With a history spanning 1,300 years, this famous hot spring is one of the Kansai region’s most celebrated and beloved by many literary giants, including Naoya Shiga. The beautiful streetscape of the hot spring town, with willow trees lining the Ootani River and arched taiko bridges, is truly "the Japanese hot spring town." The greatest appeal of this hot spring resort is the culture of "sotoyu meguri," where visitors change into yukata and geta and tour the "7 public bathhouses." This unique system, which regards the entire town as one large inn, is immensely popular with foreign travelers seeking an authentic local Japanese experience of strolling through a hot spring town in yukata, and it attracts many visitors from around the world.