Yanagawa Hot Spring

The water is not heated or diluted; it is completely natural hot spring water. Every night around 8:30pm, the bathtub is unplugged, cleaned, and plugged back in, and by morning the tub is filled to the brim with fresh hot spring water. Opening at 6:30am, there were many day-trippers. It seemed like locals came as a daily routine. The water is colorless, transparent, and slightly salty, but it also feels smooth on the skin. The footbath in front of the entrance was warm enough to soothe a chilled body, and out of all the bathing facilities, it had the strongest hot spring smell. This place is about a 20-minute drive from JR Aterazawa Station. It is located about 4km before the Ozumori Tunnel. Once you exit the tunnel, you'll reach Oisawa in Nishikawa Town, home to Furudera Hot Springs, the gateway to Mount Oasahi, and the Higurashizawa trailhead leading to Mount Samue in the Asahi Mountain Range. However, on this day, a winter road closure was in place just before the tunnel, preventing access to Oisawa. I usually use this bathhouse for day trips, but on this day I stayed overnight in the self-catering building. Check-in was at 2 p.m. and credit cards were accepted. The indoor bath is an atmospheric rock bath, large enough to comfortably seat about seven people. There are six sinks, rinse-in shampoo, and body soap. There's a partition wall between adjacent seats, but the mirrors connect them. The open-air bath is spacious and spacious, offering a sense of freedom without having to worry about your neighbors. The view of the remote area hidden in the mountains is truly relaxing. There are coin lockers before entering the changing room. The changing room has three sinks and two hair dryers. It seemed some guests were staying for multiple nights for a therapeutic hot spring treatment, as I passed an elderly woman in her pajamas in the hallway. The rooms in the accommodation building were equipped with all the necessary cooking utensils for self-catering, a sink, and a toilet. They were 8-tatami Japanese-style rooms with a mini TV. The futons were clean and fluffy. There was also duct tape next to the TV, likely to protect against stink bugs.

After finishing my climbing Mt. Tsuki, I visited to stay overnight to slowly warm my cold body in the hot springs and soothe my fatigue. The facility mainly operates day trips hot springs. From the bath we took a short walk down the loose, sloped corridor, but we were guided to Shiode, an approximately eight-tatami mat room, not far away. The five rooms, including us, were set up around the hearth, and the ceiling was high and it felt open. All the other rooms were also filled. Due to the thin walls, you can hear some chattering in the hallways and in the common room, but as long as you're not making a fuss, you won't be too concerned about it. Considering the natural feel and security of the wood, the quality of the bath, and the tranquility of nature, it feels like a very reasonable accommodation. It was a bit of a time, but there was a surprise that a stink bug that I hadn't invited in came in, but there were measures to prevent it, so there were no issues. The breakfast was delicious and pure Japanese food. Thank you very much. I recommend it (^v^)

We arrived at Yanagawa Onsen after passing through the 1,565m-long Oizawa Tunnel from the Oizawa side. Along the way, we strolled along the Ozuyama Promenade, enjoying the natural scenery for a short time. I'd like to express my gratitude once again to Yamagata Prefecture and all the other parties involved in building the tunnel. More than 45 years ago, I could take a bus to Yanagawa, take a three-hour tekuteku through the Jinzu Gorge, stay overnight at Kodera Onsen, and head for Oasahi. Now, the road is closed due to a natural disaster, and it's a nostalgic hometown of mine. Incidentally, you can now drive to the newly renovated Kodera Sanso via a different route, with Asahi Onsen picking you up along the way. I snapped this photo because it evokes a nostalgic, Showa-era vibe.

I went for a day trip. The entrance fee was a bargain at 350 yen, and it had both an indoor and an open-air bath. The spring water is sodium sulfate and chloride, with a pH of 8.4, colorless and transparent, and the source water is 57 degrees Celsius and free-flowing! The open-air bath is larger than the indoor bath and looks like it could fit about 20 people! After the bath, I wanted some soft-serve ice cream, but what's this? Soft-serve ice cream with a hot spring egg in it! I got it in a cup, but they told me to stir it with a spoon! Delicious! I sat on the footbath outside and ate it. There's also hot spring water you can drink.

This hot spring facility, located past Oe Town Hall, is fully equipped with a foot bath, drinking fountain, and accommodation. The water is a slightly alkaline mixture of sulfur, sulfate, and chloride springs. Both the large public bath and the open-air bath are made of rocks and are around 42°C. Please be careful as there are horseflies in the open-air bath (there is a warning sign). If you would like to drink the water, please ask at reception and they will give you a paper cup. The downside is that it is deep in the mountains and can be quite difficult to get to.