Overview
Kintaichi Onsen is a hot-spring area on the banks of the Mabechi River in the city of Ninohe, Iwate Prefecture, promoted locally as an "onsen village" with several inns clustered along the water.
Highlights
- ●An onsen village of several inns lined along the Mabechi River
- ●Hot-spring roots said to trace back to 1626
- ●Alkaline water recognized as a National Public Health Spa
- ●Former home of an inn linked to zashiki-warashi folklore
History
The springs are said to date back to 1626, in the early Edo period, when they were developed as a place of recuperation for samurai serving the Nanbu clan of Morioka Domain. In April 1994, the alkaline spa was designated a National Public Health Spa by Japan's environmental authorities.
Access
The onsen area lies along the Mabechi River within Ninohe city, with a handful of ryokan and bathing establishments situated close together.
Best season
The baths can be enjoyed year-round, and the alkaline water is well suited to warming up during Tohoku's cold winters, while spring and autumn add pleasant riverside scenery to a soak.
Map
40.3208, 141.3172 · Wikidata
Suggested itinerary
- 1Follow the Mabechi River from central Ninohe to the onsen area
- 2Take a day-use soak in the alkaline waters at one of the inns
- 3Sample local Ninohe specialties near the springs
- 4Stroll the area while learning about its zashiki-warashi legend
Did you know?
💡 The alkaline water here has long been said to help with neuralgia, lower-back pain, high blood pressure, and rheumatism. One inn in the area, Ryokufūsō, was once famous nationwide as the home of a zashiki-warashi, a household spirit of local folklore, until the building was destroyed by fire on October 4, 2009.
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