View through a window of Tsurunoyu Ryokan in Nyuto Onsen - onsen photography, Japan.

Tsurunoyu, Nyuto Onsen

Akita

Japan

Before visiting Nyuto Onsen, I kept coming across the same iconic photograph of Tsurunoyu’s milky outdoor bath in winter. After spending time there, I realised the experience was about so much more. Through this personal project, I wanted to capture the quieter moments that define a stay: weathered wooden buildings, the soft morning light, the rhythm of a traditional ryokan, onsen rituals and the stillness of the surrounding forest. Together, these photographs tell the story beyond the image that people already know.

01 - Arrival

Hidden in the mountains of Akita, Tsurunoyu has welcomed travellers for more than 350 years. Rather than a single building, the ryokan unfolds through a collection of wooden structures connected by gravel paths, covered walkways and the surrounding forest.

Interior view from a vehicle looking out on a forested dirt road lined with tall trees with green leaves.
A pathway through a traditional village with wooden buildings, surrounded by lush green trees, and a vehicle parked at the end of the path. There is a wooden gate at the entrance with Japanese characters on the posts.
A rustic watermill on a small creek surrounded by lush green foliage and trees, with a traditional wooden building and a thatched roof in the background.
A woman smiling behind a wooden counter in a Japanese store, holding a wooden sign. The store has wooden walls, framed writings, photographs, and various signs and products displayed.
Person's hands stamping a document at a checkout counter. The person is wearing a black and orange watch and a striped apron. Various papers, a pen, and a cardboard box are visible on the counter.

02 - Inside Tsurunoyu

Traditional wooden hallway leading to a bathhouse entrance in Tsurunoyu Ryokan, Nyuto Onsen, with noren doors for separate men's and women's bath areas, travel photography, Japan.
View of traditional Japanese-style interior corridor with wooden frames and shoji doors, leading to a room with Japanese lantern and flowers, with greenery outside.
A young girl relaxing on a chair in a sunlit room with large windows showing green trees outside, framed by shoji screens.
A small creek flowing through a lush green forest with diverse foliage.
Interior of a wooden building with a hallway, chairs, and large windows. An elderly woman is sitting at a table near the windows, smiling and looking down.
A tabletop grill with burning charcoal and skewered fish cooking over the embers, surrounded by a wooden frame and stacked white plates to the side.
A person with a shaved head wearing a face mask, black shirt with white characters, and an apron, carrying a tray with glasses inside a wooden-framed restaurant or shop.
A person wearing a face mask and striped apron walking on a gravel pathway in a traditional Japanese village with black wooden buildings and lush green trees.
A rectangular ceramic plate with various types of food, including grilled fish, mashed potatoes with carrots, cooked greens, sliced lemon, and small red fruit or berry, on a black surface.
Close-up of a black cup filled with soba noodles topped with sliced green onions
A man wearing a black face mask, black shirt, and striped apron carrying a tray of food outside a dark wooden building with hanging lanterns.

03 - The waters

Seven baths are fed by four natural spring sources, each with a different mineral composition and temperature. Water, steam, timber and light become recurring elements throughout the ryokan.

A view inside a rocky cave with moss on the rocks and water flowing at the bottom.
Wooden water trough with flowing water, two wooden cups and a small stool against a stone and wood wall.
A wooden interior with a window on the upper part and a water feature below, where water flows out from a pipe into a pool, framed by dark wooden posts.
Outdoor hot spring bath (onsen) with steaming water, surrounded by rocks and lush green plants, viewed through a window with dark bars.
Two beige cups filled with a light-colored beverage, placed on a stone surface near a body of water.
Wooden wall with shelves and a clock showing approximately 3:15. Wicker baskets are placed on the shelves, and window with sunlight coming in is visible.
Close-up of a chisel striking a wooden surface, with wood dust and particles flying through the air.
Person relaxing in a wooden indoor hot spring or bath with wooden walls and window.
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