Takanoyu Onsen Takanoyu Onsen Takanoyu Onsen (♨鷹の湯温泉) is one of several hot spring resorts in the Akinomiya Hot Spring Resort area of Yuzawa, a town in southern Akita Prefecture. The onsen is nestled in a small gorge along the banks of the Yakunai River. Because of its secluded location, it is referred to as a Hitou, or hidden hot spring. Legend has it that the Akinomiya Hot Springs, the oldest in Akita Prefecture, were found 1,200 years ago. Local legend also has it that Takanoyu, or Falcon's Hot Spring, got its name when a falcon led a hunter to the spring, giving
Takanoyu Onsen the onsen its eponymous name. The onsens in Akinomiya were officially recognized by the Akita Clan in the Edo period (1603–1868). The various hot springs in the immediate area are referred to as the Akinomiya Geothermal Area and are situated along the western base of Mount Kurikoma. Takanoyu Onsen has its own hot spring, which wells up directly adjacent to the inn on the east bank of the Yakunai River. The water temperature at the spring source is 72 °C (162 °F). Only about ten percent of all hot spring facilities in Japan have water flowing directly from their own