七沢温泉 Nanasawa Hot Springs

This past Sunday, I visited a little known, very rural area of Kanagawa called Nanasawa. While not famous (perhaps even Tokyo-ites have never heard of it), locals in Kanagawa all know this hidden spot. It's famous for several things: hot springs, hiking trails and wild bears and monkeys! I was a little shocked to learn that there are wild bears less than an hour away from my home. o_O

Due to my work schedule, my friend and I squeezed in as much as we could in the span of 4 hours.

Map of the area. The sign says: "Forest Therapy":

 Another map detailing the many hiking trails and 

scenic spots in the area (click for details):

 View of the mountains and greenery:

We drove up the mountain to visit a temple. It was under construction; currently, they are working to refurbish the roof. Despite that, there were several unique features of this temple...

a huge stone lantern:

 A small bull. The money is an offering:

 A small stone tiger, guarding a prayer spot:

This area had many ancient, tall trees. This particular tree was for people to pray. The tree was unique in that it was hollow, but still quite healthy.

The prayer tree:

Located next the temple's main hall, were two trees designated by Kanagawa prefecture as "living fossils". A sign said these trees were 800 years old!

About halfway down the mountain, we stopped to take photos of the view. Despite the very hot weather, Nanasawa Onsen area was quite cool.

I didn't have time to enjoy the outdoor baths here, but will be sure to visit again and blog about that experience. I hope you enjoyed rural Kanagawa!

A help site for foreigners with information about Nanasawa Onsen is HERE (scroll to the bottom of the page).
A blog about onsens in Japan features the Nanasawa Onsen area. Lots of pictures! View them HERE.