basic information

Lake Yunoko

Yunodaira Marsh

Yumoto (lit. "origin of hot water") is a small hot spring town in Okunikko ("Inner Nikko") and part of Nikko National Park. The town is nicely located next to Lake Yunoko (lit. "hot water lake") and consists mainly of ryokan with hot spring baths.

North of the town stands Onsenji, a small Buddhist temple with a hot spring bath open to the public. Next to the temple is Yunodaira Marsh, where most of the town's hot water bubbles up from the ground. Some hot water is also bubbling along the northern shore of Lake Yunoko and a nice sulfur odor hangs over the whole town.

Immediately south of Lake Yunoko, the lake's calm waters suddenly plunge down a steep, 70 meter high slope. The spectacular waterfall is called Yudaki (lit. "hot water waterfall"), but the water of neither the lake nor the waterfall are actually warm.

From Yudaki starts the wonderful Senjogahara Plateau Nature Trail, leading along the Yugawa River (lit. "hot water river") through the woods and across the marshland of the Senjogahara Plateau to the Ryuzu Falls at the shores of Lake Chuzenji. It takes about 2-3 hours to follow the entire trail.

Senjogahara Plateau Nature Trail

Senjogahara Plateau with Mount Nantai

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how to get there

Yumoto Onsen is connected with central Nikko by bus. The Tobu operated buses leave from Tobu Nikko Station (some also serve JR Nikko Station). There are about one to two buses per hour. The one way trip from Tobu Nikko Station to Yumoto Onsen takes about 80 minutes and costs 1650 Yen.

If you are visiting Yumoto Onsen from Tokyo, make sure to consider a Tobu Free Pass, which includes the round trip by train from Tokyo to Nikko and free travel on Tobu buses in the Nikko area.

Note that during peak travel seasons such as the autumn leaf season, traffic between central Nikko and Yumoto Onsen can be very heavy, and buses can incur heavy delays.

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6th of 6 most visited sights in Nikko.
212th of 386 most visited sights nationwide.

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