Yamanaka Onsen sits in a wooded gorge along the Kakusenkei ravine, about half an hour south of Yamashiro. The setting is the appeal — the Daishoji River runs through a narrow canyon spanned by several footbridges, and a walking path follows the water for about a kilometre between the Korogi and Ayatori bridges. The latter is a modernist S-shaped span designed by the sculptor Hiroshi Teshigahara, all timber and steel cables.
The town itself is small and elegant. The Kikunoyu public bath sits at the centre, beside a covered shopping arcade selling lacquerware — Yamanaka has been a major lacquer-turning centre for four centuries, and the workshops still operate. The lacquerware museum (Yamanaka Shikki Densan-kan) is worth half an hour. In the evenings, the gorge path is lit by lanterns, and the riverside cafes serve matcha and wagashi until late.