Yutanpo: the onsen district walk, October

About the event

Yutanpo (湯探歩) is the onsen district's own festival, held on the first weekend of every even month. The name plays on yu (hot water), tan (to search) and po (to walk). Each business takes part in its own way, so you can drop into two places or spend the whole day going from one to the next.

Look for the map at the Genkan Terrace at Man'yō Park, the Yugawara Museum of Art or any taking-part shop, or open the PDF online. Every stop has its own programme, with a contact for bookings on the Yutanpo website.

Go inside the registered-heritage inns: Genzan Uenoya, Itoya, Fujiya Ryokan and Fujitaya are old inns with rooms and halls from the Meiji era onward, and Itoya is where Shimazaki Tōson worked on Before the Dawn. Bathe at Kogome no Yu, or take the architect-led tour of the Manyōtei tea house, designed by Horiguchi Sutemi, and the Genkan Terrace.

Make something: Yugawara-bayashi taiko, bonsai at Jusuian, kimono workshops at Yakamean and Kimono Suzuki. Drink and eat: craft beer at Kadoya, sake at Musubu, Chinese at Shinshinkō, Charly's pizza, Kato's croquettes, Efuya's kibimochi, and the river counter of sweets at Murosada. Or look at art at the museum, Antica Art Yugawara and Enso.

The Iyashiba-e night walk, the volunteer guides and the medaka-scooping contest at Medaka-ya Ginga are among the extras. If it's called off for bad weather, the Yutanpo website says so by 7:00 that morning.

The next walks are on 5–6 December and 6–7 February. The same October weekend, Yugawara Fes is by the sea, the bamboo lanterns are lit in the evenings, and the Cinema Salon screens at the museum café, so it's worth staying the night.