Matsukawa Onsen History
The history of Matsukawa Hot Springs dates back to the 11th century
The hot springs of Matsukawa Onsen in the central western part of Iwate Prefecture have long been loved as a therapeutic bath, with people going out of their way to this remote mountain location from far-flung homes to experience its effects. The earliest written record dates back to the first decades of the eleventh century, when a retainer of the Abe family charged with defending the northern territories is reported to have discovered them. Flash forward to the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries, and local Matsukawa lore holds that these hot springs served as a place for soldiers to ease their weary bones during the wars waged among their daimyo leaders.
The hidden spot of Matsukawa Hot Springs is a hilly region surrounded by forests, at an altitude of about 850 meters, where people can truly relax away from the hustle and bustle. According to written records, this area was officially registered as a hot spring resort in 1743. In modern times, after the Hachimantai region was incorporated into the Towada Hachimantai National Park in 1956, more people came to enjoy the hot springs. Even so, the local roads were not paved until 1970.
First Commercial Geothermal Station in 1966
As municipal authorities and inn operators alike sought to develop Matsukawa’s offerings in the early 1950s, a geological survey team drilling for springs struck instead on powerful reservoirs of steam, a discovery that would eventually lead to the establishment of the country’s first commercial geothermal station in 1966.
The bath water at the Matsukawa Onsen lodging facility is drawn from a natural hot spring, and the power plant supplies hot water for the kitchen and sufficient steam energy for indoor heating, allowing hot spring guests to relax comfortably in cotton yukata even in the midwinter bath.
Modern Day Matsukawa Onsen
For the modern traveller, the healing sulfur springs of Matsukawa Onsen are less than two hours by bus from Morioka, the prefectural capital. However, it is introduced in the Association to Protect the Hidden Hot Springs of Japan because it is located in the wonderful environment of the National Park.
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