Hira-shofuku onsen (a hot spring in Otsu City, Shiga Prefecture) (比良招福温泉)
Hira-shofuku onsen is a hot spring located at 948-10, Kitahira, Otsu City, Shiga Prefecture.
Hira-shofuku onsen was drilled at the location 500 meters from the outlet of Hira-gawa River on the north riverside. Geologically, sand from granite from the mountain was deposited for 300 meters from the ground surface and, below that to 1,040 meters; it consists of argilliferous soil and, after 1,040 meters, base rock layer.. Hira-shofuku onsen has been drilled up to 1,060 meters and hot spring water is taken from the border of base rock layers. As the result of this boring (from records of boring and samples) coincides with the depth of base rock at the bottom of lake inferred from the result of scientific investigation of strata architecture at the bottom of lake with shock wave ("Hikaku Hendo Chikeiron" written by Yoshihiro UEMURA, Kokon Shoin publisher, and URBAN KUBOTA NO. 37/11), it is inferred that the Hira-ko lakeshore fault exists on the mountain side from this drilling point. It is inferred that as there is a fault in the vicinity of this hot spring and borehole has reached the base rock, the hot spring became unique one.
Quality of spring
Sodium hydrogen carbonate spring (neutral hypotonic spring)
Source temperature: 38.0 degree C
Amount of discharge: 351 l/min (daily 500 tons approx.)
pH 7.30
Yellowish brown cloudy hot water
Main ingredients
Cation (only ingredients 1 mg/kg or more)
Sodium ion (205.3 mg/kg), calcium ion (26.3 mg/kg), potassium ion (8.0 mg/kg), ferrous ion (7.7 mg/kg), magnesium ion (6.8 mg/kg), and ferric ion (2.1 mg/kg)
Anion (only ingredients 1 mg/kg or more)
Hydrogen carbonate ion (819 mg/kg), chlorine ion (14.5 mg/kg), and fluorine ion (1.2 mg/kg)
Free ingredients (only ingredients 1 mg/kg or more)
Metasilicic acid (86.6 mg/kg) and free carbon dioxide (42.1 mg/kg)
Positive effects
Indications of bathing
Nerve pain, muscle ache, joint ache, frozen shoulder, motor paralysis, stiff joints, contusion, twisted joint, chronic digestive diseases, hemorrhoid, excessive sensitivity to cold, recovery from illness, soothing effect, health enhancement, cut, burn injury and chronic skin diseases
Contraindications of bathing
Acute diseases (in particular, when feverish), active tuberculosis, malignant tumor, serious cardiac diseases, respiration failure, dysfunction of kidneys, bleeding disease, serious anemia, progressing diseases in general, and pregnancy (in particular, first pregnancy trimester and last pregnancy trimester)
Indications of drinking (at present, no facility for drinking)
Chronic digestive diseases, diabetes, gout and liver ailment
Contraindications of drinking
Kidney diseases, high-blood pressure, and diseases accompanied by edema in general; if overactive thyroid is observed, hot spring containing iodine is contriindication.
History
Hira-shofuku onsen is a comparatively new hot spring for which drilling was begun in February 2007 and succeeded in November of the same year.
Overnight and one-day bath service was begun in November 2008 by Holiday Afternoon which conducted drilling.
Onsengai (a part of town where hot spring inns or facilities are clustered)
Hira-shofuku onsen exists as indoor hot spring of the general base for hot spring and leisure activities (lodgment, bakery and tea parlor, tennis, futsal, dog run, darts and so on can be enjoyed) of Omi-Maiko. Although there is no onsengai at present, Omi-Maiko is famous as one of the foremost scenic area in Shiga Prefecture. It has a climate in which it is crowded with tourists for lake bathing in summer, and climbers to Hira mountain range and bass fishers in Lake Biwa or its naiko (endorheic lakes) in spring and visitors for skiing in winter because Biwako valley skiing area is nearby, and in the vicinity of Hira-shofuku onsen, there are villas and recreation facilities.
Access (location information)
Hira-shofuku onsen is located between Omi-Maiko in Kosei district of Lake Biwa and Hira Station in a place which takes five minutes on foot from Lake Biwa and from which Hira mountain range can be seen.
By private car
From Kyoto Higashi Interchange, or from Ritto Interchange via Biwako-ohashi Bridge, to Kosei-doro, then turning right at Hira Exit (terminal) of the Kosei-doro Road, turning left to Route 161, turning right after 20 meters and driving straight for one kilometer
By public transportation system
From JR Kyoto Station, change to JR Kosei Line (For Omi Maiko, Omi Imazu and Nagahara).
15 minutes on foot from Omi Maiko Station (Shin-kaisoku [Special Rapid] stops)