Shima Hotsprings (四万温泉) is located in Gunma prefecture (群馬県) 150 km north of Tokyo. The town is perched in a gorge created by the Shimagawa river (四万川). Autumn leaves are probably of Hauchiwa Kaede (Full moon maple, Acer Japonicum), a maple species endemic to Japan and Korea.

Gunma is a land of volcanoes such as Asamayama (浅間山), Shiranesan (白根山), Akagiyama (赤城山) and Harunasan (榛名山). Consequently, traditional hotsprings resorts abound.

Tags:   Japan Gunma Nakanojo river autumn color landscape 群馬県 中之条町

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One more photo of the autumn leaves along the Shimagawa river.
Yellow leaves in the lower right is probably of Dankoubai (blunt-lobed spicy bush, Lindera obtusiloba), a flowering plant in the laurel family. Tall trees are mostly oak. Orange leaves in the upper left are of Kohauchiwa-kaede

Tags:   Japan Gunma Nakanojo Shima Hotsprings 群馬県 中之条町 四万温泉 river forest tree plant autumn color

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Another photo taken near Shima Hotsprings.
The Shimagawa is a tributary of the Azumagawa (吾妻川) that is a tributary of the Tonegawa (利根川), which flows into the Pacific at Cape Inubouzaki (犬吠埼) in Chiba prefecture. Japanse inns for the hotsprings started to develop along the river in the late 17th century.

Orange leaves in the upper centre are of Kohauchiwa-kaede (Siebold's maple, Acer sieboldianum) that is native to Japan.

Tags:   Japan Gunma Nakanojo Shima Hotsprings 群馬県 中之条町 四万温泉 autumn color landscape

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A photo taken on the next morning of the previous photo. The town of Shima Hotsprings is situated on the slope of the gorge carved by the Shimagawa river. Its water looked bluish probably due to its mineral composition including allophane related to volcanic activities.

Tags:   Japan Gunma Nakanojo Shima Hotsprings 群馬県 中之条町 四万温泉 river tree forest autumn color

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Sekizenkan Japanese Inn (関善館) is the oldest accommodation in Shima Hotstrings.that started operation in the late 17th century in the Edo period. The architectures in the photo were built in 1930 (left) and 1936 (right) in a modern Japanese style. They are connected by a covered corridor over a stream that is a tributary of the Shimagawa.

Thanks to active volcanic activities, balneal treatment (湯治) has a long tradition in Japan. It was common for farmers to stay for weeks in an accommodation in hot springs to improve health during the agricultural off-season.
Commercial operation of hotsprings accommodations started in the Edo Period (1603 - 1868) with the improvement of security conditions and road networks, which is reflected in the history of Sekuzenkan.

Tags:   Japan Gunma Nakanojo Shima Hotsprings 中之条町 群馬県 architecture river hotel

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