About Ureshino-City
Onsen -hot springs-
Onsens are natural volcanic hot springs adored by the population. Enjoyed for health and relaxation, a regular visit to an Onsen is a passion for many Japanese people.
Ureshino Onsen’s are famous throughout Japan for the amazing quality of the spring water and attracts a dedicated number of visitors throughout the year.
Hot springs throughout Japan are known to offer different experiences to the visitor. Ureshino’s onsens are famous for it’s effects of beautifying the skin. Once you submerge yourself, you will instantly notice the amazing soft texture of the hot water as it wraps around you acting like the most beautiful and natural body lotion. It is not an exaggeration to say that the benefits the hot spring has on the condition of your skin is immediate. A visit to an Ureshino Onsen is a truly wonderful experience not to be missed.
How to enjoy a public onsen.
To ensure your visit to a Japanese onsen is both a comfortable and relaxing experience, please be aware that the following simple rules and manners should be observed.
1 Washing your body before entering the bath.
You must wash and rinse yourself thoroughly in the provided showers before entering the bath. Failing to do so will be seen as extremely rude and will upset the other patrons.
2 The Kakeyu hot water rinse.
The Kakeyu is used before entering the onsen to get used to the water temperature. Pour hot water from the tips of your body. i.e. feet & hands → legs & arms → body → head.
Getting your head wet before entering the hot bath is particularly important during the winter months.
3 Entering & vacating the bath.
When entering and vacating the bath, you should do so slowly and gently. This is to ensure that you do not splash other bathers, which is considered impolite. It’s also very important to make sure that your towel does not enter the bath.
4 Do not add cold water.
Attempting to add cold water to cool the bath is strictly forbidden, and may reduce the health benefits the onsen offers.
5 Dry but do not rinse.
When leaving the bath, it is important to leave the minerals of the onsen on your body, so we recommend that you do not rinse yourself but just towel dry. Doing so will also avoid you feeling chilly after you bathe.
Ureshino Hot Springs Public Bath "Siebold-No-Yu"
Ureshino onsen public bath, "Siebold-no-Yu" began operation on April 1, 2010. The Taisho-style, gothic building, Siebold-no-Yu, is two-stories high and approximately 750 square meters in size. Situated on the opposite side of the river to Ureshino Onsen Park, this building has been restored to its original orange, stylish appearance which brings back a sense of Ureshino's history. Inside there is a common bathing area, private baths for rent, a citizens' gallery and more, making a great place of relaxation for tourists and locals alike. There is also great accessibility in the form of a multipurpose bathing room with minimal steps, a bathroom allowing wheelchair access and so on, so anyone can come and enjoy themselves. Do check out Siebold-no-Yu for yourself.
Japanese green tea
Every year, Japanese cuisine becomes more and more popular around the world, and the love of Japanese green tea grows also.
Ureshino produces some of the finest quality green tea in Japan, an achievement the residents are extremely proud of.
You can buy these wonderful green teas all across Ureshino, with many of the establishments letting you sample them free of charge.
Yabukita tea is one of the finest teas on offer in Ureshino. It has been the recipient of numerous awards, not only in Japan, but also in the UK. It is a strong and vibrant tea and a vivid reminder of how amazing Ureshino’s green teas are.
If you do decide to purchase some of these teas to take home with you, then brewing the leaves are easy. Just add a spoonful to your favourite teapot, add hot water and enjoy.
Japanese food
One of the best ways to enjoy a visit to Japan is by experiencing the delicious local cuisine. Japanese food is notoriously nutritious and based around fresh, seasonal ingredients.
Kyusyu where Ureshino-shi located is famous for delicious food in Japan. The food which will be served at ryokan,in Ureshino is cooked with fresh ingredients by variety of Japanese traditional delicate cooking skills.
Kyushu prefecture is famous for it’s amazing dishes, and ryokans throughout Ureshino serve traditional food of the highest standard.
Your meal will be meticulously prepared, using delicate and traditional methods and only the freshest ingredients available.
Delicious, nutritious and cheap food can be found throughout Kyushu, and great places to eat include tempura restaurants, ramen & udon cafes, shabu shabu restaurants, barbecue grills, sushi bars, and okonomiyaki restaurants.
Introducing Ureshinos famous food.
once you visit Ureshino, we definitely would like to recommend to eat "Onsen yu doufu".
Tofu is indispensable in Japanese food, and most of time, will be eaten with soy source,
Tofu is indispensable in Japanese cooking, and is usually eaten with soy sauce, and when visiting Ureshino, we highly recommend trying 'Onsen yu doufo'.
But Onsen doufu is cooked in special soup, which is makes the unique fravor and melting texture.
The seacret is, the soup is made by Ureshino hot spring water. The water makes tofu’s surface smooth and and the delicious soup will hold the melted tofu in side.
Onsen yu doufo is cooked in a special sauce giving the tofu a unique flavour and texture. The secret to the sauce is achieved by using hot water from the Ureshino springs, which provide the tofu with a wonderfully smooth texture on the outside whilst allowing the inside to melt in your mouth.
This dish, Onsen dofu can be eaten in most of ryokan in Ureshino, but also in restaurants in Ureshino.
Onsen yu doufo can be found in ryokans and restaurants all over Ureshino.
Japanese food
You can have one of the top class Japanese beef, "Saga beef" in Ureshino.
soft and smooth fine-textured meat fiber and marbling meat "shimofuri gyu" is enjoyable for not only steak, also for Syabu Stabu and Yakiniku BBQ style.
Especially, Syabu Syabu in "onsen dofu" soup is a highly recommended dish in Ureshino, the mixture of amazing Saga beef and tofu melted soup would be you've never tasted before.
Saga beef, though perhaps not as famous as that of it’s neighbour from Kobe, is nonetheless a beef of the highest quality. With its exquisite flavour and texture, it can be enjoyed in a variety of ways, including as a steak, as shabu shabu or as part of a Yakiniku BBQ.
Hidden Christians.
Christianity was introduced to Japan by catholic missionary Francis Xavier in 1549.
Nowadays, though a minority religion, Christianity is still represented throughout Japan. However, from around the middle of the 17th century, Catholic Christianity was repressed and adherents were persecuted.
In 1871 after the Meiji restoration, freedom of religion was introduced, giving all Christian communities the right to legal existence and preaching. Since World War II the number of Japanese Christians has been slowly increasing.
Throughout the 17th century, Christianity although hidden, continued to be practiced despite the punishment of imprisonment or even execution.
Many hidden Christians, lived in the Fudou-yama area, but it was hard to hide their religious beliefs and they were persecuted.
The oppression and persecution of the Christians was extremely grim, and there are historical sites in the Fudou-yama area detailing the many events of Christianity in Japan.
Ureshino Attaka Festival
In winter, the hot spring town of Ureshino is aglow with light and fire. The Ureshino Attaka (Warm) Festival, an event involving light, fire and noren (traditional Japanese fabric dividers) is a new festival which began in the 21st century. Numerous stone lanterns over 2 meters in height line the Hondori shopping arcade to create a magnificent scene for a distance of approximately 700 meters. These lanterns illuminate Ureshino in their soft, dancing light at night to create an extra special atmosphere. The lanterns feature the names of seasonal flowers and trees as well as haiku poems written by Ureshino designers. Moreover, all of the shop fronts are adorned with handmade noren dividers. The soft colors of the noren are created from dying with tea leaves and said to only be achievable by using the famous tea of Ureshino. Visitors can feel the warmth exuded by the toro lanterns and noren dividers, made lovingly by hand, and leisurely enjoy the light and romance.
Hizen Yumekaido ～Ninja Park～
Ureshino is famous for its hot springs and for its history as a flourishing post station along the Nagasaki Kaido, which joined Kokura and Nagasaki. Hizen Yume Kaido has recreated the atmosphere of Ureshino as it was back in the Edo Period.
As soon as you step under the checkpoint, you will see characters from famous Japanese period drama "Mito-Komon" or even a ninja, princess or samurai.
The "Hizen Yume Kobo" is a popular facility where visitors can paint their own piece of pottery. Enjoy making a one-of-a-kind plate or mug designed by you.
We recommend watching "Gen-san" - Japan's No. 1 Bogus Street Performer, as he puts on an Edo Period performance including acts such as "Selling Grease" and "Nankin Tamasudare".
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