Misasa Onsen Town 

On a search for restaurants, bars, and souvenirs? Or just sightseeing? Look no further, stroll on the main street of the Onsen town. Kiya Ryokan is located in the center of the main street. If you’re driving, please proceed to the back of the photo on the one way street. 

Izumi Gorakujō Amusement Place 

Step into Izumi Gorakujō and time travel to the Showa Period. You will surely enjoy the old-school retro feel. Win a prize at the shooting gallery! Pinball machines and manual pachinko machines await your challenge. What if the children are better at these nostalgic games than their parents? Time for grandpa to roll up his sleeves! 

Kawara Buro (Riverbank bath / foot bath) 

Under the Misasa Bridge, you will find a famous mixed gender open-air hot spring. A foot bath is also enjoyable especially during the summer with Kajika frogs singing and fireflies dancing as they restore peace and happiness in our hearts. You might be baffled at the sight of local folks (elderly men for the most part) unabashedly enjoying soaking in public. 

Yakushi no Yu (foot bath / spring water drinking) 

Yakushi of Mt. Mitoku (a Buddha of Healing) is enshrined in this hall where you will find a foot bath and a spring water fountain for drinking. Rich in minerals and chloride, this radium hot springs can be enjoyed free of charge. Worshippers of No Cane Jizō, with a faith of full recovery, dedicated their canes once no longer needed. 

Kabuyu (the origin of Misasa Onsen) 

At the end of Heian Period, a samurai of the Minamoto clan encountered a white wolf who was a messenger of Myoken Bosatsu and became a legend. The miraculous hot spring gushes out of the camphor stump and heals many. This hot spring is called the Healing of the Six Senses. Soaking, spring water drinking fountain, and foot bath are available. 

Misasa Shrine (spring water drinking) 

Ōkubo Samanosuke, the samurai of Minamoto clan, known for the white wolf legend is enshrined here. At the purification fountain, worshippers cleanse their hands with spring water before entering the shrine. At the spring water drinking fountain, visitors can drink radium spring water. Fortune slips (written oracles) can be purchased. A deity Ōkuninushi no Mikoto is also enshrined here. A dignified and sacred spot recommended as a matchmaking shrine. 

Nanen-Ji Temple 

In 1927, Dokuzan Hashimoto, a chief Buddhist priest of Kyoto’s Shokoku-ji Temple founded Nanen-ji Temple in Misasa. It is designated as a National Registered Tangible Cultural Property. Priest Dokuzan healed his feet when visiting the hot spring for therapy and decided to build a temple in this land. Superb scenic spot with breathtakingly beautiful hydrangeas and autumn leaves. 

Kajika frogs habitat (Mitoku River) 

“Behind the pebble in the river current A cute little Kajika frog tinkles a bell”
As sung in Ujo Noguchi’s poem, Kajika frogs are a seasonal characteristic of Misasa from May to June. According to the clinical research conducted by Tottori University School of Medicine, listening to the Kajika frogs sing in their habitat of Misasa River helps with pleasant sleep. Nine out of 10 samples reported positive effects. Hop on “Koitani Bashi Bridge” to hear the courtship behavior of the male frogs. Perfect for couples to be on this appealingly named bridge. A matchmaking Ema (a wooden votive picture) and a lit up bridge will make your night romantic. 

Misasa Violin Museum

Specializes in violins, there is the only violin making school in Chūgoku region, on the premises. In addition to learning the history of violins in the world, visitors can enjoy regularly scheduled classic concerts, as well as observing the violin making process. This is a great music spot where healing music pours out of a musical spring.