Sumatakyo Onsen

The hot spring resort is located at the southern end of the Southern Alps, with eight inns and guest houses in the Sumatakyo Gorge and a town-operated open-air bath.

The locals call this hot spring “Bijo Zukuri no Yu,” and the town of Sunmatakyo Onsen is the center of exploration.

The spring is a sulfur spring, with a source temperature of 43.7°C and a gush rate of 540 liters per minute. The spring is known as “Bijin-no-yu” (hot water of beauty) because of its skin beautifying effects.

It is also known as a famous touring spot, attracting many motorcycles on holidays.

The hot spring itself of Sunmatakyo Onsen has existed in the Yuzan area on the north side since 1889, but it sank with the construction of the Ohma Dam.

In 1962, the source was developed by boring, and the hot spring resort was opened accordingly.

In the hot spring town, there are restaurants where you can taste wild vegetables and mountain stream soba, souvenir shops, and retro cafes, where you can spend a relaxing time.

Sunmatakyo Gorge

This beautiful valley was carved by the Sunmata River, a tributary of the Oigawa River, which flows out of the southern tip of the Southern Alps. It is 16 km long and reaches a height of 100 m. The deep valley is lined with waterfalls large and small.

Waterfalls large and small flow through the deep valley, which is surrounded by forests of fir, tsuga, and cedar.

The pristine watershed is home to an abundance of fish such as landlocked salmon, and the forests are also inhabited by birds of prey such as mountain hawks, monkeys, Japanese serows, and other wild animals.

Beautiful autumn foliage and fresh greenery can be enjoyed throughout the year, and the spectacular scenery is one of its many attractions. The fresh green and red leaves are especially beautiful and attract many tourists during the summer months.

The area has been selected as one of the “100 Best Natural Landscapes of Japan to Leave for the 21st Century,” and the scenery is so spectacular that it has been used many times as a filming location for TV dramas.

From the hot spring resort area, a walking trail connects the 90-meter-long, 8-meter-high Yume no Hanging Bridge and the arch-style Hiryu Bridge. It takes about 1 hour and 30 minutes to walk around the promenade. From the suspension bridge, visitors can look down on the emerald green surface of the lake and enjoy the spectacular view.

Sunmatakyo is also known as a hot spring resort and is famous for its “beauty-making hot spring. The natural hot spring water is clear and colorless, and is said to leave the skin smooth and silky after bathing.

It is recommended to spend a relaxing time in the hot spring on your way home from a stroll.

It is located about 40 minutes by bus from Senkashira Station, the last stop on the Oigawa Railway main line.

This is the last unexplored region of the Oigawa River and is a challenging place for drivers to reach by car, as the mountainous terrain makes for a long drive with narrow roads.