千と千尋でしか見たことなかった湯張りシステム pic.twitter.com/zXLawZHo5k

— りるぜ (@RiLze04) December 23, 2017

One lucky bather, who goes by the name @RiLze04 on Twitter, shared this video of the onsen being used online, and since then the tweet has received almost 4 million views.

As anyone who’s been to a Japanese onsen will know, this is not a common way to take a bath. Usually, the water is already in the tub, so all visitors have to do is step into the water and soak their cares away. Here, though, bathers are required to put a wooden tag into a wooden receptacle to fill the tub with onsen water.

This system is very similar to the one seen in Spirited Away, where Sen and Lin (Rin) use a tag from the foreman to connect up the bathwater and fill the tub at the magical bathhouse. Although Sen has to yank a rope to make the water come out in the movie, the use of the wooden tag and the gush of water that flows out into the tub is remarkably similar to the bathwater operation at the Fukuoka bathhouse.

これだ〜🎵 pic.twitter.com/SizDbBannT

— MUYU 脳内が既に正月休みなので休みたい (@MUYU13169073) December 24, 2017

People on Twitter were quick to heap praise on the unusual bathing system, with many putting the onsen on their bucket list for future travels. The large majority of commenters, who never knew this system existed in real life, remarked on how similar the clip was to the scene in Spirited Away. One Twitter user even posted this image of the sludge-infested River God who gets to enjoy the bath made by Sen and Lin in the movie.

Whether you’re a River God in need of a good clean or a weary traveler looking for a magical way to enjoy a relaxing soak, Wakasugi no Yu is definitely a destination worth travelling to.

For more information about Wakasugi no Yu including its location, be sure to read the full story from Rocket News 24 below!

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