Toyama prefecture has 149 known hot springs (as of March, 1999), 70% of which originate in the hills surrounding the Toyama Plain. The Himi hot springs belong to this area. The springs are salty due to the seawater swallowed up in a volcanic eruption 1500 years ago. These hot springs, which dot the coast in the north, are located throughout the city of Himi. They are known collectively as the "Himi Hot Spring Village in Noto Peninsula National Park."