Hot Spring Cure

I went on an overnight trip to “Yamaga onsen” with my family last week.   An onsen is a mineral hot spring spa.   Yamaga onsen is located within an hour’s drive,  but we stayed one night for a change.   The hotel we stayed in was “Yamaga New Grand Hotel”.

The room was a Japanese-style room.    In those kinds of rooms, the guests sleep on a futon instead of a bed.   The housekeepers move the table aside and lay out futons on the tatami covering the floor while guests have dinner.

This is the onsen bathtub in the hotel.  (both pictures from hotel website)

“How to Enjoy a Japanese Bath” is taken from “Japan Ryokan Association Kinki“.    I saw the poster displayed in another onsen.   Before seeing the poster, I had no doubt I should wash my body first and then soak in the tub, because everyone around me do so.   However, the poster said just rinsing is OK before sitting in a hot spring.   Isn’t it unsanitary?    But I’ve never heard of infection in hot spring.   Umm I think I can say the same for a swimming pool?    An onsen may be better than a pool because the abundant hot water is bubbling up all the time.

The hot water will warm you down to your core.   It might make you very sleepy.   After sleeping, you can refresh yourself.  An Onsen is also good for beauty.   While resting in a bath, your skin will feel smooth.    By the way, I ‘ve been going to an onsen with my daughter since she was a baby.    We are used to seeing each other’s naked bodies.  I think it would be an embarrassing thing for non-Japanese people.   I also would be embarrassed with friends.   It is a little embarrassing for me to take a bath at a fitness club.

Room prices at hotels and inns around onsen usually include breakfast and dinner.   The dinner is made with typical Japanese dishes.   You can’t choose.  But nobody complains about it because it’s delicious.

The Kikuchi River flows by the hotel.    It was fine in the winter morning, but bitterly cold.

We took another onsen bath at Sakurayu.   Edo-period onsen facility was rebuilt last year.   Sakurayu was the onsen for the lord of this area during Edo era.

We went for a little walk.  This is the theater “Yachiyo-za”.  It is in use nowadays.

Here is the temple “Kongou-Jouji” and a unique stone-gate.

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There is a public foot bath in the park.

On the way back home,  I became very sleepy.    Maybe the onsen worked on me.   I almost dozed off at the wheel.   I fell asleep as soon as I got home.   The onsen has soothed away my fatigue.   On the other hand, my children seemed to be discontent.   My son complained, “It was a very boring trip!!!”