
· AKUI ONSEN: A 40-minute bus ride from Sendai station. Littered with ryokan (Japanese inns) and onsen. One of the oldest onsen areas in the country.
· YUDA TOWN: Take the Kitakami train line heading west. A variety of onsen to choose from including an onsen in the station.
· YAGEN ONSEN: Near Osore-zan, Aomori Prefecture. Unbelievable! Walk 4km along the Ôhata Rapids to Oku Yagen. Free riverside konyoku (mixed bathing) and segregated rotemburo (open-air onsen). Not crowded even during Golden Week. Stay at Furuhata Ryokan tel: 0175-34-2763
· AONI ONSEN: Not far from Hirosaki. In winter, park your car at the designated rest area, then take the Aoni Onsen bus to the mountaintop, and finally ride a snowmobile to the hotel. Snow, mountains, river, seclusion, oil lamps, gaijin friendly, inexpensive, incredible. If you can go to only one onsen while you are here, this should be the one. Open all year round. Phone for reservations and directions.
tel: 0172-54-8588
· NAMEGAWA ONSEN and UBAYU ONSEN: Near Yonezawa, Yamagata Prefecture. Take the Yamagata Shinkansen or JR Ôu main line to Yonezawa station. Then take the Ôu main line to Tôge station (3rd stop from Yonezawa). Walk (takes a while), hitchhike, or call ahead for a shuttle bus. These onsen are called ‘hitô’ or hidden spa. Stay at Fuku-shimaya Inn tel: 0238-34-2250
or Masugataya Inn tel: 0238-34-2157
Information on Yonezawa and area (Japanese & English) tel: 0238-21-6226
Check out this link for more information about Onsen in the Tohoku area http://www.outdoorjapan.com/site_db/onsen/onsen_pref_home.html?language=...