Shuzenji Onsen is a fairly easy short trip from Numazu or Atami. Nestled deep in the mountains, this onsen town is quite atmospheric that turns into a magical wonderland at night with tasteful lighting. This is one of the oldest resort towns on the Izu Peninsula.
The legend of this onsen town says back in the 8th century, a monk induced a rock to produce a sacred hot spring after seeing a young boy wash his sick father in the river, teaching them to use the hot water for healing.
To get here, take the Izu-Hakone Sunzu Line, which is covered by the Mount Fuji - Shizuoka Area Tourist Pass, from the JR or Shinkansen stop at Mishima. It's about a 40 minute ride and upon arriving at the final stop, Shuzenji, transfer to the bus, which is also included in the pass, for the short ride to the onsen town.
I arrived at around dinner time, but the town was already very quiet and it was a bit eerie to follow the red illumination up a short set of stairs to the Hie Shrine, which is surrounded by huge and majestic old trees, with one cedar believed to be 800 years old.
The Katsura River runs through the town and the attractions line along it. You can climb up this small tower to the viewing deck for a view of the town. Next to it is Hakoyu, a famous hot spring where a shogun bathed in it.
The Tokko no Yu is believed to be the town's origin hot spring. Given its status, it is not allowed to bathe here.
Shuzenji Temple was established in the early 9th century and gives the onsen resort its name. It witnessed power struggles, imprisonment, and worse over its history.
Heading to the other side of the river, you can soak your feet in the free footbaths at Tokkonoyu Park, which faces the Tokko no Yu.
A short walk away is a beautiful bamboo forest that I exclusively roamed for a number of minutes. Lit up nicely, it is a far better alternative to the crowded Kyoto equivalent in Arashiyama.
I hope to be back again during the daytime to explore the town, go into the temples and check out the shops.
