North Fukui · AwaraNo.1300★★Open in map →

Awara Onsen

onsenOff the trail — and worth it

A hot-spring town of inns north of Fukui city, each drawing on its own wells. Beside the local station, a public plaza holds a cypress-built foot bath free to all and the memorial home of Lu Xun's teacher, Fujino Genkuro.

FromFukui Station
~40 minEchizen Railway, Mikuni-Awara Line
Get off atAwara-Yunomachi Station (Echizen Railway Mikuni-Awara Line)
On foot
Awara Onsen

Directions ↗

The sweet spot

This is one of Fukui's best-known spa towns, not a hidden find. The inns keep their own baths, so for a day visitor the plaza is the simplest way in: its foot bath is free and open to anyone.

Where it is

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What to look for — in walking order

Fujino Genkuro Memorial HallAsturio Cantabrio / CC BY-SA 4.0

Futaomote Onsen Yakushi Halla hall for Yakushi, the Buddha of healing, and the first of the three Yakushi on the town's walking loop
Funatsu Onsen Yakushi Hallthe second of the three Yakushi, further along the same loop through the inn streets
Tanaka Onsen Yakushi Shrinethe third Yakushi, kept as a shrine with a torii; visiting all three is said to bring good health
Fujino Genkuro Memorial Hallthe former home of Lu Xun's teacher, moved to the plaza, with letters and medical instruments on display
Ashiyu foot batha free cypress-built foot bath with five basins fed by two different springs, lit through stained-glass windows

How to actually get there

Fukui Station → Awara-Yunomachi Station (Echizen Railway Mikuni-Awara Line, about 40 minutes).
Awara-Yunomachi Station → the three Yakushi halls, following the town's walking loop through the inn streets.
Back to Yunomachi Plaza for the Fujino Genkuro Memorial Hall.
Finish at the Ashiyu foot bath on the plaza, about two minutes from the station.

Echizen Railway Mikuni-Awara Line from Fukui Station: From Fukui Station, take the Echizen Railway Mikuni-Awara Line to Awara-Yunomachi Station, about 40 minutes. The plaza and the Ashiyu foot bath are about two minutes' walk from the station.
Return from Awara-Yunomachi Station: Take the Echizen Railway back toward Fukui from the same station. Check the timetable at the station before you settle into the foot bath, especially in the evening. The station building also houses a tourist information desk.

Directions from my location (Google Maps) ↗

About the place

Awara Onsen is a hot-spring town in Awara, north of Fukui city, long known as the 'inner parlour of Kansai' for the visitors it drew from that region. The town draws on 74 hot-spring sources. Its inns hold their own wells, so the water feels slightly different from one inn to the next. The public centre is Yunomachi Plaza, a lawn beside the Echizen Railway's Awara-Yunomachi Station. On it stand the Ashiyu foot bath, built entirely of Japanese cypress, and the former home of Fujino Genkuro, moved here as a memorial hall. A walking loop leads from the plaza to three Yakushi halls in the streets around it.

How to enjoy it

Follow the town's own walking loop: out from the station to the three Yakushi halls, then back to the plaza for the memorial hall and the foot bath. Save the foot bath for dusk, because the stained glass and the whole bath are lit up after dark. The official listings give the foot bath long daily hours, from early morning into late evening.

Background & history

The hot spring was found by accident in 1883, when farmers digging an irrigation well for their fields struck hot water. Inns followed, and the town grew into a favoured retreat for visitors from the Kansai region. In 1956 a great fire swept through Awara, and the town was rebuilt afterwards. Fujino Genkuro, the anatomy teacher remembered by the Chinese writer Lu Xun in his piece 'Mr Fujino', was born in what is now Awara. His former home was moved to Yunomachi Plaza in 2011 and opened as a memorial hall.

Before you go

Cash: The city and the prefectural guide list the Ashiyu foot bath as free; towels are sold separately. The Fujino Genkuro Memorial Hall charges an admission fee. Check Echizen Railway's own pages for current fares and payment options.
Good to know: The foot bath sits under a roof and is lit after dark. The plaza's indoor facilities, such as the traditional performing arts hall, keep shorter hours and close over the New Year holidays. The memorial hall has a weekly closing day, so check its listing before you go.
Another way: From JR Awara-Onsen Station on the Hokuriku Shinkansen, take the Keifuku Bus Tojinbo Line or a taxi to the spa town. The Shinkansen station is about 4 km from the plaza in a straight line.
After you get off: From Awara-Yunomachi Station, walk to Yunomachi Plaza beside the station. The Ashiyu foot bath stands on the plaza, about two minutes away on foot.