The village sits by a large ravine formed by the Ohya River, the entrance of which lies a pleasant 20 minutes on foot from Naruko station. There are some nice walking trails along the valley and a spectacular bridge crossing the gorge. This is where you'll also find the Shitomae check-point and the start of a 5 kilometre country path which was part of Matsuo Basho's poetic journey north in his book The Narrow Road to the Deep North.

Naruko Onsen is also the place to find traditional wooden Kokeshi dolls and a fine local lacquer ware which dates back 350 years. The Japan Kokeshi Centre contains about 7,000 Kokeshi dolls, which are notable for their elegant features and bright colours.

A stay here normally includes lovely meals at your Japanese style ryokan, plenty of time to soak in the baths and some good walks in the countryside. And for those with ailments, the high sulphur content is believed to relieve hardened arteries and high blood pressure and leaves the skin smooth and soft.