South Akita · YuzawaNo.1270★★Open in map →

Oyasukyo Daifunto

— Steam and boiling water bursting from a gorge wall

natureOff the trail — and worth it

A deep gorge in the hills beyond Yuzawa, where a walkway at river level passes a cliff roaring out 98°C steam and hot water. Take the stairs down to stand beside it, or look down on the same steam from an arched bridge above.

FromYuzawa Station
~55 minBus, ~55 min from Yuzawa
Get off atKawarayu bus stop (Ugo Kotsu, Yuzawa–Oyasu Line)
On foot
Oyasukyo Daifunto

Directions ↗

The sweet spot

This is a well-known, signposted sight, not a hidden one. What limits it is the approach: buses from Yuzawa are few, and the walkway into the gorge is closed through the winter months.

Where it is

34 more notes in Akita · open the map →

What to look for — in walking order

Oyasukyo from Kawarayu BridgeIppukucho / CC BY 3.0

Kawarayu Bridgean arched bridge across the gorge, for looking down on the steam without the stairs
Lower stairsa gentle zigzag flight starting opposite the main car park and Aguri-kan
Riverside walkwaythe path along the Minase River at the bottom of the V-shaped gorge
Daifuntothe cliff where scalding water and steam burst from cracks in the rock
Upper stairsa long, straight flight back up to the road near the Tokotonyama entrance

How to actually get there

Yuzawa Station → Kawarayu stop (Ugo Kotsu bus, Yuzawa–Oyasu Line, ~55 min).
Kawarayu stop → Kawarayu Bridge on foot; look down on the steam from above.
Go down the lower stairs opposite Aguri-kan and follow the riverside walkway to the Daifunto.
Climb out by the long upper stairs, then walk back through the village to Aguri-kan.

Ugo Kotsu bus from Yuzawa Station: Yuzawa Station (JR Ou Line) →(Ugo Kotsu bus, Yuzawa–Oyasu Line, ~55 min)→ Kawarayu stop. Only a few buses a day run through to Oyasu, and some of them run on weekdays only, so build the day around the timetable. The city also names Tokotonyama as a stop for the Daifunto.
Bus back to Yuzawa: Take a Yuzawa-bound bus from Kawarayu or Tokotonyama. Return departures are few as well, so check the time before you go down into the gorge.

Directions from my location (Google Maps) ↗

About the place

Oyasukyo is a V-shaped gorge that the Minase River has cut deep into the mountains south-east of Yuzawa. From the road, stairs set against the rock drop about 60 metres to a walkway beside the water. Partway along, hot water and steam at 98°C force their way out of cracks in the cliff with a roar. The river has cut open a geothermal reservoir here, a layer of rock that holds hot water and steam, and left its fractures exposed. The official guides describe the formation as rare anywhere in the world.

How to enjoy it

Allow about 30 minutes to go down, walk along the river and climb back up, and take the climb slowly. Fresh spring green and autumn colour are the classic seasons; in winter the walkway is shut, but great icicles called shigakko hang in the gorge and can be seen from above. Afterwards, the footbath Agurinoyu at the main car park is a place to rest your legs.

Background & history

The Edo-period travel writer Sugae Masumi came here and described the place in his Takamatsu diary: a noise like the rumble of the thunder god, and hot water bursting out as if the stream were splashing. Just upstream lies Oyasukyo Onsen. Under the Akita domain it was called Yumoto Onsen and was one of the domain's officially approved places to take the waters. Today Yuzawa City presents the Daifunto as one of the sites of the Yuzawa Geopark.

Before you go

Cash: Neither the city's travel site nor the tourism association lists an entry charge for the gorge walkway. Check the bus fare with Ugo Kotsu, and carry cash in case a card is not accepted on board.
Good to know: The walkway is closed in winter, roughly from early November to late April, and at any time when the Minase River runs high. After a spell of rain, check with the Oyasukyo Onsen information centre before you set out. The stairs are long and the climb back out is the hard part. The water and steam at the vent are scalding, so stay on the walkway.
Another way: By car, leave the expressway at Yuzawa IC and follow Route 398 up to Oyasukyo Onsen; the main car park is at Aguri-kan, the tourism and products hall. A reservation-only shared taxi, the Komachi Shuttle, also runs from Yuzawa Station.
After you get off: Kawarayu stop is by the main car park and Aguri-kan. The lower stairs start opposite Aguri-kan. For the view from above, walk a few minutes along the road to Kawarayu Bridge first.