Akiu-onsen Hot Spring秋保（あきう）温泉

A relaxing, beautiful experience amid nature's bountiful wonders. Modern hotels "bloom" right alongside the glorious greenery.

Akiu-onsen Hot Spring is located in the west part of Miyagi, on the bank of the Natori-gawa River, which flows from Sendai Bay into the Pacific Ocean. It is an old hot spring whose origin dates back to the 6th century. Though Akiu is near the center of Sendai, over 90 percent of the town consists of mountain and forests. There are modern hotels in the middle of the greenery, giving it a quiet appearance.

Along the Natori-gawa River, there are many beautiful spots, from Rairai Valley with its mysterious, eye-catching crags, to Akiu-o-taki Falls and Futakuchi Valley. Rairai Valley is near the entrance of Akiu-onsen Hot Spring, and is beautiful in the green of spring and when the leaves are tinted by autumn. However in winter, when snow piles up on the five waterfalls and rocks, the scene is like an India ink painting. Akiu-o-taki Falls is 55 meters high. Walk down the walkway to its basin and look up, to appreciate its vast scale. The great sound of falling water and the spray have become symbols of Akiu-onsen Hot Spring.

If you walk 15 minutes from the Akiu-onsen-Yumoto bus stop, you will come to the vast natural forests of Tenshukaku-Shizen-koen Park, a nature park where you can visit the mountain streams. This is a place where the townspeople relax, at modern facilities like Shinrin Sports-koen Park and the golf course.