2025 Tenkawa Travel Guide: Must-see attractions, popular food, hotels, transportation routes (updated in July)

As the heat of the day subsides, Dorogawa Onsen town is beautifully lit up from dusk to night, creating a fantastical landscape reminiscent of "Spirited Away". ✨✨✨The townscape, wrapped in warm light along with the murmuring of the quiet river, is perfect for a trip with family or couples. ☺️After soaking in the hot springs♨️, strolling around the hot spring town at night in a yukata will give you a nostalgic yet new Japanese atmosphere. 🥹It's also perfect for a relaxing adult trip, so please enjoy a special moment to heal your mind and body while spending a relaxing time in a nostalgic space. 😉 ✅ Tips 1️⃣Even though it's a hidden area in Nara Prefecture, it's still hot during the day at this time of year. We recommend that you plan to arrive in the evening and stay overnight, or if you're there during the day, we recommend Menfudo Cave (admission fee: 500 yen for adults). The average temperature inside the cave is 8℃, making it perfect for a cool escape from the heat✨✨✨ 2️⃣There are paid parking lots in various places, but there are also free parking lots✨However, there aren't many of them, so we will give you a special tip for those who have read this article😉Please look at the last photo in the article. +:-:+:-:+:-:+:-:+:-:+:-:+:-:+:-:+:-:+:-:+:-:+:-:+:-+📍Name of the spot: Dorogawa Onsen🗺️Address: 13-1 Dorogawa, Tenkawa-mura, Yoshino-gun, Nara Prefecture🕰️Opening hours: 24 hours💰Admission fee: Free🅿️Parking: Free, paid parking available Access🚗Car1️⃣From Osaka, take the Minami-Hanna Road to the end of Katsuragi IC, Takada 1️⃣From Kyoto/Nara City, take R169/R309 via the bypass for about 120 minutes. 2️⃣From Kyoto/Nara City, take R169/R309 via the Kashihara Bypass on the Keihan Expressway for about 120 minutes. 3️⃣From Nagoya, take R169/R309 via R370 from the Hari IC on the Meihan Expressway for about 120 minutes (from the Hari IC). 🚃Train, 🚌Bus. 78 minutes by bus from Kintetsu Shimoichiguchi Station (to Dorogawa Onsen, get off at the last stop, "Dorogawa Onsen") #Recommended for family trips #NaraTourism #TenkawaVillage #Secret #DomesticTrip

Located at the junction of Osaka and Nara, Dorogawa Onsen is one of the few mountain hot springs in Kansai that retains its rustic style. There are no noisy tourists here, only gurgling streams and century-old hot spring houses, which make people instantly away from the hustle and bustle. The hot spring water is weakly alkaline, and the skin will be smooth after soaking, especially after autumn, when the maple leaves dye the mountains red. When you look up while bathing, you will see red leaves all over the sky, just like being in an oil painting. Locals most recommend "Dorigawa Onsen Green Hot Spring", a wooden hot spring house with an open-air bath. Look up at the starry sky at night, and the mist in the morning adds a sense of mystery. It takes about 1.5 hours by train from Osaka, suitable for a day of relaxation or a half-day leisurely bath. If time permits, you may wish to visit Nara Park and experience the dual healing of the ancient capital and natural hot springs!

📍 Picturesque Onsen village with 500 years history next to the sacred Omine mointain 🚩 Come to Dorogawa onsen to enjoy peace, nature, meditation and try some freshly made food. 🏖️ Must-Visit Attractions: You shouldn’t miss 2 monorails that go up to the caves but make sure to check the schedules as one is not working on Wednesday for example. Also, there is wild forest, mountain river full of fish and abandoned bat caves. If you are a nature seeker it is easy to spend your whole day there. 🚇 Transportation: Plan your route in Japan navitime to have a correct timetable. Although it may take up to 3 trains and bus to get here it’s quite simple, you should just arrive to Shimoichiguchi station by train from Osaka/Kyoto and then take bus number 2. In one hour you will see the village! 📷 Photo Spots: every corner is a photo spot! 🍜 Local Cuisine: mostly fish everywhere and soba, cafes might be close so check before. Also there is a local brewery with great beer! 🏠 Accommodation 1.Hanaya Tokubei: old ryokan that is cozy, beautiful and makes you feel like home. 💡 Tips Try to arrive as early as possible because monorails close around 16, and the you will have enough time for kaiseki dinner and onsen with beer!

✔️Mitarai Valley Mitarai Valley is a spot in Tenkawa Village, Nara Prefecture🪨 A clear, crystal clear stream flows through the valley, and you can enjoy a spectacular view of nature from the suspension bridge and road! It's a great place not only for nature walks and hiking, but also for playing in the river in the summer🌊 The fun of playing in nature and the feeling of the cold river make you want to visit in the summer☀️ There is free parking, but it is limited and crowded on holidays, so be careful⚠️ #0 yen trip

Visiting Kumano Nachi Taisha was an awe-inspiring experience. The first thing that catches your eye is the vivid red three-story pagoda contrasted against the towering Nachi Falls in the background. Despite the light drizzle, the atmosphere felt even more mystical. This place allows you to feel the grandeur of nature and the depth of faith, with the sound of the waterfall cleansing your soul. Next, we visited Hiryu Shrine, a sacred place where Nachi Falls is worshipped as a deity. Passing through the torii gate, the tranquility of the forest and the roar of the waterfall made it feel like stepping into another world. The path surrounded by ancient trees was filled with a sacred atmosphere, allowing us to fully experience the power of nature. We also visited the monument at the southernmost point of Honshu. The expansive view of the horizon brings a sense of peace to visitors. Standing at this special place, the southernmost point of Honshu, gave us a sense of accomplishment in our journey. It was a trip where we could fully enjoy the charm of Kumano, woven by history and nature.

📍Address: 107 Tsubouchi, Tenkawa-mura, Yoshino-gun, Nara Prefecture, 638-0321 Tenkawa Dai-Benzai, Nara Prefecture 💞Reasons why we recommend it: It's in a very rural area, so it's said that even getting there is difficult🥶 You can't take photos of the main hall, but just enjoy the atmosphere outside🙇♀️ This shrine enshrines Benzaiten, so it's the perfect shrine for the Year of the Snake in 2025🐍 The main hall has bells that are different from other shrines! This is the bell where you put in your offering and ring it! It's called Isuzu⛩️ The shape and sound are really different from others, so that's another point to enjoy! #0yentravelJanuary2025 #Shrinetour #Naratourism #TenkawaDai-BenzaitenShrine

#Travel record A long-established inn in Dorogawa Onsen that has been around since the Edo period. It is also known as a lodging for ascetics heading to Mt. Omine. Even for the first time, the extraordinary space made me feel like I had traveled back in time, and I felt nostalgic. From the window of the room, I could see the hot spring town, and as the sun began to set, the lanterns were lit, creating a sense of atmosphere. It is an old inn deep in the mountains, so I didn't have high expectations for the food, but the portions were so large that I couldn't finish them, and the service was perfect. ✨️ The building is old, so the stairs and corridors creak when you walk down them, and the toilets were scary late at night lol 📍Masugen Ryokan 189 Dorogawa, Tenkawa Village, Yoshino District, Nara Prefecture #Nara Trip #Tenkawa Village #Dorogawa Onsen

Tenkawa Village, Yoshino, Nara Prefecture You'll find Kame-sennin at the Robatayaki Kamesei restaurant here! This is a restaurant that grills sweetfish with roe! When you go to the restaurant, they'll give you a lot of appetizers. This is really delicious. When you order fish, they'll grill it on the spot. It's a happy time to eat sushi and appetizers while waiting for it to be prepared. The old man at this restaurant, Kame-sennin, is very kind. There's also a hot spring inn, so it's a great place to relax! 📍Address: 240 Dogawa, Tenkawa Village, Yoshino District, Nara Prefecture 638-0431 🏖️Atmosphere/Facilities: Almost always outside, so bring warm clothes! 💰Price per person: 1000-2000 yen #FritabiWinter #0yenTrip #HotSpringTrip #ChristmasTrip #TenkawaVillage #TenkawaVillageLunch

I went to "Kiraku Kyubei" in #Tenkawamura, #Nara prefecture ((((((っ･ω･)っ I went there for lunch on a tour with #eternaldream ε٩(๑>ω<)۶з The restaurant is located next to the Yamagami River, so you can enjoy your meal while listening to the babbling of the river ( ´͈ ᵕ `͈ ) A restaurant where you can eat local dishes such as sweetfish, amago, deer, and mehari. I ordered the #deer cutlet set meal (人 •͈ᴗ•͈) I had the image that game meat has a strong smell or a strong flavor, but deer has no smell and is easy to eat (๑⃙⃘´༥`๑⃙⃘) It has little fat and a lot of redness, so it's light and I think it's easy for women to eat (*´ч ` *) The stew was also delicious with plenty of flavor (〃艸〃)♡ 🦌Menu🦌 Deer cutlet set meal: 1600 yen 🏍Kiraku Kyubei🏍 Address: 47 Togawa, Tenkawa-mura, Yoshino-gun, Nara Prefecture Opening hours: 11:00-15:00 #JapaneseGourmet2024 #100TravelStyles #ConnectWithMotorcycleLovers #ConnectWithLunchLovers #ConnectWithGourmetLovers #NaraLunch #NaraLunchTour #NaraGourmet #NaraGourmetTour #TenkawaVillageLunch #TenkawaVillageLunchTour #TenkawaVillageGourmet #TenkawaVillageGourmetTour #NaraTouring #LunchDiary #GourmetTour #GourmetRecord #Gourmet #LunchTime #LunchTour #LunchTourClub #GourmetTouring #GourmetTour #GourmetClub #ShinobiChan

As a training ground for Shugendo, an ancient Japanese mountain faith, it is a place of faith and training with a history of over 1,300 years since En no Gyoja, the founder of Shugendo, opened the mountain. As you climb the mountain, you will pass several rest areas and come to the Shugendo training grounds of Kanekakeiwa, Nishi no Nozoki, and Uragyoba, and at the top of the mountain, Ominesan Temple welcomes Shugendo practitioners. The theme of training on Mt. Omine is simulated death and rebirth, and at Nishi no Nozoki, you entrust your life to someone else and are hung from a rock, which represents the washing away of your sins in this life and the rebirth to live the rest of your life. #Dorogawa Onsen #Mt. Omine

Dorogawa Onsen is located at the northern end of the Kumano Kodo, a registered World Heritage Site. At night, it is a wonderful place with an old-fashioned post town atmosphere reminiscent of Spirited Away. At Ryusenji Temple, adjacent to the hot spring town, an event called Toukae is held once a year on the Saturday of the week before the closing ceremony of Mount Omine, a training ground for Shugendo, where candles are lit all over the large temple grounds. However, even if you visit on this day every year, it is canceled if it rains, so it is a rare opportunity to see Toukae only once every few years. This year, it will not be held (^^) 📍Location: Dorogawa Onsen, Nara Prefecture 🏖️Atmosphere/Facilities: Mysterious

This is the glamping facility [NATURA] in Tenkawa Village, Nara Prefecture! I visited it in the summer three years ago, and it is still one of my favorite spots in Japan. First of all, the glamping tents near the river have a dedicated stove for BBQ and a kitchen, so you can BBQ using the ingredients you bring with you! (If you don't bring your own, you will have to make a reservation that includes the BBQ menu.) And outside the tent, you can sit in a hammock while enjoying a bonfire. I stayed there in the summer, but since it's deep in the mountains, you can stay comfortable even without an air conditioner! The river is clear and very beautiful, and I was able to fish🎣 and actually go into the river. It's quite far from the city of Nara Prefecture, and it's a bit of a struggle to get there, but it's definitely worth going! You're sure to enjoy something out of the ordinary🤗#Kansai #Nara Prefecture #Glamping #Summer Trip

#0yentrip Dorogawa Onsen in Tenkawa Village✨ The river is close, so I recommend going straight to the end of the river❣️ The facility has been newly renovated and it was very beautiful!! You can see the river from the window🙆🏼 The open-air bath was also very nice~🎵 📍Location: 10-1 Dorogawa, Tenkawa Village, Yoshino District, Nara Prefecture 🕰️Opening hours: 11:00-20:00 #NaraTrip #NaraTourism