Further afield, Kenji World, (81-19) 695-3333, in northern Japan's Iwate prefecture, boasts a colossal onsen "beach" where warm water washes up on the shore (made of brownish soft board instead of sand).

CNN: ASIANOW - Travel Watch | Offbeat Onsen Offer Tradition with a Twist

In the fourteenth or fifteenth century, when the people of Iwate Prefecture in the northern part of mainland Japan worshipped Mt.

UNESCO: Culture

It was centered on Aomori and Iwate prefectures on the northeast end of Honshu, Japan's main island.

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