Gakusen

A short distance from the national highway lies a quiet hot spring inn. The building, with its appearance that seems to capture the air of the Showa era, evokes a sense of nostalgia. There are two baths: hot and warm, but even the warm one requires caution. The water stings your skin, and its strength warms you to the core, even if you can't soak for long. I visited on a chilly day in late May. As I soaked in the hot water, I felt my chilled body gently thaw. It was just after 10am on a Sunday, and several local elderly men were in the tub. By 11pm they had all gotten out, and silence had returned to the bathhouse. It's not exactly what you'd call clean, but for the locals, the hot springs are an essential part of their daily lives. The inn seems reasonably priced, and sports club groups come from inland to stay. For the first time in a while, I took the old road instead of the Sanriku Expressway and happened to stop by this hot spring. The nostalgia of the road and the Showa-era smell of the hot spring inn mixed together, and memories of long ago rose up like steam.

I stayed one night on Saturday. This inn is located in the mountains near Yamada Bay. Both dinner and breakfast were set meals. Dinner dishes included: Sashimi (two types of tuna, flounder, scallops, and sea bream) Oysters in vinegar Fried oysters Oyster hotpot Chawanmushi Tofu (I didn't know what kind of tofu it was) Grilled flounder Wakame seaweed in vinegar Dessert (cheesecake and strawberries) Rice and miso soup. Breakfast included: Natto, tamagoyaki (rolled omelet), pickled daikon radish, pickled plum, and nori seaweed Salted salmon roe, grilled salmon, lotus root kinpira (fried and sautéed whitebait), blanched spinach, yogurt, rice, and miso soup. Everything was delicious, but the rice was the best. At 9,000 yen including tax, it was great value for money. The staff were very kind and helpful. They said they'll be raising prices from February. Apparently, from late September to early October, matsutake mushrooms picked from their own mountain are available.

I found this when searching for hot springs in the Sanriku area, which are rare. It's been a while since I've seen such an old-fashioned facility. Apparently the water is boiled with minerals placed at the bottom of the bath, so it's neither a hot spring nor a mineral spring. However, perhaps due to the radon effect, it seems like you sweat a lot. It's helpful that you can use PayPay and auPay, but 600 yen is a bit steep and there's no shampoo or body soap. There is hot and lukewarm water, but the hot water isn't as hot as it sounds, feeling like it's not 44°C. It's tasteless, odorless, and clear. Indoor bath only. There are three shower-only faucets. There's a hair dryer in the sink in front of the toilet behind the vending machine along the way. It wasn't a private bath, but I was glad it was available.

The sashimi was fresh, and you could tell the ingredients were of high quality. The refreshing sea squirt and the small dish of eggplant topped with sea urchin were especially good! It's a simple inn, but the facilities include a shower and the rooms have air conditioning, making for a comfortable stay. The hot spring water is heated, diluted, and circulated. There is a slight disinfectant smell. What concerns me is the cleanliness. I understand it's difficult to keep every nook and cranny spotless, but I think even small things like putting cleaning supplies and insecticides in a basket or other place to hide them, or using fresh bedding, could improve the impression.

Even the lukewarm water is quite hot. I think the hot bath is about 49 degrees. I only stayed in for about 6 minutes (it was too hot to stay in any longer), but I was red as a boiled octopus, sweating like a waterfall, and losing 0.6 kg. There are three washing areas. There are two bathtubs, each about 1.2 x 2.0 m, so they can comfortably accommodate two people.