Sumatakyo Onsen is a place I’ve probably visited about five times now, counting back to my childhood. But because of bad weather or strong winds making the water murky, I had never actually seen this beautiful view until now. This time, I was thrilled to finally see this breathtaking scenery right during the peak of the autumn foliage.
A short walk from the parking lot brings you to an area with a statue of a Japanese serow. There’s a bus stop nearby, and right from there, you’ll find the entrance to the promenade that leads to the Dream Suspension Bridge. Along the way, you won’t get bored—you can admire the autumn colors on the mountains, pass through a tunnel that feels a bit spooky if you’re alone, and even find drinkable spring water.
In just under 20 minutes, you arrive at the bridge entrance where you can look down at it. From here, you go down some stairs to get closer, but there was already a long queue waiting to cross. It looked like about an hour’s wait. However, since you can enjoy this stunning view the entire time while waiting, everyone was busy taking photos and it didn’t really feel that long.
The queue moves quite slowly, partly because the bridge wobbles and also because people are taking photos against the gorgeous backdrop as they go. Some people turned back after taking their photos without crossing—maybe because the course map shows a steep climb of over 300 steps waiting on the other side! lol
After crossing the bridge and heading up the stairs, you can catch views like this. As you can see, the line is quite long; the very back of the line in this photo probably represents a 40 to 60-minute wait.
On the promenade circling the Dream Suspension Bridge, I was completely captivated by the beautiful colors—mountains dyed in autumn hues and the emerald green water. I wasn’t feeling 100% physically, but I’m so glad I came. It was also great that I could enjoy a private bath at Sumatakyo Onsen afterwards.
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