Yunohama Onsen is a coastal hot spring resort located in Tsuruoka City, Yamagata Prefecture, facing the Sea of Japan. The town has been welcoming visitors for over 1,000 years, with historical records indicating that the springs were discovered during the Heian period. Local legend attributes the discovery to a fisherman who noticed an injured heron healing its wounds in the thermal waters, leading to the onsen's nickname "Heron's Hot Spring". The town developed as a fishing village that simultaneously served as a therapeutic bathing destination, and it remains one of the few hot spring resorts in Japan situated directly on the seafront.
The defining characteristic of Yunohama Onsen is its dramatic coastal setting where hot spring baths overlook the waves of the Sea of Japan. The water temperature ranges from 60 to 90 degrees Celsius at the source, with sodium chloride composition that is particularly effective for neuralgia, rheumatism, and skin conditions. Several ryokan and public bathhouses offer ocean-view bathing facilities where visitors can experience the therapeutic waters while watching sunset over the sea. The proximity of Mount Kinbo to the east creates a striking landscape contrast between mountain and ocean that has been celebrated in Japanese poetry and art.
Visitors typically stay in one of approximately 30 traditional ryokan that line the waterfront, many of which have been operated by the same families for generations. Most accommodations include kaiseki dinner featuring fresh seafood caught in local waters, particularly rock oysters, turban shells, and red snow crab during winter months. The public bathhouse Kamoneso serves day-trippers and provides the most affordable access to the waters at approximately 500 yen per person. A narrow beach runs along the resort area, and in summer months it attracts swimmers and beachgoers who combine seaside recreation with onsen bathing.
Yunohama Onsen is located approximately 7 kilometers northwest of central Tsuruoka. The most convenient access is by taxi from Tsuruoka Station on the JR Uetsu Main Line, which takes roughly 15 minutes and costs around 2,500 yen. Local buses operated by Shonai Kotsu run between Tsuruoka Station and Yunohama Onsen approximately every 90 minutes, with the journey taking 30 minutes and costing 400 yen. For travelers arriving by air, Shonai Airport is 30 kilometers south of the resort.
