Yudanaka Onsen

Yudanaka Onsen has a long history, dating back to the 7th century. The haiku poet Kobayashi Issa loved this area and left many works.

The area is divided into five districts: Yudanaka, Shinyutanaka, Hoshikawa, Honami, and Yashiro. Each district has many sources, and each source has different qualities and benefits, so visitors can enjoy a variety of hot springs.

There are about 40 lodging facilities, ranging from large inns to small, family-run traditional inns, dotted with souvenir stores and restaurants.

The hot spring was discovered by the monk Chiyu, who named it “Youkalei.
Chiyu erected the Maitreya Stone Buddha to the east of the hot spring to protect it.

The word “遐齢” means long life and longevity, and “養遐齢” means that it is a spiritual spring that heals illnesses, refreshes the mind, and allows one to live a long and healthy life.

In the old days, it was an inn on the Kusatsu Highway and a therapeutic hot spring.
The Sanada clan of the Matsudai domain loved the hot spring in Yudanaka and had it delivered to their castle.

If you use a Yumeguri Onsen Handbill, you can visit the Kaede no Yu hot spring in front of the station or any of the three participating ryokan.

Oyu was ranked as the east-ranked yokozuna in the public bathhouse ranking, along with Dogo Onsen, the west-ranked yokozuna.

The Jigokudani Yaen-koen, where the world’s only wild Japanese macaque monkeys can be seen bathing in the hot springs, is nearby.