TRAIN ONSEN Travel Journals to Hot Springs in Japan

(→ Continuation from Nomizo-onsen Senjunoyu)
Today, Nishi-san and Kita-san are visiting to the hot springs on Boso Peninsula, Chiba Prefecture. After enjoying Nomizo-onsen Senjunoyu in the morning, they have come to Kameyama Onsen Kosuitei Sagawa for lunch and hot spring.

Exterior

At Kosuitei Sagawa, You can take only a bath, but when you set it with a meal, the bathing charge is free. In case of it, you order your meal first of all, then go to the hot spring. When the time about you finish bathing, your meal is already prepared.

We order the meal first.

Hmm ... Because in spring, "Young Bamboo Tofu and Bamboo Shoot Rice" looks nice.

Then, me too.

Nishi-san and Kita-san go to the bath after ordering their meal.

Well, the undressing room is in the bathing room. Oh, it's not like an open-air bath, but it's pretty spacious?

Kosuitei Sagawa's open-air bath has a roof, but there is no wall facing Lake Kameyama. The bathtub is behind the partition on the right.

Bathtub in open-air bath

What? Surprisingly, the bathtub is small.

It's really ... The bathing room is so large ...

But, a bigger bathtub is not always better.

Filling the bathtub is "Kuroyu", the black hot water familiar around Tokyo. But depending on the light, it looks black or brown. At once, They enter the bathtub.

Bathtub in open-air bath

Oh, it's not too hot. OK, OK.

Yeah, it's better than expected.

This Kuroyu is light in color or translucent. Is it more coffee-brown than black?

Not only color, but it's a bit different from Kuroyu in Tokyo. Like a mountain hot spring? It feels a little slimy.

Isn't it a temperature thing? Because Kuroyu in Tokyo is heated just before boiling ...

Hahaha. You're in terrible at Kuroyu in Ueno.

At that time, I thought I would get burned ...

View from bathtub in open-air bath

But it's nice to look at the natural mountains while soaking in hot water.

Absolutely. But I wish it would be better if there were no fences ...

If no fences, some people might be falling down to the lake.

Kosuitei Sagawa is located on a hill facing Lake Kameyama, so you can see the lake well if you get close to the fence.

View from open-air bath

Wow, overlooking the lake! Great!

The weather is good, so the lake is clear. And what a peaceful sight ... Black kites are chirping.

And the wind is cool and just right ... But, wait a minute, it depends on the weather that the worth of this open-air bath ?

I guess so. In short, on rainy or windy days, it might be better to get in a indoor bath, not here.

Indoor bath (Rocks bathtub)

But the men's bath is decided open-air or indoor daily, and you can't choose it, can you? Mmm, that's high-risk-high-return ...

Well, today, the open-air bath is a men's bath, and the weather is good, so it means we're lucky.

After enjoying the hot spring bath and the view, "Young Bamboo Tofu and Bamboo Shoot Rice" is waiting for them.

Lobby

As soon as they settled down at the restaurant table, the dishes were served.

I see. Ordering meal before is a good system, you know. 'Cause you don't have to wait.

Exactly. I'm quite hungry, so I want to have right away.

Carefully seasoned dishes that make use of the taste of the ingredients will spread the taste of spring in your mouth. Outside the window, in the soft sunshine, black kites are drawing an arc and flying up slowly. Apparently here it is slowly until the time progress.

(March 2014)