Takeo Onsen

Takeo Onsen is an ancient hot spring that opened about 1,200 years ago, located northwest of Takeo Onsen Station at the foot of Horai Mountain.

Legend has it that Empress Jingu, on her triumphal return to Japan, struck a rock with the hilt of her sword, and hot water immediately gushed out, hence the name Karasaki Onsen in the past.

It was also called Horai-sen because it springs at the foot of Mount Horai.

It is said that Hideyoshi Toyotomi used this hot spring as a therapeutic bath for wounded soldiers during his invasion of Korea.

During the Edo period (1603-1867), it flourished as an inn town along a highway, and at the end of the Edo period (1603-1868), it is said that many Imperialists and literary figures who traveled to Nagasaki visited this hot spring.

Notable visitors include Nabeshima, the lord of the Saga Domain, Date Masamune and Miyamoto Musashi in the early Edo period, and Siebold and Yoshida Shoin at the end of the Edo period.

Today, a vermilion-lacquered tower gate reminiscent of a dragon’s palace stands in the center of the hot spring resort, creating an atmosphere typical of one of Kyushu’s leading hot springs.

The tower gate, which has become a symbol of Takeo Onsen, was designed by Kingo Tatsuno, the architect who designed Tokyo Station and a doctor of engineering, and was completed in 1915.

The gate is a so-called “Ryugumon” style gate with a tile roof and winged roofs on both sides, and not a single nail was used.

The public bathhouse, built in 1875, has a tasteful exterior, and the bathtubs are made of hardened pebbles. In addition to the large baths, there are seven family baths.