A small shrine enshrined in the Tsuta Onsen resort in Okuse, Towada City, which has marked its history alongside the hot spring as its guardian deity. Tsuta Onsen is a secluded hot spring surrounded by a primeval beech forest within Towada-Hachimantai National Park, and its historic inn — which has operated since the Meiji era — continues to welcome guests today. The shrine is worshipped by local …

The history of Tsuta Onsen is ancient, with tradition holding that the hot spring was known since around the Heian period. The predecessor of the current onsen inn is said to have been established in the Edo period, and the shrine is believed to have been founded at the same time to guard the hot sp…