Kawayu Onsen is one of the many famous hot springs at on the Kii Pennlisula. In itself, the spring and the outstanding and there are a number of hotels and a community bathhouse providing the piping hot water. What makes Kawayu Onsen special is that the spring naturally comes up from the rocky riverbed. I have been told you can shovel yourself a tub if you want…but that would be a ton of work. Instead, the town here shovels a pool sized bath for everyone to use each winter. This is not like a sento. You must wear a bathing suit and there is no washing off or soap allowed in or around the pool. Parking is a short distance down the river at a new lot with a public restroom just off the road or you can park on the riverbed. Wearing water shoes is recommended to make getting around easier on the rocky riverbed. In the water there are hotter and cooler places. Be careful as you move around the pool as the hot places can be painfully hot, especially for children. Also, I am calling this a pool, but it is not that deep about chest height when sitting down in the water. The spring is free but there is a donation box at the entrance. Please drop a few coins in there to keep this lovely event going for years to come.