Why You Should Visit Yunomine Onsen in Japan, Tanabe, Japan

Yunomine Onsen is one of my favorite places in Japan and there are lots of fun things to do there. Here is why you should visit Yunomine Onsen and how to plan your trip to this hot springs mountain village…

I absolutely ADORED Japan. I spent a month traveling the country on a budget and it was truly a dream trip for me. But, as it was my first time in the country, I mostly chose the well-known and touristy places to visit – Tokyo, Hakone, Kyoto, Hiroshima, Miyajima Island, Nara, Osaka… they were all great but definitely not undiscovered by the tourist masses.

But Yunomine Onsen, a tiny mountain village with hot springs, definitely felt more off the beaten path. And although I only spent one night there, I loved it so much and wished I had spent longer.

Toby and I visited Yunomine Onsen while hiking the five-day Nakahechi Kumano Kodo route – one of only two UNESCO-listed pilgrimage hikes in the world. We got there in the afternoon after hiking most of the day and I was instantly smitten. ...... (follow the instructions below for accessing the rest of this article).