Secret Japan

[SithLordGirl]

Hello,
My name is Meg and I signed up for this forum to get more information about the Tamagawa Onsen in Akita prefecture. You see, I'm currently taking Japanese 102 at community college and the teacher assigned us an onsen project. I chose to do mine on the Tamagawa Onsen and I already have most of the information I need. The categories of information I need include:

Location of the hot spring
Health effects of the hot spring/the facility
The history of the hot spring
How it serves the community
Famous food or souvenirs relating to the hot spring
other attractions in the area

I already have plenty of information for everything except the history and famous food/souvenir categories. I have a very little information on the history, but absolutely nothing for the famous food/souvenirs. Can anybody help me by supplying information or links pertaining to these two subjects?

Here's a list of links I've already visited pertaining to the Tamagawa Onsen:
http://www.bornplaydie.com/japan/kofuguide/onsen/onsen.htm
http://www.fukuoka-now.com/features/article_display.php?fn_code=475813
http://www.secret-japan.com/onsen/
http://travel.japan-tohoku.com/cgi-bin/detail.cgi?id=040013&country=en
http://www.city.semboku.akita.jp/en/sightseeing/spot/01.html
http://www.jnto.go.jp/

Thank you every much!

[sanji]

The most famous souvenir from Tamagawa Onsen consists of a white powder which is recovered from the onsen once the water is evaporated. It consists mostly of inorganic salts and sulfur derivatives.

Japanese bring that home - or give it away as gift - and put it in their bath tub, thus recreating the onsen water at home and enjoying similar benefits...

You can check one of this "onsen flower" set sold at Akita Airport here : http://www.akita-airport.com/shop/goods01/029/029.html

The set looks like that (3rd picture from the top):


Years ago, many people were taking with them rocks that are found outside around the spring. Those rocks are slightly radioactive - it is still part of the onsen treatment - and are said to be a "cure" for persons with cancer. While there is strictly no medical evidence of that, it used to be really popular so that those stones were sold on the internet for ridiculously high prices... Now, it is forbidden to take out any rock of Tamagawa Onsen, which is in a protected area.

Still, go to http://auctions.yahoo.co.jp/ (which is the Japanese equivalent of ebay) and type 玉川温泉 - you will find many examples of stones to sell...


Hope this helps,

sanji

[SithLordGirl]

Thank you so much! This is exactly what I needed.