Legend has it that over 1,000 years ago, when Minamoto no Mitsumasa (younger brother of Minamoto no Mitsunaka, an ancestor of the Genji family) was suffering from a serious illness, he received a divine message from Yakushi-nyorai (the Medicine Buddha), and cured his illness at this spa to completely regain his health. The Shio-no-yu Onsen inn's sukiya-style building, befitting Japanese hot spring resorts, exudes a tranquil atmosphere. The Shio-no-yu Onsen features a cold carbonate mineral spring, drawn directly from the source. By soaking in the cold spa and heated water alternately, fatigue can be removed. Believed effective for neuralgia, arthralgia, chronic digestive disorders, sensitivity to cold, hypertension, and more. The colorless carbonate spring, welling up in the courtyard, is rich in minerals and believed effective for diabetes and liver diseases. Visitors can savor seasonal foods such as mountain vegetables in spring, ayu (sweet fish) in summer, matsutake mushrooms in autumn and oyster nabe (hot pot) in winter.