Pregnancy Power Spot! Head to the Izu Yoshina Onsen to Be Blessed With Children

The root of the belief in the onsen power

Yoshina Onsen was found in the Nara Period by Gyoki, the high priest at the time, and is the oldest onsen in Izu.

Yoshina grew around the Zenmyoji temple, and from the end of the Nara period has always been known to have sprits to help pregnancy.

In the Edo Period Tokugawa Iyeyasu’s concubine Oman no Kata heard of this and visited several times to bear his children and this became legend nationwide after that.

Even to this day many believe in this and come here to receive blessings.

Let’s take a tour of her prayer spot for pregnancy.

First to the temple to be blessed by children

First we head to Zenmyoji temple where Oman no kata supposedly prayed at.

Zenmyoji was built in 742AD with the gods of both child bearing and healthy pregnancy. It is a small temple but apparently very powerful.

The prayer lasts for 30 to 40 minutes. After which you get an amulet and a miniature kimono. The amulet you keep with you at all times. If your prayer comes true you should come back when the child is one year old to give thanks.

You have to sew your own kimono as part of the offering and give that and the amulet back to the temple then have your child’s growth prayed for. (You can send it in by mail if you can’t go)

In front of the image of Buddha there are many of these small kimonos, and from the amount it really seems to work.

*Facility: Zenmyoji *Tel: 0558-85-0402 to receive the blessing you have to make reservations *Access: a 20min drive from Shuzenji. A 3min walk from the Yoshina Onsen Inn (Tofuya Resort & Spa Izu, Sakaya) *Fee for the blessing isn’t fixed but always give more than 5000 JPY in the proper envelope.

Stay the night at the hot spring inn where the Kodakara no Yu is

Head to the Tofuya Resort & Spa Izu which is the main inn here, where Yoshina Onsen springs out and where Oman no Kata is said to have bathed in.

On a humongous 120k sqm of land there is a small river, guest rooms, onsen, restaurant, spa, café, and a garden on this resort.

It has been around since the Edo Period but has been recently redone and reopened in 2011, into a modern and stylish inn. It is very stylish down to the last detail and almost feels like you can be blessed with children just by coming here, it is so comforting.

All the rooms are spacious and clean.

There are many types of rooms here from standard type, a riverside room, and rooms with half an outdoor bath attached. Each room has its own atmosphere and you can be lost on which to choose as each is equally attractive.

Also on the grounds is an exploration course where you can see Mt. Fuji (40min one way). It’s rare to find a hotel resort where you can take such an enjoyable stroll.

After the walk you can stop by and have some tea at the café and bakery where there is a foot bath and get nice and warm. You can enjoy a lazy day like this the whole day here on these grounds.

Bathing in the Kodakara no Yu (child bearing spring)

At such a lovely inn is the Kodakara no Yu private outdoor bath.

You can reserve it during check in so don’t forget.

There are 2 outdoor baths at the inn, and 2 private outdoor baths. You can bathe while listening to the sounds of the river, as well as enjoy the aroma from the trees.

Take your time when bathing, there is a method of stepping in and out of the bath that is supposed to raise your body temperature and make it easier for you to get pregnant.

At each bathing area there are undressing areas which have towels, cosmetic tonic and water for you to use. Perfect for those that bathe many times.

Onsen type: alkaline basic type

Pray at the Komochi Jizo (the garden deity with child)

On the inn grounds there are some Komochi Jizo.

It’s a good idea to pray to these Jizo.

Also, in front of the restaurant Mizuoto there is a persimmon tree that is called the Komochi Kaki (pregnant persimmon) which has very unique persimmon growing inside a persimmon.

If you find a fruit consider yourself lucky.