Yugawara is a quiet haven nestled peacefully between the natural beauties of the Izuï¼Hakone Mountains and Sagami Bay. Located in the most southï¼westerly corner of Kanagawa Prefecture, this historic spa town reflects the traditions and tranquility of a byï¼gone era. With its quiet, narrow streets, picturesque houses, and hospitable inns, Yugawara invites the visitor to come and relax a while, and enjoy the many Pleasures that make Yugawara a hidden treasure to be discovered.
Yugawara is rich in tradition and history. It is proud of its close ties to Japan's first samurai government established in Kamakura by Shogun Yoritomo Minamoto in 1192. It was his aide, the Yugawara warlord, Sanehira Doi, who helped Yoritomo raise an army strong enough to establish Kamakura as the center of Japanese political and cultural life.
Yugawara-onsen is a hot spring town, which has a magnificent view of Sagami Bay, as well as mild weather throughout the year. This beautiful spot has been known as an ancient spa town since it was described in "Manyo-shu," Japan's oldest collection of poems. The rows of ryokan, hot spring inns, are reminders of the good times of the past. In the latter part of the 1800s, after the Meiji Era, Yugawara's mild climate and the abundance of lush nature fascinated many famous Japanese novelists, such as Soseki Natsume, Toson Shimazaki, and Ryunosuke Akutagawa. The town has become known as a health resort associated with these novelists ever since.
