Kinugawa Onsen is a hot spring resort that stretchs along Kinugawa river in the city of Nikko. It was first found in the Edo era and used to be a hot spring which can only be used by Daimyos, powerful feudal lords visiting Nikko and Buddhist priest of Nikko. Direct services of limited express trains from Tokyo and group tourists during the economic bubble increased visitors and caused rapid development of the area. But the severe economic difficulties of the 1990s and competition with other popular hot spring resorts such as Hakone resulted in a rapid decrease of visitors and caused many hotels to go out of business. Kinugawa, which is close to the world heritage sites of Nikko, is still a popular hot spring resort. But many ruins of hotels left behind can be seen. A record of the Kinugawa onsen area. 01 Getting off Tobu Kinugawa line at Kinugawa-koen station, which is one station from Kinugawa-onsen station, at the center area of Kinugawa Onsen. June 30th, 2018 Nikko, Tochigi 02 Station building of Kinugawa-koen station. There are not much passengers. June 30th, 2018 Nikko, Tochigi 03 In front of Kinugawa-koen station. There are some small stores but some are already out of business. June 30th, 2018 Nikko, Tochigi 04 Sign that shows the elevation of this point. June 30th, 2018 Nikko, Tochigi 05 Kinugawa-koen station. In front of the station is Tochigi prefectural road no.121 which runs along Tobu Kinugawa line. June 30th, 2018 Nikko, Tochigi 06 Walking towards the direction of Kinugawa-onsen station. This hotel is in business. June 30th, 2018 Nikko, Tochigi 07 The rainy season is over and summer has come but hydrangea are still blooming. June 30th, 2018 Nikko, Tochigi 08 There are many hotels on the other side of Kinugawa river, that flows through the valley. June 30th, 2018 Nikko, Tochigi 09 Walking over a mountain stream flowing into Kinugawa river. June 30th, 2018 Nikko, Tochigi 10 A path branching off to Takimibashi bridge which spans over Kinugawa river. June 30th, 2018 Nikko, Tochigi 11 Going down the stairway. June 30th, 2018 Nikko, Tochigi 12 Takimibashi bridge seen from between the trees. June 30th, 2018 Nikko, Tochigi 13 Takimibashi bridge is a suspension bridge which spans over Kinugawa river. June 30th, 2018 Nikko, Tochigi 14 A warning. "No more than 30 people should cross the bridge at once. Bicycles and motorcycles cannot cross the bridge. Do not rock the bridge." June 30th, 2018 Nikko, Tochigi 15 Kinugawa river can be seen flowing under the bridge. June 30th, 2018 Nikko, Tochigi 16 Looking towards the upper stream of Kinugawa river. Some hotels can be seen along the river. These are still in business. June 30th, 2018 Nikko, Tochigi 17 Looking towards the down stream of Kinugawa river. The hotels on the right side of the river are in business, but all hotels seen on the left side are not. June 30th, 2018 Nikko, Tochigi 18 From the left, "Motoyu Hoshinoya", "Kinugawa-kan Honten", "Kinugawa Daiichi hotel". June 30th, 2018 Nikko, Tochigi 19 "Motoyu Hoshinoya". June 30th, 2018 Nikko, Tochigi 20 "Kinugawa-kan Honten". Some words of the sign are lost. June 30th, 2018 Nikko, Tochigi 21 The selling point of "Kinugawa-kan Honten" was a bath called "Kappa buro". It was inside this large window. June 30th, 2018 Nikko, Tochigi 22 A part of "Kinugawa-kan Honten". June 30th, 2018 Nikko, Tochigi 23 "Kinugawa Kanko hotel Higashikan" and Fujihara fire station can be seen too, but these buildings are not used anymore. June 30th, 2018 Nikko, Tochigi 24 Returning to the street and continue on heading towards Kinugawa-onsen station. June 30th, 2018 Nikko, Tochigi 25 "Motoyu Hoshinoya". June 30th, 2018 Nikko, Tochigi 26 The entrance of "Motoyu Hoshinoya". It opened in 1925 and was one of the oldest hotels in the area but went out of business in 2010. June 30th, 2018. Nikko, Tochigi 27 Looking up at "Motoyu Hoshinoya". Some windows are broken but the exterior is still in relatively good condition. June 30th, 2018 Nikko, Tochigi 28 The sign of "Motoyu Hoshinoya". June 30th, 2018 Nikko, Tochigi 29 "Motoyu Hoshinoya". June 30th, 2018 Nikko, Tochigi 30 Continuing on. June 30th, 2018 Nikko, Tochigi 31 These are the remains of "Kinugawa-kan Honten". It was a hotel that opened in 1929, but went bank rupt leaving a heavy debt of 2 billion yen and these remains of the huge hotel. June 30th, 2018 Nikko, Tochigi 32 "Kinugawa-kan Honten". June 30th, 2018 Nikko, Tochigi 33 The sign of "Kappa buro", a public bath inside "Kinugawa-kan Honten". June 30th, 2018 Nikko, Tochigi 34 Another sign of "Kappa buro". June 30th, 2018 Nikko, Tochigi 35 The entrance of "Kinugawa-kan Honten". June 30th, 2018 Nikko, Tochigi 36 What might have been the entrance of "Kinugawa-kan Honten". Some "Kappa",a an amphibious demon found in traditional Japanese folklore, are drawn over the entrance. June 30th, 2018 Nikko, Tochigi 37 The repeatedly extended building of "Kinugawa-kan Honten". June 30th, 2018 Nikko, Tochigi 38 "歓迎" means "Welcome". A sign waiting for visitors never to come. June 30th, 2018 Nikko, Tochigi 39 Looking up at "Kinugawa-kan Honten". June 30th, 2018 Nikko, Tochigi 40 Looking back. On the left is "Kinugawa-kan Honten", on the right is Tobu Kinugawa line. June 30th, 2018 Nikko, Tochigi 41 "Kinugawa-kan Honten" falling into ruins. June 30th, 2018 Nikko, Tochigi 42 Continuing on. June 30th, 2018 Nikko, Tochigi 43 Gap between "Kinugawa-kan Honten" and "Kinugawa Daiichi hotel" which is next to "Kinugawa-kan Honten". June 30th, 2018 Nikko, Tochigi 44 A stairway, like seen in horror movies, leads down but difficult to see what is down there. June 30th, 2018 Nikko, Tochigi 45 Some broken structures can be seen on top. June 30th, 2018 Nikko, Tochigi 46 The orange colored building is what used to be "Kinugawa Daiichi hotel". It opened in 1980 but closed down in 2008. June 30th, 2018 Nikko, Tochigi 47 The sign of "Kinugawa Daiichi hotel". June 30th, 2018 Nikko, Tochigi 48 The entrance of "Kinugawa Daiichi hotel". June 30th, 2018 Nikko, Tochigi 49 "Kinugawa Daiichi hotel" and "Kinugawa-kan Honten". June 30th, 2018 Nikko, Tochigi 50 The ruins of hotels running along the street end and the other side of Kinugawa river can be seen. June 30th, 2018 Nikko, Tochigi 51 "Asaya hotel", one of the most popular hotels in Kinugawa Onsen can be seen. "Asaya hotel" also gone bank rupt in 2003 but was put safely back on its feets. June 30th, 2018 Nikko, Tochigi 52 On the other side of Kinugawa river many hotels in business can be seen. Quite different from this side of the river. June 30th, 2018 Nikko, Tochigi 53 Looking back. June 30th, 2018 Nikko, Tochigi 54 There are more ruins ahead. June 30th, 2018 Nikko, Tochigi 55 An explanation of "Kinu-no-kazaana" a natural phenomenon which mists flow out of holes in the mountain. The sign was put here by the town on Fujihara which was merged into the city of Nikko. June 30th, 2018 Nikko, Tochigi 56 A street branching off to the other side of Kinugawa river. The building here used to be "Kinugawa Kanko hotel Higashikan" and is not in business anymore. June 30th, 2018 Nikko, Tochigi 57 Slope leading down to Kuroganebashi bridge. June 30th, 2018 Nikko, Tochigi 58 Looking up at "Kinugawa Kanko hotel Higashikan". It is still seems to be in relatively good condition. June 30th, 2018 Nikko, Tochigi 59 There is a "Ashiyu", public bath in which people bathe their feet, next to Kuroganebashi bridge. June 30th, 2018 Nikko, Tochigi 60 Next to the "Ashiyu" there is a stairway that leads down. June 30th, 2018 Nikko, Tochigi 61 Going down the stairway. June 30th, 2018 Nikko, Tochigi 62 The stairway leads down to the water surface of Kinugawa river. June 30th, 2018 Nikko, Tochigi 63 Seeing the hotels on the other side of the river. You can see what kind of location the hotels in Kinugawa Onsen are built. June 30th, 2018 Nikko, Tochigi 64 The hotels stand on the edge of cliffs. June 30th, 2018 Nikko, Tochigi 65 Looking towards the down stream of Kinugawa river. June 30th, 2018 Nikko, Tochigi 66 From Kuroganebashi bridge. June 30th, 2018 Nikko, Tochigi 67 Looking towards the down stream of Kinugawa river from Kuroganebashi bridge. June 30th, 2018 Nikko, Tochigi 68 Looking towards the upper stream of Kinugawa river from Kuroganebashi bridge. June 30th, 2018 Nikko, Tochigi 69 Takimibashi bridge seen from Kuroganebashi bridge. June 30th, 2018 Nikko, Tochigi 70 "Kinugawa Daiichi hotel" seen from Kuroganebashi bridge. June 30th, 2018 Nikko, Tochigi 71 The sign of "Kinugawa Daiichi hotel". June 30th, 2018 Nikko, Tochigi 72 Looking down at Kinugawa river. There is something that looks like a bridge. June 30th, 2018 Nikko, Tochigi 73 Wreckage scattering over the bridge. June 30th, 2018 Nikko, Tochigi 74 The bridge used to be a part of a hotel called "Iwaburo Suimeikan" and was standing on this area covered by trees. Most parts of the hotel are already demolished and the bridge with no way to visit remains. June 30th, 2018 Nikko, Tochigi 75 A map of Kinugawa Onsen is on the Kuroganebashi bridge. June 30th, 2018 Nikko, Tochigi 76 Many hotels already gone can be seen written. June 30th, 2018 Nikko, Tochigi The visit to the ruins of Kinugawa continue to the second part.
