It is said that Tamatsukuri hot spring was discovered 1300 years ago by the god Sukuna-hikona, who appears in Japanese mythology and accompanied Okuni-nushi around  Japan developing the land and industry. The hot spring appears in the ancient chronicles as “the water of the gods”.

The sun god Amaterasu, had three sacred treasures, the sword, the mirror and the magatama, which is a curved jade or agate bead. The bead is said to have been made here in Tamatsukuri, and the area has long been known for its high-quality agate.

The hot spring district is surrounded by mountains and Lake Shinji, and has many high-class hotels and ryokans on either side of the river that runs through the town.

Getting there: Bus/taxi or a 20 minute walk from Tamatsukuri Onsen Station.