Festivals & Events
Yunishigawa Kamakura Festival 湯西川温泉かまくら祭り
A magical display of light and snow
The Yunishigawa Onsen Kamakura Festival takes place every year from late January to early March. Hundreds of miniature kamakura or snow houses, are lit up at the main venue "Heike no Sato" and at the Sawaguchi riverbed, which has been declared a Japan Night View Heritage Site. Yunishigawa is particularly famous for its night-time lighting of kamakura. Bring your camera to enjoy this winter fairyland.
Don't miss
- Relaxing in one of Yunishigawa's local onsens
- Bundling up and enjoying a hot meal inside one of the larger kamakura huts
- Step back in time at the Heike-no-Sato open-air museum
How to Get There
Yunishigawa Onsen can be reached by direct buses from either Kinugawa Onsen Station or Yunishigawa Onsen Station. The bus from Kinugawa Onsen Station takes about one hour, and from Yunishigawa Onsen Station takes about half an hour.
JR and Tobu Railway have a direct limited express train that runs from Shinjuku Station to Kinugawa Onsen Station. A one-way journey takes about two hours.
Stars on the snow
A walk along the Sawaguchi riverbed is the best way to enjoy this unique illumination. Locals line the river bed with hundreds of small kamakura huts. Take a stroll around the candlelit river or enjoy the view from a bridge that looks over Sawaguchi.
Miniature huts along the river
Warm up with a grill
A favorite local tradition is to enjoy dinner from inside a kamakura. The larger snow huts are available for rental and come ready with a BBQ. Book ahead of time for a genuinely unique BBQ experience.
Larger snow huts that you can enjoy a barbecue in
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