Matsunoyama Onsen, located in Tokamachi City, Niigata Prefecture, is one of Japan's three great medicinal hot springs, alongside Arima and Kusatsu. It's a historic hot spring resort, said to have been discovered about 700 years ago during the Nanboku-cho period when a woodcutter found a hawk healing its injured wing in the water. It's also known as a "super salty hot spring" where fossilized seawater, over 12 million years old, springs forth. "Matsunoyama Salt" is made by boiling down this hot spring water and allowing it to naturally crystallize. It's characterized by its mellow, smooth flavor and gentle saltiness that enhances the natural taste of ingredients. Currently, they offer salt-making experiences where you can experience the process of creating salt from Matsunoyama hot spring water. "When I hear 'salt,' I think of the sea, but I was surprised to learn that ancient seawater was trapped by crustal movements and salt can be harvested from the mountains. I feel a sense of romance in the history of the sea and the Earth, and the magnificent scale of that time."Yumi Nakata）

⚫︎Capacity: 10g
• Contact: Matsunoyama Chakura

*Prices may vary, so please check with each shop.

Select: Yumi Nakata Photo: Kohei Yamamoto Text: Shiyo Yamashita