Kawayu Onsen

A hot spring area famous for the Sennin Buro, a natural outdoor hot spring bath only open from December to February. Piping hot 70° C water wells forth endlessly from a sodium-hydrogen carbonate, chloride spring under the bed of the Oto River, a tributary of the Kumano River, mixing with the river water to reach just the right temperature. Visitors can also dig into the gravel to create their very own outdoor hot spring bath. Anyone can bathe in the waters but those not staying at a hotel or inn in the area should bring their own shovel. Swimsuits are required. A public bathhouse is also located nearby. The area’s hot spring waters can also be drunk, and doing so is said to treat such ailments as gastrointestinal disorders, diabetes, and gout, while bathing in them is said to also alleviate diabetes as well as nerve pain.