Together with Dogo and Shirahama, Arima Onsen is one of Japan’s three ancient hot springs. Arima Onsen became widely known due to Toyotomi Hideyoshi. Hideyoshi frequently visited Arima Onsen to bathe, and he held grand tea ceremonies with Sen no Rikyu and his followers. In the Edo period, it was visited by numerous people from all over Japan as one of the leading bathing spots. It was counted as one of Japan’s three famous hot springs, and flourished to such a degree that the town was sometimes referred to as “Arima Sengen”—the 1,000 inns of Arima. |
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