Shima Seiryuu no Yu makes a great onsen day trip. It is frequented by many of the Nakanojo town locals. It is opened between 10am-9pm. However during winter, Shima Seiryuu no Yu will close at 8pm. Also, please note that they will close for every fourth Wednesday of the month and they will close for the 27th-29th of December every year. The entry fee for adults is 500 yen for 2 hours, 800 yen for 4 hours and 1,500 Yen for all day.
Shima Seiryuu no Yu is only a 20-minute walk from Sekizenkan Ryokan. You will only need to walk down the main road which follows the Shima river and to enjoy being surrounded by the luscious green mountains. For those arriving from Nakanojo station, there is a local bus from the station that stops outside Shima Seiryuu no Yu. To access Shima Seiryuu no Yu, you will need to cross a bridge labelled 朝日橋 (Asahi-hashi) meaning ‘morning sun bridge’. I recommend that you take a few moments to stop at this bridge and allow the dazzling view of the Shima river wash over you.
The Shima Seiryuu no Yu building was built in 1996 thus making it a clean, comfortable onsen equipped with new shower facilities and a relaxing foyer area. I recommend that you treat yourself by staying at Shima Seiryuu no Yu as you can treat yourself with both an open-air bath (rotenburo) and an indoor bath. There is also an outdoor garden where guests can stop by and have a picnic while relaxing to the bubbling bright blue river below.
The male onsen is blessed with the riverside scenery whereas the female onsen can enjoy the fresh mountainside view. Both the male and the female onsen have an indoor bath and an open-air bath. The water at Shima is thought to cure 40,000 ailments since the word ‘shima’ means 40,000 in Japanese. A few of the ailments the water is believed to cure are neuralgia, chronic female ailments, chronic skin conditions and stomach problems. This can be due to the rich mineral content the water possesses, which are sodium, calcium, chloride and sulphate. Water like this is nothing less than smooth and the water has never been tempered by chemicals. When you sink into the onsen, immediately you will feel the warmth seep into your bones and you will feel the hot water melt your fatigue away. Staying here will certainly leave you feeling invigorated and refreshed.
Moreover, with just a stone’s throw away from the onsen, you can explore a tall waterfall and a path leading down to the river; thus providing an opportunity to get up-close and personal with nature once you've soaked up from the onsen.
