"Legend says over 500 years ago around 1453, a wood cutter found a steaming marshland when he was resting on a low hill on his way home. Drawing close he put his hand into the water to find it was a hot spring. Later when the wood cutter felt pain in his arm joint, recalling of the spring, he bathed in it to find his arm cured shortly after. In gratitude the wood cutter carved a Yakushinyorai (Bhaisajyaguru) and built a small shrine to enshrine it in. This is how the Yukura Shrine was born and Yunokawa Onsen began.
Above is lore, but from the research done by Matsumae clan in 1717 it is stated that the shrine was approximately 100 years old. The “Yakushinyorai” is supposed to have been enshrined at the springs since 1617. And from certain fact and existing shrine treasures show clear pedigree. When Takahiro, the 9th lord of Matsumae clan, was young and called Chikatsu-maru, he became seriously ill. Doctors and medication and failed to help and his conditions were worse every day. One night his mother Seiryoin saw prophecy in her dream “Seek east of Matsumae, You shall find a mysterious hot spring. There all illness will be cured.” Immediately she sent a servant to find the hot spring and bathed Chikatsu-maru in it. Shortly Chikatsu-maru recovered completely. The coming year 1654, Seiryoin reconstructed the shrine pavilion and enshrined a Yakushinyorai about 16cm long made from Shiriuchi gold dust and a Wanikuchi about 19cm wide. Ever since, the shrine has been worshiped to the locals as their heart and soul. In 1876 it was ranked as a township shrine. In 1941 the current pavilions were built.
Devine virtues rise high along with the city’s development up to this day. "