The Karatachi Bunjin (Writers) Footbath

I'm currently at the Karatachi Footbath next to the Yanagawa City Postal Insurance Center. It feels so good. This is also a social gathering place for locals. Listening to the conversations, everyone is having a great time, talking about big things like Putin and Ukraine. I'm soaking in the footbath right now, and it feels so good. The water is not too hot, just the right temperature. I could stay in the bath for as long as I wanted. Time seems to flow slowly while I'm soaking. According to locals, they dug three wells a long time ago, and the temperature was around 45°C. The Postal Insurance Center is now closed, and the hot water is now being sent to Kamenoyu Hotel and Yanagawa Rehabilitation Center. Tourist buses also stop at the footbath ♨️. You can also see Yanagawa's famous river boats passing by.

I'm a local. The current operating hours are from 11am to 3pm. I use it whenever the timing is right. The hot water is hotter where it comes out (apparently around 38°C to 40°C), and it seems to be divided into three stages, getting hotter and colder as you move further away. Even a short soak in the footbath warms you up nicely and makes walking much easier, so I'm grateful that it's free to use. I wish the operating hours were longer though... There's also free parking and toilets, and events are sometimes held in the plaza (park?) right next door, so it's a great place to relax.

This is a free natural hot spring footbath. It's open from 11:00 AM to 3:00 PM and is located in a gazebo. The spring water is a sodium bicarbonate-chloride spring, effective for neuralgia, muscle pain, joint pain, poor circulation, and fatigue recovery. It has a smooth, slightly viscous texture. The source water is around 50°C, but here it's a little cooler. It's nice to relax in the hot spring and enjoy the atmosphere of Yanagawa.

The place is generally clean and has a parking lot. The hot spring water itself is very good, but it seemed like a group of three elderly people, who looked like locals, were monopolizing the hot spring area the whole time. One of the older men was smoking right next to the water.

The foot bath and the surrounding scenery are beautiful and relaxing. It's the warmer season, so the hydrangeas were beautiful. The locals were kind enough to talk to me with a smile, which made it even more enjoyable.