The Hot Springs of Shuzen Temple, 1853 woodcut by Utagawa Hiroshige, Part of the series Famous Places in the Sixty-odd Provinces, No. 14 (Tōkaidō group)
The hot springs have been used for over fourteen centuries[2] for their therapeutic properties.[3] Folklore tales describe the discovery and founding of the hot springs by Kobo Daishi (774-835), a Buddhist monk who probed at the rocks in the river with his walking stick (tokko) releasing the hot spring water.[4] The historical town that was built up around the geothermal system was also called Shuzenji, however it has since merged into the city of Izu.
Description
Tokko-no-yu is the best known hot spring in the system; it is located between the banks of the Katsura River in the middle of Shuzen town. A small rustic open-air public bath house has been built above the spring containing an ashiyu or foot spa.[2][5]Kawara-no-yu is a hot spring in the system that is used as a public foot bath; it is located at the riverside.[6] There are numerous commercial spa hotels and historic ryokan in the area, as well as Hakoyu, the public bathhouse.[7]
Geology
The onsen system is part of the Amagi volcanic mountain range.[8] In Japan, more than 27,000 hot spring sources exist, many of which, including Shuzenji Onsen have been developed into onsen towns.[3]
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