This is the “Yu-no-Moto” or source of the hot spring. The original hot spring burst forth from the ocean. Yes, in the past, this used to be underwater──

This hot spring was first discovered in the 9th century. Originally, it wasn’t here but actually “Yu-no-Tani” on the mountainside where the original hot springs had burst forth. The locals were grateful to the gods for providing them with this spring and built a small shrine to commemorate this. However, 200 years later, the springs suddenly dried up.

According to popular legend, there was an unspoken rule that you were not supposed to clean “impure” items in the springs. In spite of this, one day a fisherman's wife, one washed her kimono underskirt in the waters. As a result, it is said that the enraged gods caused the spring to dry up. The fisherman and his wife regretted this and visited the shrine, asking the gods to bring the waters back once again. One day, they noticed a spot in the waters bubbling up. The couple thought that this must have been some kind of bad omen when, at that moment, a white heron came down to rest on the spot for a moment before flying off again into the sky. After seeing this, the husband and wife got in their boat and timidly floated out to this spot to realize that not only was it bubbling up, but was extremely warm as well. A hot spring was bursting out from the ocean.

That spot is now known as “Yumoto,” where you are currently standing.

There is another theory that the course of the hot spring moved due to a large earthquake in the 11th century. There is no definite reason. The only thing we are certain of is that Wakura Onsen was called wakuura in the past, which meant “the inlet where the springs gush forth.”