Distant view of Nasu-onsen-jinja Shrine (Photo: Tomoko Kamishima)

Nasu-onsen-jinja Shrine

Discovery of Hot Springs

Tomoko Kamishima   - 1 min read

Nasu-onsen-jinja Shrine is at the foot of Chausu-dake Mountain (1915m). Nasu-yumoto Onsen Hot Springs is very close to this shrine. In 630, a local official named Kano Yukihiro hunted a white deer, which was eating the crops in his field. He shot an arrow at, and hit the deer, but it escaped. He followed the deer into Nasu-yumoto, and eventually found the deer soaking in an unknown hot spring to heal its wound. Looking at the deer in the hot spring, Kano thought it was a blessing from God. And so he dedicated this shrine. This shrine is also famous for Nasuno Yoichi, in the Tale of the Heike.

Tomoko Kamishima

Tomoko Kamishima @tomoko.kamishima

Japan is a small island nation, but we have a huge number of surprising things to discover here. Many of these delights can be found when you step off the main street onto small side paths. I really enjoy studying about and researching various aspects of traditional Japanese culture, and then sha...