Hot Spring Rights at Nozawa Spa, Nagano Prefecture

Abstract

A major hot spring owner at Nozawa Spa is the foundational juridical person, Nozawa-Kai. The Nozawa-kumi, which was born of the village organization named Nozawa-kumi, represents a modern type of organization with a juridical person status, which was established upon the merger of the village and the town in order to preserve the spa under communal ownership. Pursuant to a hot spring water supply agreement, water is supplied to inns and lodges, and is provided free of charge to public baths.
The thirteen public baths are open free of charge even to non-residents, and are managed and operated by the baths' users or a local group called "bath-maths" or ku. The spa's waters are provided free of charge by the Nozawa-kai or by individuals.
In a large number of cases, the water from hot spring sources owned by indiviuals are for their own use. Under the old, customary hot spring rights, there were cases where owners of the land where the hot springs originate differed from the water-use rights-holders.