Bath of a Thousand Bathers: Aomori’s Sukayu Onsen

Sukayu Onsen nestles up against the forests at the base of Mount Ōtake in the Hakkōda range. (© Aomori Prefecture Tourism Federation)

Sukayu Onsen in February. The annual snowpack here often reaches depths of 2 meters or more.

A large paper lantern with the characters for Sukayu marks the entrance to the Senninburo.

The expansive bath room of the Senninburo is made completely of a type of cypress called hiba.

The cold winter temperatures outside fill the bath hall with a thick mist. (© Shoepress)

The guest rooms in the long-term stay annex of the inn are simple but comfortable. (© Shoepress).

Visitors on the Hakkōda Walk make their way through a tall corridor of plowed snow. The Hakkōda-Towada Gold Line is closed during the winter, but the section between Sukayu and Yachi is opened for just two days at the end of March to allow visitors a preview of the snow corridor before the Gold Line opens for spring. (© Aomori Prefecture Tourism Federation)

The Oirase Gorge, with its clear-flowing water, is a major landmark of the Tōhoku region. (© Aomori Prefecture Tourism Federation)