Hijiori Onsen is a historic hot spring resort nestled in the mountains of Okura Village, Yamagata Prefecture. The town retains the atmosphere of a traditional Japanese tōji destination, where people once stayed for extended periods to rest and recuperate in the healing waters.
With abundant natural hot spring water, source-fed baths, and a simple yet nostalgic hot spring townscape, Hijiori Onsen is a place where visitors can slow down and enjoy a more leisurely style of travel.
At the heart of the hot spring town stands the Former Hijiori Post Office, an unexpectedly elegant retro building set among the traditional streetscape. Its distinctive appearance adds a unique touch to the town and makes it a popular spot for photography.
Another experience not to be missed is the Hijiori Morning Market. From early morning, local women set up stalls selling seasonal mountain vegetables, fresh produce, fruit, and other local goods. Guests in yukata and wooden geta sandals often stop by their stalls, creating the warm, informal interactions that are characteristic of traditional Japanese hot spring towns.
Hijiori Onsen lies at the eastern edge of a depression known as the Hijiori Caldera. Located deep in the mountains, the area receives exceptionally heavy snowfall in winter, with snow accumulation sometimes exceeding three meters.
Rather than simply being a challenge, the area’s abundant snow has become part of its tourism appeal. During winter, various events make use of the enormous snow walls and beautiful snowy landscape, creating experiences that are unique to this deeply snow-covered region.
The hot spring water at Hijiori Onsen is classified as a sodium-chloride and bicarbonate spring. Like many Japanese hot springs, the mineral-rich water is valued for its warming qualities and other traditional bathing benefits.
The town has public bathhouses as well as baths at individual inns, allowing visitors to enjoy hot spring hopping while exploring the area. The tradition of visiting Hijiori as a tōji destination dates back centuries, and the culture of staying for an extended period to rest in the hot springs continues in various forms today.
The appeal of Hijiori Onsen extends far beyond the baths themselves. The town is lined with public bathhouses, footbaths, traditional shops, and small inns, making even a simple stroll feel like a journey into old Japan.
Local shops sell regional specialties and souvenirs such as Hotei Manju sweet buns and Hijiori Caldera Cider, providing memorable treats to take home or enjoy during your stay.
The famous Hijiori Morning Market begins as early as 5:00 a.m. Local residents bring fresh vegetables, wild mountain plants, fruits, and other seasonal produce to sell, giving visitors an opportunity to experience the bounty of the surrounding mountains.
One of the most charming aspects of the market is the interaction between visitors arriving from their inns in yukata and the local women running the stalls. Conversations naturally begin while shopping, creating a warm and welcoming atmosphere reminiscent of an older style of Japanese hot spring travel.
The history of Hijiori Onsen dates back to 807, the second year of the Daidō era during the Heian period. In 2007, the hot spring celebrated its 1,200th anniversary.
An intriguing legend tells of the origin of the hot spring. A man named Genno, who is said to have come from the ancient province of Bungo, visited the area and encountered an elderly monk with an injured elbow.
The monk is said to have shown Genno the hot spring that had healed his injury. According to the tradition, the old monk was actually Jizō Gongen, a sacred Buddhist figure. This legend is one explanation for the name Hijiori, which can be associated with a “broken elbow.”
There are, however, other theories about the origin of the place name. Folklorist Shinobu Origuchi suggested that it may have been derived from the winding course of the Copper Mountain River. An old book dating from 1910 also records the name “Hijiri-ori,” meaning that several interpretations of the name have been passed down over time.
During the Edo period, Hijiori became an important gateway for pilgrims traveling toward Mt. Gassan and Dewa Sanzan, the Three Sacred Mountains of Dewa. Even today, Mt. Gassan has a trailhead known as the Hijiori Trailhead, from which hikers can enter the mountain.
Hijiori also developed as an important base for Hayama Shugendō, a tradition of mountain asceticism. Numerous temple lodgings once operated in the area, including Aunin Temple of the Tendai school of Buddhism and Mitsuzōin Temple of the Shingon school.
As a gateway connected with both Dewa Sanzan and Mt. Hayama, Hijiori developed a distinctive history shaped by mountain worship and pilgrimage.
In the Hijiori area is a rocky cave known as Jizōkura, where the elderly monk from the hot spring’s founding legend is said to have lived.
The cave has long been regarded as a sacred place and remains one of Hijiori Onsen’s important historical and cultural sites.
Over its long history, Hijiori Onsen has attracted numerous cultural figures and historical personalities. Among the poets and writers associated with the area are Shikishima Saitō, Kajio Itagaki, Hekigoto Kawahigashi, Aikaka Yūki, Juzō Kagoshima, and Kenzo Yūki.
The town was also visited by soldiers of the Kuwana Domain during the Boshin War, as well as Naobumi Tateki, who later became a general in the Imperial Japanese Army.
Takashi Hara, who served as vice president of Furukawa Mining and was later Prime Minister of Japan, is also said to have visited Hijiori Onsen in connection with the Nagamatsu Mine.
Since the Meiji period, Hijiori has been known for woodturning and kokeshi dolls. The local woodturning tradition can be traced to the late Edo period, when the first Denzo Kakizaki, an ancestor of the Kakizaki Denzo inn family, traveled to Naruko in Miyagi Prefecture to learn woodturning techniques.
He brought these skills back to Hijiori around 1877. Over time, numerous apprentices and traveling woodturners settled in the area, and the craft developed into an important local industry.
Shops such as Kaneyama Shōten, Yokoyama Niiemon Shōten, and the former Ogata Shōten each worked with their own woodturners and developed distinctive techniques. These traditions contributed to the development of Hijiori kokeshi, which is recognized as one of the established regional schools of kokeshi known as the Hijiori School.
Many Hijiori-style kokeshi craftsmen were active in the past, although today only one craftsman remains in the district.
On October 16, 1989, Hijiori Onsen, together with Kogane Onsen and Ishibukuro Onsen, was designated as a National Recreation Hot Spring Resort under Japan’s system for officially recognized hot spring areas suitable for health and recuperation.
In 1991, Hijiori was also designated as a National Health Hot Spring Resort, a category within the national hot spring system intended to promote health-oriented and recreational use. In Yamagata Prefecture, Hijiori Onsen and Goten Onsen have received this designation.
With snowfall sometimes exceeding three meters, Hijiori Onsen is one of Japan’s famously snowy hot spring destinations. In winter, the town becomes enveloped in deep snow, and the snow itself becomes the setting for special seasonal events.
Hijiori Gensō Snow Corridor is a winter event showcasing the area’s extraordinary snowy landscape. Candles are placed along snow walls that can exceed three meters in height, transforming the streets into a magical corridor of light.
The event is held on weekends from late January through February. Walking through the quiet, snow-covered hot spring town surrounded by candlelight offers an especially atmospheric winter experience.
In late February, visitors can watch or take part in the Ground-Digging Competition, in which participants compete to dig through the snow using shovels.
In mid-March, a giant snowman called “Ōkura-kun” appears, and winter fireworks and other seasonal events are also held.
The local community has also developed campaigns that turn the area’s heavy snowfall into a tourism attraction. Past promotions have included discounts based on snowfall totals and special offers in which one night’s accommodation could be provided free of charge if snowfall exceeded a specified record.
Jizōkura is a cave associated with the elderly monk from the legend of the founding of Hijiori Onsen. It is said to have been established as a sacred site around 600 years ago and is now visited by people praying for good relationships, safe childbirth, and business prosperity.
One local custom involves twisting a piece of paper into a thin cord and passing it through a hole in the rock wall. According to tradition, doing so can bring good fortune in love and relationships, offering visitors an unusual glimpse into local folk beliefs.
Komatsubuchi is a scenic gorge along the Copper Mountain River near Hijiori Onsen. A local legend tells of Hachiro Oyama of the Shinjō Domain defeating a giant serpent in this area.
Surrounded by abundant greenery, the gorge is particularly beautiful during the fresh-green season and autumn foliage season, when the surrounding trees create vivid seasonal scenery.
Hijiori Kibō Bridge is an approximately 240-meter-long bridge and is among the longest structures of its type in Japan. It was built to replace a section of prefectural road that collapsed in spring 2012 and was completed in November 2013.
Its distinctive S-shaped design and large supporting piers make it an impressive landmark and a new gateway symbol for visitors arriving at Hijiori Onsen.
The Former Hijiori Post Office is a historic building constructed in 1937. Located in the center of the hot spring town, it stands out among the traditional buildings and streets.
Today, the building is also used as a venue for various events, including small concerts.
Hijiori Onsen experienced three fires within a period of 20 years. Following these disasters, a stone monument dedicated to Akibayama Shrine, traditionally associated with protection from fire, was erected.
The stone used for the monument was brought from Komatsubuchi, while the inscription is said to have been commissioned from the head priest of Zuihōji Temple in Sendai. The monument remains a reminder of the local community’s desire to protect the hot spring town from fire.
Yuza Shrine, also known as Yakushi Shrine, has been worshipped since the early history of Hijiori Onsen. It is said to have been established around the same period as Jizōkura and stands on a small hill beyond the Akibayama monument.
Every year on August 20, a traditional sumo tournament is held as an offering to the shrine, bringing local residents together for a long-standing community event.
Hijiori Dam is an erosion-control dam constructed in 1952. Located toward the back of the hot spring town, the surrounding area has been developed as a spring park where visitors can enjoy the natural landscape accompanied by the sound of flowing water.
The dam has also been designated as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property of Japan. It can therefore be appreciated not only as infrastructure that has supported the local community but also as a piece of historic civil engineering heritage.
At the spring park upstream along the Copper Mountain River stands a stone structure known as the Gen-Sen Dome. Through its glass windows, visitors can observe the hot spring water emerging from the ground and gain a closer understanding of the natural source of the area’s famous baths.
The inside of the dome is pleasantly warm. Visitors can sit on the surrounding benches and relax while enjoying the warmth generated by the hot spring, creating an experience similar to a gentle foot or lower-body bath.
Hatsukoi Footbath is located immediately beside Hijiori Dam. Visitors can soak their feet in the hot spring water while looking out over the clear Copper Mountain River and the dam.
Shikamura Rice Terraces spread across gently sloping land surrounded by mountains such as Mt. Hayama and Mt. Gassan. Their beautiful rural scenery evokes an image of traditional Japan, and the terraces have been selected as one of Japan’s “100 Best Rice Terraces.”
In summer, the Shikamura Rice Terrace Firefly Festival is held, when small lights illuminate the terraces and surrounding mountain village, creating an enchanting nighttime landscape.
Hijiori Onsen is one of Yamagata’s historic hot spring destinations, with more than 1,200 years of history and a traditional tōji atmosphere that has survived into the present day. Walking through the town reveals public bathhouses, footbaths, the former post office, local shops, and other elements of a simple, nostalgic hot spring community.
The area’s attractions extend beyond the hot springs. Sacred sites such as Jizōkura and Yuza Shrine, the traditional craft of Hijiori kokeshi and woodturning, the clear waters of the Copper Mountain River, and the beautiful Shikamura rice terraces all form part of the area’s cultural and natural heritage.
Winter brings another dimension to Hijiori, as the town is covered in deep snow and hosts events such as the Gensō Snow Corridor, giant snowman displays, and winter fireworks.
Soak in the hot springs, stroll through the morning market in a yukata, admire the snowy streets or mountain scenery, and take your time discovering the local culture. Hijiori Onsen offers a chance to experience a slower, traditional style of Japanese hot spring travel, deeply rooted in the region’s long history, nature, faith, and tōji culture.