Literary park • Yugawara (Miyakami)
About this place
Man’yō Park is built around the oldest recorded reference to Yugawara’s hot springs - poems in the 8th-century Man’yōshū mention the waters. The park plants stone-cut copies of the poems along riverside paths. The river (Chitose River’s upper stretch) runs clear through the park, with small footbridges and shaded reading benches at intervals.
At the upper end of the park sits the Yugawara Sōyu wellness complex, which includes the Genkan Terrace cafe and a free public foot bath. The foot bath is genuinely good: hot, clean, covered, and open to anyone - a reasonable reset after 40 minutes of walking the poetry trail. On Friday, Saturday, and Sunday the town runs a 40-minute guided walk through the park; check the tourism site for current schedule.
Access is a 15-minute bus to the Ochiaibashi stop followed by a short walk. Year-round; most photogenic in autumn leaves (mid-Nov) and in the fresh-green week of late April.
Evidence
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- 2 public sources
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- Currentness
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What to know
Quick facts
Location: Miyakami, Yugawara, Ashigarashimo District, Kanagawa
Access: About 15 minutes by bus from Yugawara Station to the Ochiaibashi stop.
Season: Year-round
Hours: Always open (foot bath hours vary)
Cost: Park + foot bath: free • Guided walk: free
Duration: 40 min (guided) • 1-2 hours (self-guided)
Highlights:
- Man’yōshū poetry stones along the river
- Free public foot bath at Yugawara Sōyu
- 40-minute town-led guided walks (Fri-Sun)
- Pair with the Genkan Terrace cafe inside Sōyu
- Free
Where this came from