Abstract
Our overall surveys of medical consultations for balneal therapy and of balneal curation at the Namekawa Spa, Yamagata Prefecture may be summarized as follows.
1) The Namekawa Spa is one in the Iegatayama Spa family located in the border of Fukushima and Yamagata Prefecture, which is saline hydrogen sulphide spring in character.
There is only one hot-spring inn in this resort (Fukushimaya Inn). It is rich in natural scenery, without the atmosphere of an amusements center and isolated from the wordly things. It is purely a spa for balneal treatment.
2) The larger number of visitors to this spa are from within the prefecture, especially from the towns and villages around the spa, but, because of its nearness to Fukushima Prefecture, quite a number of visitors are from this prefecture.
The visitors are mostly farmers, especially those of advanced age.
Half the visitors have been at the spa before and many of them are in the habit of revisiting the spa year after year.
3) A majority of visitors come to the spa for therapy of diseases and for recuperation, which shows that this spa has the character of balneal therapy.
