Nagato Yumoto Onsen is a hot spring resort slightly inland from the city of Nagato on the Japan Sea coast. Ryokan hotels from various periods line the banks of the Otozure River. The first hot spring opened in 1427 during the Muromachi period after it was discovered by the priest of nearby Tainei-ji temple. The source of the spring is still owned by the temple. The spring is an alkaline simple spring with a slightly slippery feeling. One of the earliest bathhouses is Ontō, first built 600 years ago. In the Edo period, the feudal lord of the Chōshū domain visited the temple for a hot-spring cure.

In the modern period, when the construction of railways began in Japan, Nagato Yumoto Station opened on the Mine Line, making transportation more convenient, and the area evolved into a resort. After a long period of decline, it’s undoing a little renaissance with many attractive new establishments opening,

Tainei-ji Temple
Name in Japanese: 大寧寺
Pronunciation: tai-nei-jee

Tainei-ji is a large temple complex a short distance from Yumoto Onsen. It’s the final resting place of warlord Ōuchi Yoshitaka, who brought renown to Yamaguchi during the Muromachi Period.

The temple grounds are extensive and include a main hall that was reconstructed during the Edo period. There are also a number of legends surrounding the temple, including one that tells of Ōuchi Yoshitaka catching sight of his reflection in a nearby pond, and sensing from its reflection that his end was close. He was overthrown by his vassal Sue Harukata and committed seppuku in the sutra storehouse at Tainei-ji. He was assisted in this by another vassal, Reizei Takatoyo. Takatoyo then cut himself open and flung his own guts up to the ceiling. The scene was depicted in a striking ukiyo-e by Tsukioka Yoshitoshi.

The Banjaku-jo Bridge over the Daineiji River in the temple grounds dates from the Edo Period. Built of rustic stones, it’s particularly beautiful among the coloured leaves of autumn.