Atagawa Onsen Tours and Trips (Shizuoka Prefecture)

Traditional snacks made in Atagawa homes
Herahera mochi is a simple snack eaten by farmers and fishermen; it is made of wheat flour and wild yam, then dipped in sesame sauce or bean paste. Sometimes it is made from rice flour, but it is characterized by its thin shape. It is said to have got its name from its shape, or from an anecdote that a feudal lord who ate it at the headman's house was so pleased with its deliciousness that his cheeks loosened and he laughed out loud. You can try this herahera mochi at Yamamomo Chaya in Nara district.

A hot spring discovered by Ota Dokan and believed to be protected by the gods
Ota Dokan, a warlord from the Muromachi period famous for building Edo Castle, is also said to be the founder of Atagawa Onsen. While on a hunting expedition to Mount Amagi, Dokan saw monkeys and wild boars nursing their wounds in the murky river, where smoke was rising from the surface, and decided to bathe in the water himself. He immediately felt his fatigue from the hunt disappear and his whole body was filled with vitality, which convinced him that the gods protected this place, so he quarried stones from here and used them in Edo Castle. At the Atagawa Onsen Stone-pulling Dokan Festival, the stone-pulling from the time of the castle's construction is recreated.