Kannawa Onsen "Tani no yu"
With the manager of the local union, Mataichi, in front of the reception
We visited Kannawa Onsen “Tani no yu” in Kitajū, Beppu, Ōita. It is located down from Hirata River, that’s why this onsen is named as “Tani no yu” (An onsen in a valley).
The reception is in the house next to Tani no yu. Put coins into the gray pipe shown in the picture above, the pipe sends the coins to the box.
The dressing room is integrated with the bathroom (there is no dedicated dressing room). There are compartments to keep your clothes and belongings. And, please have a look at the right side of the picture.
The statue of Fudō-Myōō is enshrined in the bathroom. We have never seen a statue like this placed in a bathroom, especially Fudō-Myōō (As hot spring is closely related with the medicinal therapy, Yakushi-Nyorai is common).
The bathtub is simple, but nicely aged. Currently, Men’s bath and Women’s bath are separated; however, there used to be only a big mixed bath in the past.
The water is clear and transparent, and the type is chloride spring. It is said this hot spring treats back pain well.
Shinichi (the name of the man in the bathroom) is 84 years old and has been coming to Tani no yu for 84 years. He has been coming here since he was born, that is amazing!
The original temperature of this hot spring is very high, approx. 90°C (194°F), hence it should be cooled down for bathing. Adding cool water is the easiest way to decrease the temperature, but the minerals contained in the original hot spring is weakened if normal water is added, it means the health benefit is weakened as well. In Tani no yu, after the cleaning is finished, the hot spring water is cooled down naturally by gradually storing the water in the bathtub through the night. By doing so, the bath temperature becomes moderate in the next morning without weakening the health benefit.
This hot spring is said to be opened around 1830 in the Tenpo period. No one knows for sure from when the statue of Fudō-Myōō is enshrined. However, on Mar 21st and Aug 21st, the statue is moved out of the room and purified by a Buddhist monk in the temple nearby. On these days, a lot of local people come to Tani no yu to celebrate it together.
MAP
INFORMATION
Name: Tani no yu
Address: 1 Kumi - 8 Kitajū, Beppu, Ōita
Tel: None
Access (Car): 30 min from the centre of Oita City. 44 min from the Oita airport
Parking Lot: 10
Opening Hours: Daily 06:30 - 21:00
Price: JPY 150
