Funaoka-onsen Hot springs

Funaoka-onsen Hot springs was founded as a gourmet inn called "Funaoka-ro" in 1923. After that, in 1951, it introduced Japan's first electric baths and became "Special Funaoka Onsen." Funaoka onsen, along with the Kyoto’s public bath house, is a popular spot among tourists. "Funaoka Onsen" is a hot spring in name, but it is not a natural one. It is the building that attracts people. First, there is the entrance. At a glance, it is not something you see in an ordinary public bath. The heavy gate surrounded by a huge stone wall was built in 1928 when this place was still a gourmet inn. The sculptures decorating the ceiling of the dressing room are Ushiwaka maru and Kurama Tengu. This public bath features a mural of Kuramaguchi, an artwork based on the legend of Kurama Tengu teaching Ushiwakamaru how to wield a sword. Rare majolica tiles color the walls of the washbowl and the bathhouse. Even after hundreds of years, the color of the tiles don’t seem to fade. The interior of the rooms are considered works of art and were was registered in 2003 as tangible cultural properties of the country. Next to this building, there is a former barber shop of Funaoka Onsen that has been designated as a cultural heritage site, and on the side wall, there is a remnant of a plaque from when it was renamed "Special Funaoka Onsen" in 1933.