Fodor's Expert Review Hanamaki Onsenkyo

Among 12 onsen that collectively make up these gorges of hot water gushers, Osawa and Namari stand out for their quality and well-kept ryokan, offering comfort and long-cherished histories. Osawa is known as poet Miyazawa Kenji's favorite, and Namari is famous for Japan's 600-year-old deepest standing bath. Osawa is 30 minutes by bus from Iwate's Hanamaki Station (not the airport of the same name), Namari 50 minutes. From Morioka the easiest way is to take a train to Hanamaki Station and then use the bus to reach the onsen, which are on the outskirts of town. There is an information center at the station that can help you with bus connections, but be advised that it's a very quiet place, so you might be waiting. It's also possible to get to the area from Shin-Hanamaki Station (which is a different station than "Hanamaki") on a bus operated by the onsen association that stops at several different ryokan in town. If you are staying over, check with your ryokan for free shuttle times (usually only twice a day) and note from which train station and ask about pickup services from the onsen-area bus station.