Hot springs in Tsukioka

Tsukioka Onsen is a traditional hot spring town within Shibata City, Niigata Prefecture, with origins dating to 1917, when petroleum drillers tapped into geothermal water rather than oil. The spring produces an emerald-green color owing to a sulfur concentration that ranks among the highest of any hot spring in Japan. Roughly 30 geisha continue to work in the town today, and they perform at the Tsukimidai theatre each Sunday from April through November.