INFORMATION

There are various hot springs around the world, and forming a unique culture.
There are many hot springs in Japan, and it is one of the cultures that Japan can be proud of in the world, which is loved by Japanese and foreign tourists.

The universal purpose of a hot spring is to purify the body, cure illness, heal fatigue, and enjoy nature.
In Japanese hot spring culture, besides those points, a large part of Japanese hot spring culture is based on "traveling" such as "enjoying a journey, eating the local food, and experiencing the atmosphere " .

Hot springs have been popular in Japan for a long time, and there are more than 20,000 hot spring sources and hot spring facilities of various types in all 47 prefectures of Japan.
This time, I would like to talk about Japan's "Warring States Period" and hot springs.

The Warring States period in Japan is the name of the era when samurai were fighting with swords and spears 400-500 years ago with the aim of unifying the world. Samurai, ninjas, Japanese swords, and other Sengoku warlords will probably be loved by a lot of people overseas.

The Warring States period is the days of battle. It is said that while medicine was not developing as it is today, hot springs were used to treat injuries inflicted in battle, to heal tiredness, and to heal illnesses. It is called "Yuji-"hot spring cure". The military commander was afraid of being attacked by the enemy, so secured a lot of "hidden hot water" in the mountains that ordinary people could not use. In addition, sulfur for making gunpowder used in guns is often located near the hot spring source, and it is said that the warlords tried to control the hot spring source from this point of view.


Introducing hot springs related to the Warring States period.

Takeda Shingen, who built up a large territory in Yamanashi, Nagano, Shizuoka, and Gunma prefectures, led an army that was said to be the strongest in the Warring States period, but at the same time, it is said that he is said to have been the most fond of hot springs in the Warring States period.One of the hidden hot springs developed and used by Shingen Takeda, the descendants of Masakage Yamagata, who was one of the most influential vassals of Shingen Takeda, are currently managing the hot spring.

It is a hot spring that represents Niigata prefecture, and is one of the three major medicinal hot springs in Japan (the others being Kusatsu Onsen and Arima Onsen). It is said to be one of the hidden hot springs that Kenshin Uesugi, who had fought with Shingen Takeda for many years, liked to go for a hot spring cure.

Ikaho Onsen in Gunma Prefecture, which is now famous as a hot spring town, is said to be the original type of a Japanese hot spring town. Ikaho Onsen is also said to have been established by Masayuki Sanada, who was ordered by the Takeda to heal the wounds many soldiers had sustained in battle.

Ieyasu Tokugawa, the man who finally ended the Warring States period, is said to have favored the Atami hot springs, and he even had the hot water carried all the way to his own castle in Tokyo (Edo Castle). As with other events, it can be said that this is one of the things made famous by the Tokugawa clan, who were the warriors closest to modern society.

It is not a hidden hot spring but a hot spring used by the general public, but it is so famous that Shingen Takeda wanted to monopolize it.

Oda Nobunaga, who was known as the demon king of the Warring States period, is said to have been a very very cautious warlord. It is said that Oda Nobunaga even took his to this place for a hot spring cure.

It is known as the hot spring that Toyotomi Hideyoshi loved. It is said that Hideyoshi Toyotomi united the country and developed the hot spring on a large scale, probably because the possibility of being attacked by enemies decreased and the concept of "hidden hot spring" faded away.　


The above are just a few of the examples.
There are still many other hot springs loved by many Sengoku warlords in Japan.
In modern times, it is not common to go to a hot spring to heal the wounds of a battle.
Why don't you visit hot springs all over Japan to learn about Japanese culture, and learn about the local history and episodes of hot springs?
Of course, you can also try to enjoy nature and food to relax and soothe your daily fatigue!

There are also rules for hot springs, so I think that learning such things will help you get used to Japanese culture and learn the Japanese language, so I recommend it!

If you have a chance to go to a hot spring, please tell your school teachers and friends about the recommended spots!