Kotakuji Onsen Gyokusuiro

This will be our visit on October 19, 2024. It's famous as a ryokan (Japanese inn), but you can also enjoy day trips to the hot springs. That's where we stayed today. Located deep within Nanasawa Onsen in the Tanzawa Mountains, Hirotakuji Onsen is the only hot spring and hot spring inn in the area (though it's technically also part of Nanasawa Onsen). There's a bus stop, but the frequency is unusually low. Inside...oh, it feels so old. The purely Japanese atmosphere is irresistible. This must be a very old-fashioned ryokan, don't you think? At the end of the corridor, there are retro items like a cigarette vending machine and an old telephone booth. I think the bathing fee was around 1,000 yen. I think there was a set time limit (60 or 90 minutes?). If you need a towel, you can buy a small one for 200 yen. You're also supposed to get a half-price ticket for your next visit. There are lockers on the way to the hot springs. They return your coins, so keep your valuables there. There's also a rather charming rest area. And a red bridge and a pond. It looks like there are carp or something swimming in it. The men's bath has one open-air bath. The changing room and washing area are connected by a door. There must have been three or four seats for washing. The bath itself isn't very large, but the water feels like it has some kind of healing effect. I had a great time. The world of hot springs is quite deep.

It's been a while since I last visited this hot spring on my way back from a climbing trip about 25 years ago. Back then, I only remember hurriedly washing away the sweat in the open-air bath alongside other hikers, but this time, a friend invited me to go for wild boar hotpot, and it was a new experience. First, I was guided to my room, appreciating the history of the building and the signs posted throughout, and then headed straight for the open-air bath. Walking to and from the bath, I truly savored the time that had flowed through the building, and washed away the sweat. My memory is a bit hazy, and I thought the open-air bath would be a bit larger, but the small open-air bath was a natural extension of my body, allowing me to blend in and enjoy a long soak. Back at my room, I enjoyed the wild boar hotpot course. From the wild boar hotpot to the final soba noodles, I was simply overwhelmed by the locally sourced, natural ingredients that were served one after the other. My friend was smiling the whole time as we ate, and we descended the mountain refreshed in body and mind. It was a truly precious experience.

I stayed at a day-use hotel. The room smelled moldy. The changing room for the bathroom had no walls, so it was completely visible from the bath and cold. I tried to use the massage machine, but there was no outlet, and when I tried to insert it, my hands were covered in dust and deteriorated rubber, making them very dirty. The meat in the lion hotpot was tough. The open-air bath was old and the paint hadn't been repaired or peeled. I felt sad.

I emailed them today about a day trip to the hot springs, and they accommodated me that day, which was very helpful. It was my first time trying wild boar hotpot, and it was delicious and filling. The yam dengaku miso sauce contained yuzu, which was so delicious that I would buy it if it was available. It was an indoor bath, but it was a famous hot spring that left my skin feeling smooth. I would like to go again.

The only reason they can no longer offer day-trip hot springs is because some facilities that weren't registered as public baths were given administrative guidance to stop doing so. However, Nanasawa-so, which was properly operating, can still offer day-trip hot springs as usual, so I think they should just coexist.