06/02/2017
Yunishigawa Onsen is a small hot spring town in a remote valley in the mountains of Tochigi prefecture.
The town was founded after the Taira clan (also known as the Heike clan) was defeated by the Minamoto clan (also known as the Genji clan) for political supremacy over Japan towards the end of the Heian period (710 - 1185), and many members of the Taira clan fled into hiding in remote regions of Japan. Yunishigawa was one such hidden settlement of Taira refugees.
Yunishigawa receives a fair amount of snow in the winter, attracting visitors with river lined outdoor baths surrounded by snow. An even more popular winter attraction is the Yunishigawa Kamakura Festival ("Yunishigawa Snow House Festival"), during which hundreds of snow houses (kamakura) of different sizes are built and illuminated in the evenings around town and along the river.
The Yunishigawa Kamakura Festival is held from late January to early March (January 28 to March 5, 2017) on multiple sites across the town. The main site is the Heike no Sato and features barbecue meals in snow houses during the day and illuminations in the evenings until 21:00. A nearby riverside site features lots of mini snow houses and is illuminated everyday except Thursdays. Various outdoor activities, such as a snow slide and snow shoeing, can be enjoyed at other sites.