Yunomine Onsen is a hot spring system and resort town in Tanabe, near Hongu Town in southern Wakayama Prefecture, Japan. The Tsuboyu bath is located there, a UNESCO World Heritage site.
A hot creek flows through Yunomine Onsen. The World Heritage site of Tsuboyu Bath; a small, wooden cabin houses a stone-lined hot spring. The soaking pool only fits one or two people. Legends exist claiming that the waters of Tsuboyu have "miraculous healing" properties. Several Kabuki refer to the Tsuboyu bath including the tale of “Oguri Hangan and Princess Terute”, in which the former is healed from a debilitating illness. Folklore asserts the hot spring water changes in color seven times throughout each day. Legends claim that the thermal spring water was found flowing out of a stone statue of Bhaisajyaguru, the Buddha of healing and medicine. The statue is now located at the Toko-ji Buddhist temple.
The Yunomine Public Bathhouse is located next to the Toko-ji temple. A stone sculpture memorializing the monk and high priest Genpo is located on the bathhouse grounds.
One of the public hot springs called Yuzutsu is used as a public community cooking basin for preparing onsen tamago (hot spring eggs), and vegetables. Some of the traditional ryokans use the hot spring water to cook rice porridge. People living in the area have used the hot springs to cook since at least the time of the Edo period (1603 to 1868). Today tourists can buy eggs and vegetables in a net to cook in the 90°C water. Locals claim that vegetables cooked in the spring water lose any inherent bitter flavor, they also claim the spring water tenderizes meat as it cooks. Today, the geothermally heated spring water is piped into residents individual homes.
Yunomine Onsen/Tsuboyu Bath is the only hot spring that is featured as part of the UNESCO World Heritage pilgrim route, Kumano Kodo. Historically pilgrims would soak in an area where the sulfur-rich hot spring water flows into the cool waters of the Yunotani River before praying at the Kumano Hongu Taisha Shinto shrine. The Tsuboyu soaking pool that is now built on this spot.
File:Yunomine Onsen 20131019 - panoramio.jpg|Yunomine Onsen File:Kumano Kodo World heritage Yunomine Onsen Tsuboyu 湯の峰温泉 つぼ湯69.JPG|Tsuboyu Bath at Yunomine Onsen File:Kumano Kodo pilgrimage route Yunomine Onsen World heritage 熊野古道 湯の峰温泉143.JPG|One of many soaking pools File:Kumano Kodo pilgrimage route Yunomine Onsen World heritage 熊野古道 湯の峰温泉61.JPG|Kumano Kodo pilgrimage route Yunomine Onsen world heritage site File:Kumano Kodo World heritage Yunomine Onsen Tsuboyu 湯の峰温泉 つぼ湯21.JPG|Tsuboyu bath File:Kumano Kodo pilgrimage route Yunomine Onsen World heritage 熊野古道 湯の峰温泉30.JPG|Yuzutsu hot spring used for cooking [[Onsen Tamago|Onsen tamago]]
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