三徳山
三朝温泉

A journey of ascetic practice and healing

MISASAA National Treasure along the pilgrims’ path

The world’s leading radon hot springs

Mount Mitoku Misasa Onsen

Prologue

行

Gyō(Ascetic practice)

M

Mount Mitoku

Tokyo

San’in Region
Kyoto
Hiroshima

しMISASA癒MISASAisasa —the setting for this story ofa journey of ascetic practice and healing—islocated in central Tottori Prefecture, which sits
along the Sea of Japan (San’in Region, westernJapan).
With a population of less than 6,000 residents
living in a forested area of 233.52km2, Misasa
is blessed with an abundance of nature andtreasures. Two particularly outstanding treasures
are Mount Mitoku, regarded as a sacred Shugendō(mountain asceticism) site for 1,300 years; and thefamous Misasa Onsen hot springs resort, whichboasts an 850-year history.
Purify your mind and body through ascetic
practice at Mount Mitoku, and regain your senseof self through soothing hot springs at Misasa
Onsen. This is the travel story offered by Misasa,
the wish of townsfolk to welcome travelers.
Let’s follow the etiquette of ascetics, who purify
their minds and bodies with Misasa hot springs
water before setting out for Mount Mitoku, andunravel the story of these two treasures.

Iyashi(Healing)

Misasa Onsen

The origins of Misasa Onsen:a samurai and a white wolf
Around the mid-12th century, a samurai named
Samanosuke Ōkubo was making a pilgrimage to Mount
Mitoku when he spotted an old white wolf and drew
an arrow to shoot it. However, thinking that the oldwolf could be the incarnation of a deity or Buddha, heallowed it to escape. One night, the Bodhisattva Myōken
appeared to Samanosuke in a dream. In appreciationof his helping the white wolf, the Bodhisattva told
Samanosuke the location of a hot spring, instructing
him to use the spring water to heal people’s illness andsuffering. Since the wellspring was located at the footof an old camphor tree, the onsen was called “Kabuyu”(with “kabu” meaning roots or stump) and became thewellspring for Misasa Onsen.
Located on the eastern edge of the Misasa Onsen resortarea, the Kabuyu facility has public baths, foot baths,
and drinking fountains, and it receives an endlessstream of visitors. Statues of Samanosuke Ōkubo andthe white wolf face each other, quietly watching overthe birthplace of Misasa Onsen.
Misasa Shrine—where the guardian deities of Misasa
Onsen reside—is also dedicated to Samanosuke Ōkubo,
and it has hot spring water flowing on its grounds. Said
to be good for purifying one’s hands before praying
and good for drinking to pray for good health, this “holywater” is beyond compare, even in Japan.
The crest of Misasa Shrine is two arrow feathers
intersecting each other. The design reflects the storyof how Samanosuke Ōkubo —an expert archer—purposefully missed two shots to allow the white wolf
to escape.

三徳山

C

leansing the mind andbody

Mount Mitoku

E

Purification of the six roots of perception

verything began with a single flower
petal that landed on Mount Mitoku

The majority of Japan’s land area is mountainous. For Japanesepeople, mountains are both places to make a livelihood throughhunting and gathering, and objects of faith and fear as “places of
the gods”. Shugendō (mountain asceticism) was born though theconnection of mountain worship, Shintō (the indigenous religionof Japan that believes that gods dwell in all natural phenomena),
and Buddhism. Practitioners of Shugendō, or mountain ascetics,
endeavor to draw close to the realm of gods and buddhas by hiding
themselves away deep in the mountains and throwing themselves
into strict ascetic training.
Shugendō is said to have been founded by En no Gyōja. One day hethrew three lotus petals into the air with a prayer that they would
fall on sacred Shintō/Buddhist locations. One of the petals landed
on Mount Mitoku, and so En no Gyōja established it as a place to be
used for ascetic training, taking the first step in the mountain’s long
history as a sacred Shugendō site.
Although En no Gyōja was an actual person who lived in the 7th - 8th
centuries, he is said to have had a husband-and-wife pair of demons
as servants, and there are various legends about him, including the“Legend of the Lotus Petals” mentioned above. A highlight of visiting
Mount Mitoku for worship is Nageire-dō (“Thrown-in temple”), which
En no Gyōja is said to have “thrown into” a cave in the side of a sheer
cliff. Nageire-dō is perched halfway up 899.9-meter-high Mount
Mitoku and cannot be accessed without navigating a steep andprecipitous pilgrimage path, hence its reputation as “Japan’s most
exciting national treasure”.

六根清浄
Listen to the sound of the bells
ringing in the Shoro-dō bell andthe chanting of sutras.

Calm your heart with the scentof incense and rhododendrons.

鼻Nose
Mount Mitoku
Izumo-Taisha

耳Appreciate Buddhist statues andother treasures.

眼

Eyes

Rokkon Shōjō

Mount Fuji

身

Body

Nageire-dō is located on a ley line running east-west at a latitude of
35 degrees 23 minutes north. There are over 10 sacred sites dottedalong this ley line, including Mount Fuji and the Izumo Taisha
shrine. The sun rises and sets along this line during the spring andautumn equinoxes. The glorious sunrise viewed from the top of ahigh mountain is called goraikō, and it can be said that for Japanesepeople—who have a history of worshipping the rising sun above all
else—the location of the Nageire-dō holds special meaning.

Encounter buildings that are as
one with the magnificent naturalforest.

Ears

六根

Sear the overwhelming presenceof the national treasure Nageiredō into your memory.

Rokkon Shōjō (“purification of the six roots ofperception”) is the principle behind Mount Mitoku’s
asceticism.
The “six roots of perception” refers to the organs
that control the five senses (eyes, ears, nose, tongue,body) and the “mind”.
People inevitably see, hear, and interact with things
that are bad. They make mistakes, and their minds
may fill with bad thoughts. The Buddhist concept ofcleansing and purifying the six roots of perception
in order to eliminate such obsessions or desires canalso be seen in Shintō prayers.
Ascetic practitioners have long eliminatedinteractions with secular society in order to avoid
impurity, cleansing and purifying the six roots ofperception by climbing the precipitous face ofMount Mitoku and offering prayers as they throw
themselves into strict ascetic training.
Mind you, when we say ascetic training, what isrequired now is no longer grueling acts such as
standing under a freezing-cold, pounding waterfall.
By sincerely accepting everything you experienceon Mount Mitoku as ascetic training, we hope thatyou will experience the sensation of your six rootsof perception being purified.

Experience a pleasantfatigue walking along thesteep pilgrimage path up
to the temple.

清浄

舌Tongue意

Mind
Purify your heart by worshiping
at Nageire-dō, the finaldestination of the ascetic
training.

Feel the significance ofconsuming other living things tolive by partaking in vegetarian
cuisine.
Experience the rich food culture
as you partake in home-grown
mountain vegetables, tochi mochi,
and tofu.

Main Hall of Sanbutsu-ji
The temple building was constructed in the mid-9th century
and three statues of Buddhas were enshrined inside. The Main
Hall is the starting point for the Mount Mitoku pilgrimage path.
First of all, purify the “nose” of your six roots of perception withthe scent of incense and rhododendrons.
The ascetic training on the way to the Nageire-dō begins here.

C

行

Following thepilgrimage paths

Gyō(Ascetic practice)limbing up the temple path connecting Misasa
Onsen and Mount Mitoku, you come to a torii gate, which isthe entrance to a shrine. Originating in India, Buddhism wasbrought to Japan via the Korean Peninsula in the 6th century
and eventually came to connect and coexist with Japan’sancient religion of Shintō. With four temples—Sanbutsu-ji,
Rinkō-in, Shōzen-in, and Kaijō-in—Mount Mitoku is an exampleof this fusion of Buddhism and Shintō, which is symbolized by
the torii gate that greets visitors.
Cross the Shikuiri Bridge behind the Main Hall of Sanbutsu-ji
Temple and follow the pilgrimage path leading to Nageire-dō,“Japan’s most exciting national treasure”.

Instead of wearing monk’s robes, dress yourself for ascetic
training by draping a monk’s stole inscribed with “Purificationof the Six Roots of Perception” around your neck.
In the West, people tend to regard mountain-climbing as an actof conquering the mountain. For Japanese people, however,mountains are simultaneously objects of fear and places forliving where they can receive the blessings and power ofnature, and climb mountains with a sense of gratitude andrespect.

Climb a steep slope by using tree roots to pull your way up. Climb
up a rocky incline using chains. You can enjoy these as athletic
experiences, but we hope you always keep in mind that these
activities are a part of ascetic training.
Everything that you encounter along the pilgrimage path
purifies your six roots of perception with a pleasant fatigue fromovercoming the difficult spots: the Monju-dō Hall, Jizo-dō Hall,
Shoro-dō bell and four other places used for ascetic training
standing along the path; the scent of incense and flowers; thesound of bells; the magnificent natural forest; and the view fromthe hall stage. During the hour-or-so long trek up the pilgrimage
path, you will never once catch sight of Nageire-dō.
After repeated ascetic training, you will finally arrive at thenational treasure Nageire-dō. Perched in a craggy spot on a
precipitous cliff supported by pillars of various lengths, the hall
looks as if it is floating on air, radiating an awesome presence.
Although the temple cannot be entered and must be worshippedfrom a slight distance, we hope that Nageire-dō’s spectacular
beauty and appearance will be engraved on your heart.
En no Gyōja is said to have thrown the temple into Mount Mitoku
in 706, but later research revealed that it was in fact built aroundthe 11th–12th centuries. However, the mystery of how it was built
remains unsolved to this day.

Purify the “ears” of your six roots ofperception with the solemn sound of
the temple bell. After passing the Shorodō, you will see two sheer cliffs known
as Umanose (Horseback Ridge) andUshinose (Cow back Ridge).

Hanging on to the chains, climb the rockface to the top where you will be greetedwith magnificent views from the Monju-dōHall.
The torii gate standing over the temple
path was rebuilt in 1864, at the end of
the Edo Period.

The first difficult spot you will encounter on thepilgrimage path is Kazura-zaka. Use the roots ofthe trees covering the steep slope as footholds
as you climb. The next tough spot is Kusari-zaka.

Once every three years, a ritual called the Miyuki
Procession is held in spring. The gods are carried outof the temple and paraded around in portable shrines,
bestowing blessings on the people. Departing from theOtabisho (resting place for traveling shrines) in front of
Sanbutsu-ji Temple’s Treasure Hall, the procession andits 200-or-so participants dressed in samurai and otherperiod costumes makes its way through the onsen
district, presenting a scene that might cause onlookers
to feel as though they had travelled back in time to
medieval Japan. In 2017, 10 international students
from Okayama University participated, joining the local
townspeople in creating a colorful procession scenestraight out of a picture scroll.

If you are unable to visit Nageire-dō by following
the pilgrimage path, it is also possible to view it at a
distance from a spot at the foot of the mountain. Thisis the only spot where it is possible to see Nageire-dō
without actually climbing Mount Mitoku.

At mountain temples, it is possible to experience Buddhist
vegetarian cuisine. In compliance with Buddhism’s prohibition
on taking a life or stimulating worldly desires, no animalderived ingredients or green onions are used in the preparationof Buddhist vegetarian cuisine. In Buddhism, both eating andpreparing food are important parts of training. Purify the“tongue” of your six roots of perception as an opportunity
to reflect on the fact that your life is sustained by the lives ofothers, both plants and animals.

Held in autumn every year, the Mount Mitoku
Fire Festival enables you to experience the worldof Shugendō. The highlight of the festival is the“fire-walking ritual”, in which it is believed thatparticipants can have their prayers answered bywalking barefoot through the fire, even if they
have not worshipped at Nageire-dō. This ritual
purifies the mind of the six roots of perception.
It is said that those who have repeatedlycommitted sins cannot walk through the flames
without being burnt.

The restaurant at the foot of themountain serves dishes made withmountain vegetables, tochi mochi, andother local ingredients. Experiencing
the richness of the food culture throughconsumption of local ingredients anddishes also purifies the tongue. Timeand-labor-intensive, tochi mochi ricecakes are made from horse chestnut
conkers that have been processed
to remove the bitter taste. The horsechestnut tree is the flora emblem ofMisasa.

Shōzen-in is lodging for priests and pilgrims at the foot ofMount Mitoku. The building’s thatched roof and other elements
recreate its original appearance, and the essence of temple/
shrine architecture created by modern-day artisans can be seen
throughout the structure.

Healing of the Six Senses

A rare onsen resort

Soothe your mind and body

Soak, inhale,or drink- whatever
you prefer!

Rokkan Chiyu
After finishing your ascetic training and coming back down
Mount Mitoku, relax your mind and body at the Misasa Onsen
hot springs resort.
The history of Misasa Onsen has been woven into one where it isa place for people to stay when visiting Mount Mitoku.
The “Healing of the Six Senses” offered by Misasa Onsen is an
original travel style inspired by “Purification of the Six Roots ofPerception”. It incorporates the hope of the people of Misasa
Onsen that, by relieving and healing your mental and physicaltensions after thorough purification through ascetic training
on Mount Mitoku, you will be able to somewhat “return” to theworld and regain your sense of self before going back to youreveryday life.
The “six senses” refers to the five senses (sight, hearing, smell,
touch, taste) and the “spirit”. Soaking in Misasa Onsen’s waterand seeing the sights of the hot springs district will soothe yourmind and body. All you need to do is enjoy Misasa Onsen’s
attractions to the fullest.
How your six senses will heal is up to you and is achieved by
opening up your mind and having a variety of experiences,among which you may even feel you’ve become a child again.
Each individual’s “growth” born of their own feelings make eachexperience unique.

Listen to pleasant sounds suchas the babbling of mountainstreams, the clopping of geta
(traditional Japanese footwear),and the call of Kajika frogs.
Slowly smell the scentof the water as you
take a bath.

香聴Hearing

六感

Smell

Feast your eyes on the streetscapewith its retro ambience and evenbuildings designated as registeredtangible cultural properties.
Feel like a child again byexperiencing events such as thespringtime Jinsho tug-of-war.

観

The area was named “Misasa” because the hot spring water here is said tobestow eternal youth and longevity, giving rise to the saying: “On the third
morning of your stay, any illness will be gone.”
With the highest radium content of any onsen (hot springs) in Japan, Misasa
Onsen is proudly one of the world’s leading radon hot springs town. Radon
is a radioactive gas produced by the radioactive decay of the tiny amounts ofradium that occur naturally in rocks. Its expected benefits include stimulating
cells, boosting metabolism, and increasing immunity and natural healing
power. The positive effect of stimulation by tiny amounts of radiation is called
the “hormesis effect”.
Okayama University—which has a research center in Misasa —and the Japan
Atomic Energy Agency are jointly conducting research on Misasa Onsen
and the safety of radon has been verified. Based on this evidence, medicine,
tourism, and government are working together hand-in-hand to make the hotsprings resort area even better.
Be sure to consult with a radiumelier (“radium sommelier”) about the mosteffective hot spring bathing method for you. Radiumelier is an accreditation
system unique to Misasa Onsen. Around 70 radiumeliers are Misasa Onsen
specialists and are highly knowledgeable about the town’s history, spring
quality, and effective hot spring bathing methods.

Sight

Rokkan Chiyu

触

Touch
Experience onsen
therapy and theculture of the onsen
resort area.

治癒心Spirit味

TasteExperience the rich food culture byeating locally produced foods suchas mountain vegetables, tochi mochi,
and aged sake.

Recharge your mind andbody with a hot spring cure.

Soak
Soaking in hot springs water enables radon to be absorbed directly
into the body through the skin. Furthermore, the air undergoes slightionization due to the ionizing action of the tiny amounts of radiation,
generating negative ions that produce similar refreshing effects totherapeutic walks in the forest. There are three public baths in the
town: Tamawari no Yu, Kabuyu, and Kawaraburo. If you feel a little
embarrassed about bathing together with strangers, you could easily
enjoy one of the town’s four footbaths.

InhaleBy inhaling the steam rising from the hot spring water
you can easily achieve the hormesis effect. Because radon
evaporates at the wellspring and disperses through theatmosphere, entering the human body through inhalation,
its antioxidant function is heightened, contributing to theprevention of aging and lifestyle diseases. In the town there
are two facilities with radon steam baths especially for“inhaling”. This method is recommended if you are reluctant
to bathe with strangers.

Drink
Drinking the hot spring water is the mosteffective method for absorbing radon.
Wellspring water that has just bubbled out of
the ground contains high amounts of radon(which has not yet dispersed) and is also richin minerals, and it is said to increase bloodin the gastric mucosa. In the town there arethree public places for drinking hot springwater, and it is often possible to drink it atsome of the inns.

A mineral poultice is another onsen therapy utilizing Misasa’s hot springs water.
Mineral mud warmed in the onsen is wrapped in a towel and placed on theaffected body area to warm it and alleviate symptoms. This onsen therapy is highly
effective for back pain, joint pain, and rheumatism. It is also used to treat patientsat Misasa Onsen Hospital, where one can also be soothed by the smiling faces ofthe enthusiastic staff.

Accommodation
Pleasures

In Curie Park at the entrance to Misasa Onsen, visitors are met by a statue ofthe loving scientist couple Pierre and Marie Curie.

International
friendships
Over the years, Misasa has built strong friendships with France andTaiwan. Being a radon rich hot springs town was the catalyst that beganties with France.
Since 1951 Misasa has been holding the Curie Festival every summer
as a means of expressing gratitude for the blessings of hot springsand honoring the woman who discovered radium, Marie Curie. The
townspeople also respect France, where she conducted her research andmet her husband Pierre Curie. And Misasa has had exchanges with France
for many years.
In 1990, Misasa became sister cities with Lamalou-les-Bains, a hot springs
resort area in southern France. Friendly exchange has continued between
the two towns, with junior high school students from Misasa visiting
Lamalou-les-Bains. Since 1993, Coordinators for International Relations
have been dispatched to introduce French culture and coordinate
exchanges between the two towns.
The first exchanges between Misasa and Taiwan began in 1997 throughpear tree exportations to the city of Taichung. Then, in 2007, Misasa
officially became a sister city with the Shigang District in Taichung City.
Ever since, there have been numerous exchanges between Misasa andTaiwan, for instance, official delegations and internships of Taiwanese
students in Misasa Onsen’s ryokan, as well as Misasa’s junior highschool students visiting Taichung. These continued exchanges between
inhabitants contribute greatly to the friendship between Taiwan andMisasa.
Located close to Curie Plaza is the Koitani (“Love Valley”)
Bridge, which was given the name “Vallée de l'amour” by
the then-French Ambassador to Japan in 1987.

Misasa Onsen’s 20 or so accommodation facilities each haverich and unique characters—they take pride in their cuisine;in their gardens; they provide home-style hospitality; someare good for long-term stays; some have annexes enabling
private stays; there are resort hotel-style inns; and there
are even inns whose buildings are designated as culturalproperties; and more!
Even considering only the cuisine, each inn prides itself on
its own original taste and style, with some providing richly
varied buffets, and others serving wild game cuisine uniqueto Japan.
Naturally, all of the inns boast baths brimming with worldclass radon hot spring water. Again, there is a wide variety ofbathing facilities in terms of size, amenities, and atmosphere:
large baths with entertainment qualities; family baths
providing a sense of privacy; outdoor baths exuding a rustic
atmosphere; mist saunas, ondol floor heaters, and more!
You are sure to find an inn that will enrich your journey
towards healing.

Scan here to find the perfect inn for you.

Equipped with shooting galleries, smart ball (Japanese pinball),and other fun entertainment, amusement centers were once a
fixture of Japanese onsen culture. The smart ball machines at
the Izumi Gorakujō Amusement Place are the oldest machinesremaining in Japan today. Still in operation, these smart ballmachines continue to entertain visitors every day.

What shall we doafter dinner?

We often hear people say: “When we stay at hot spring resorts, dinner is served
early and then there is nothing to do afterwards.”
Well, for example, you could turn off the television and talk with family members,
or flop down on the tatami matting like Japanese people do, stretching yourarms and legs and just relaxing. Entrust your body to the relaxing flow of timethat differs from the usual, fully enjoying the “luxury of doing nothing”. This may
be the quintessential way to enjoy a hot springs resort, but below we introducenighttime events you can enjoy at Misasa Onsen together with seasonal pleasures.

SpringSummerJapan’s national flower, the cherry blossom, paints
the onsen district pale pink.

The only sake brewery remaining in Misasa Onsen, Fujii
Shuzō allows visitors to taste their award-winning aged
sake and sweet amazake. You can add ginger, green tea,or coffee to the non-alcoholic amazake to enjoy different
flavors.

Strolling aroundthe retro onsen
district
Misasa’s onsen district retains a colorful retro ambiencefrom the 1960s–70s. This atmospheric streetscapeevokes a sense of nostalgia in Japanese people in their
50s or older, while also appearing novel to the young
generation. Let go and allow yourself to enjoy the relaxedatmosphere of the onsen district by taking a leisurely
stroll, perhaps even feeling you’ve become a child again.

While taking a leisurely nighttime stroll along the Mitoku River,you can enjoy the charming bell-like calls of Kajika frogs from
May through July, and in June you can enjoy the lights of thefireflies dancing in the dark.
The calls of Kajika frogs havebeen proven effective inensuring a peaceful sleep.
Although Japan’s rainy season
falls in June, it is possible toview fireflies even in rainy
weather at the indoor viewing
room.

This traditional
festival expres
ses appreciationof hot springsand prays for a
for the blessing
bountiful harvesbusiness. The
st and prosperou
climax is a tugs-of-war calledusing wisteriavines gathered“Jinsho”. Wovefrom Mount Mi
n80-meter-long
toku, the two hu
ropes weigh 2
getons each andeast-west direc
are pulled in
tion.
an

AutumnAutumn leaves paint the onsen district in vibrantcolors. The autumnal leaves in the Oshika Valley
in the southern foothills of Mount Mitoku areespecially beautiful.

春 夏
秋 冬

Yu no Machi Gallery displays carefully assembled
collections in windows, transforming corners of inns
and stores into mini-museums. There are about 20
displays dotted around the town, mainly along themain street. Look for the orange signboards!
Strip shows were once a form ofentertainment offered in hot springs districts,
but Misasa Onsen’s “New Lucky” strip club
regrettably closed its doors around 10 years
ago. The club’s alluring atmosphere has beenpreserved, however, and is used nowadays
for rakugo (comic storytelling) performancesand silent movie screenings. It has also beenused as a shooting location for photographic
collections.

WinterSnow transforms the onsen district into a monochrome
scene. The cold only enhances the appeal of hot
springs.

Lanterns made with wisteriavines, gathered from Misasa’s
mountains, and Inshū washi(traditional Japanese paperthat is a specialty of Tottori
Prefecture) illuminate the onsennightscape with soft lighting in
spring and autumn.

The Oshika Valley is designated as a National
Place of Scenic Beauty. The valley’s numerous
waterfalls, strangely shaped rocks, and hugeboulders create a mystical landscape.
The season of fresh greenery is also beautiful.

For about one month from the endof July through August, spectacularfireworks displays are held upstream of
the Koitani Bridge.

Snow crab is the king of winter cuisine in
the San’in Region. Savor the fresh taste ofcrab in season prepared using a varietyof cooking methods—crab sashimi, crab
steamed in hot springs water, aromatic
grilled crab, and more!

Nighttime
Kajikawa’s Barbershop and Museum displays art
nouveau, Victorian-era shaving mugs, barber chairs,
and other barbershop equipment. It is the solebarber museum in Japan.

During the Attakaza folk show, you can enjoy
energetic wadaiko drum performances and otherlocal performing arts in the evening after dinner(irregular).

Star gazing events are held from
April through November. Tottori
Prefecture is Japan’s No. 1 spot
for “star visibility”. Enjoy themost beautiful starry sky of Japanenveloped in the onsen district’s
ambience.

Epilogue

1 Enkeigekijō

Kurayoshi Figure
MuseumOriginally an elementary school, thebuilding was renovated and reborn
as a museum thanks to the desire of
local residents who didn’t want to see
the aging school building demolished.
Because circular school buildings canbe constructed efficiently on small
land sites, they became trendy during
the 1950s and 1960s, when around100 circular school buildings wereconstructed nationwide.

2 Shirakabe Storehouses(White Wall District)

This streetscape looks straight out of the frontispiece ofVolume 1 of the manga A Distant Neighborhood by Jirō
Taniguchi

Misasa’s treasures: Mount Mitoku,
Misasa Onsen, andMisasa’s townspeople.
With an unmatched love of conversation, people
cannot stop chatting once they start.
People aspiring to make Misasa Onsen the BadenBaden (Germany) of Japan, people who proposed
the Yu no Machi Gallery to make strolling aroundtown even more fun, and people pouring energy
into protecting fireflies and Kajika frogs….
Aspiring to become a Misasa Onsen specialist
radiumelier (“radium sommelier”), people fromvarious industries—not only people employedat accommodation facilities—have undergone
training.
The inhabitants want Misasa to become evenmore widely known and they want to makeMisasa even better. Their hearts are overflowing
with love and passion for Misasa.
Thanks to the international students studying
at Okayama University and the “Coordinators
for International Relations” system, the warm
people of Misasa often exchange with people
from various countries, building long lasting
international relationships. They will be morethan happy to make new friends!
Although few local residents speak English,
you can try to strike up conversations using atranslation app or other tools.
Warm interpersonal exchange is sure to further
deepen and enrich your journey of asceticism andhealing in Misasa, ensuring it to be an experience
you will never forget.

Tottori Sand Dunes
3
Shirakabe Storehouses(White Wall District)2
1
Enkeigekijō
Kurayoshi Figure Museum
Mount Mitoku
Misasa Onsen

Gōshō Aoyama Manga Factory 4

MISASA

Short trips from
MisasaLocated in the central region of Tottori Prefecture, Misasa provides
easy access to Tottori’s renowned sightseeing spots. Even sites suchas the Tottori Sand Dunes and Gōshō Aoyama (the author of Detective
Conan) Manga Factory are within an hour’s travelling distance.
Misasa is located within the Daisen-Oki National Park. Blessed with
spectacular natural scenery, the park offers a full range of walking,trekking, and cycling courses.
We particularly wish to recommend Kurayoshi, Misasa’s neighboring
town, which is about 20 to 30 minutes away by car or bus. After
immersing yourself in Misasa’s onsen district retro atmosphere, enjoy
another kind of retro in Kurayoshi’s shopping streets.
Merchant houses built during the Edo (1603–1868) and Meiji (1868–1912) periods and earthen warehouses with white stucco walls line
the riverbanks; this district was the setting of the manga A Distant
Neighborhood by Jirō Taniguchi. And it was so popular in Europethat it was made into a live-action French-Belgian film in 2010. Hereyou can stroll around the exact townscape shown in these works,
enjoying their worldview.
The Enkeigekijō Kurayoshi Figure Museum is truly the holy land
for figurines. Here you can see not only displays of Cool Japan’ssymbolic figures, but you can also try your hand at making a figure
for yourself. The setting is Japan’s oldest existing circular schoolbuilding (completed in 1955). Also notice the building’s uniquefeatures such as the spiral staircase that children boisterously ran up
and down in days past and the fan-shaped classrooms that recreate
the atmosphere of its days as a school.

3 Tottori Sand Dunes

2

4 Gōshō Aoyama Manga FactoryMisasa Onsen Ryokan & Hotels Cooperative
910-2 Misasa, Misasa-cho, Tohaku-gun, Tottori 682-0123
Tel: 0858-43-0431
E-mail: info@misasaonsen.jp
Instagram/Facebook: @misasaonsen

Official site

YoutubeMisasaOnsen

Instagram

Approx. 15 minutes by bus
Approx. 10 minutes by taxi
Mount
MitokuApprox. 2 hours 30 minutesby airplane and bus

MISASA
Approx. 1 hour 45 minutes
by limited express train
and bus

Tokyo

Izumo
Approx. 4 hours

Kyoto by limited express train and bus
Hiroshima

Approx. 3 hours 50 minutes by Shinkansen(bullet train), limited express train, and bus

Osaka

Approx. 3 hours 30 minutes
by limited express train and bus

Access(Does not include waiting time)
March 2023