Tsurunoyu Onsen Honjin

Tsuru-no-Yu Onsen Honjin: A Thatched-Roof Window into Japan's Edo-Era Hot Spring Culture

Tucked deep within the snowy beech forests of the Nyūtō Onsen Village in Akita Prefecture, the Honjin of Tsuru-no-Yu Onsen is one of Japan's most atmospheric surviving examples of a traditional thatched-roof hot spring lodging. Its blackened timbers, low eaves, and long rows of paper-screened rooms evoke a Japan that has almost entirely disappeared. For travellers seeking not only an onsen but a genuine passage back in time, the Honjin offers a remarkably rare experience—one recognised in 2010 when the building was registered as a National Tangible Cultural Property.

A Historic Retreat in the Heart of the Nyūtō Hot Springs

The Honjin stands at the entrance of Tsuru-no-Yu Onsen, the oldest of the eight inns that make up Akita's famed Nyūtō Onsen Village at the foot of Mount Nyūtō. Beyond its moss-softened steps lies a cluster of old wooden buildings, mountain streams, and steam rising from sulphurous pools—a landscape that has drawn pilgrims, samurai, farmers, and artists for more than three centuries.

According to local tradition, the spring was originally called "Tazawa-no-Yu." The modern name arose in 1708, when a matagi hunter named Kansuke is said to have discovered a wounded crane (tsuru) healing itself in the mineral waters. The inn evolved as a seasonal toji (therapeutic bathing retreat), primarily used by farmers during the agricultural off-season, and it remains true to that rustic spirit today.

Historical Background: When a Samurai Lord Came to Bathe

The building's name, "Honjin," reflects its aristocratic past. In 1638 (Kan'ei 15), Satake Yoshitaka—the second lord of the Kubota Domain, which governed much of what is now Akita Prefecture—travelled to Tsuru-no-Yu to take the waters. In the Edo period, a "honjin" referred to the formal lodging reserved for a feudal lord and his retinue during official journeys. At Tsuru-no-Yu, the Honjin specifically housed the samurai guards who accompanied him, remaining on alert while the lord enjoyed the healing baths.

The building that greets visitors today is a later incarnation, constructed in the Meiji period (1868–1912) and carefully maintained through successive renovations in the Shōwa era (roughly 1926–1988) and again around 1998. Yet its proportions, materials, and layout faithfully preserve the feel of an Edo-period mountain toji lodging, which is precisely why it holds such extraordinary cultural value.

Why It Was Designated a Registered Cultural Property

On 15 January 2010, the Honjin of Tsuru-no-Yu Onsen was officially registered as a National Tangible Cultural Property (Registered Tangible Cultural Property, Building). Japan's registration system protects structures that are of significant historical, technical, or scenic value and that should be preserved for future generations, even when they are still in active everyday use.

The Honjin earned this recognition for several reasons. It is a remarkably long east-west structure—roughly 43 metres in length—built as a single-story wooden building with a hipped, thatched roof (yosemune-zukuri kayabuki). A smoke vent rises from its southern roofline, hinting at the open hearths that once warmed travellers. The western half of the building contains an earthen-floored entry (doma) and five guest rooms of eleven tatami mats each, while the eastern half houses rest areas and administrative rooms. The exterior is clad in vertical wooden boards, and the interior features exposed beams finished with the traditional adze (chōna) technique.

Taken together, these features preserve the atmosphere of a working mountain toji with unusual integrity—an increasingly rare heritage in contemporary Japan.

Highlights: What Makes the Honjin Unforgettable

Staying or even pausing at the Honjin is an immersive sensory experience. The long row of guest rooms, each fronted by sliding wooden doors, echoes the architecture of Edo-period nagaya (row houses). Inside, several rooms feature a working irori—a sunken hearth set in the centre of the tatami floor—where guests gather in the evening to grill river fish and enjoy a slow-simmered local hot pot.

The rooms are deliberately simple: bare tatami, a low table, futon laid out at night by the staff, and the quiet crackle of burning charcoal. There are no televisions. After dark, lanterns glow warmly against the dark timbers, and the roof thatched with straw muffles every outside sound.

• Thatched roof and weathered timber walls that look most dramatic under winter snow
• Irori-equipped rooms where meals are prepared over an open hearth
• Access to the four distinct hot spring sources of Tsuru-no-Yu: Shiroyu (white), Kuroyu (black), Naka-no-Yu (middle), and Taki-no-Yu (waterfall)
• The famous milky-white mixed outdoor bath, Tsuru-no-Yu's most photographed feature
• The signature "yama-no-imo nabe"—a miso-based mountain-yam hot pot created by the inn's proprietress

Visitor Information

Tsuru-no-Yu Onsen operates as an active inn, and the Honjin remains in use as a guest lodging. Day-use bathing is generally available between 10:00 and 15:00, though access to the outdoor baths may be restricted on Monday cleaning days. Because the Honjin's five guest rooms are in constant high demand, reservations are accepted by telephone beginning six months in advance of the intended stay; a limited number of nights can also be booked through the official website of the Japan Secret Hot Springs Association.

The mountain road leading to the inn is unpaved in sections, and in winter the approach is deeply snowbound, so many visitors arrive by the inn's shuttle pickup from the designated bus stop. Visitors are encouraged to dress for mountain weather in any season.

Surrounding Attractions

The Honjin is an ideal base for exploring one of Tōhoku's most scenic corners. Within a short bus or car ride lie:

• Lake Tazawa — Japan's deepest lake at 423.4 metres, known for its cobalt-blue water and the golden statue of the legendary Princess Tatsuko on its western shore
• The other inns of Nyūtō Onsen Village — Kuroyu, Magoroku, Kaniba, Myōnoyu, Ōgama, Taenoyu, and Kyūkamura Nyūtō, each with its own distinct waters
• Kakunodate — a beautifully preserved Edo-period samurai district with wooden gates, weeping cherry trees, and traditional merchant houses
• Mount Nyūtō and the surrounding beech forests — excellent for hiking in spring and autumn, and snowshoeing in winter