Narada Onsen Joteinoyu

Travel journal of day trip bathing to hot spring

Characters

Nishi-san: He is an orthodox hot springs lover and particular about quality of springs. He loves the hot springs flowing from the source, the hot water with a presence, and the rustic atmosphere.

Kita-san: He doesn't care much about quality of hot springs. He loves the open-air bath, and prefers hot springs that have visible features such as good views.

One day.

Don't you want to get a hot spring in the secret spot?

The secret spot! Nice. Where is it?

Deep in the mountains of Yamanashi. I went there before, and the hot springs were so amazing.

So, Nishi-san and Kita-san's destination today is Narada Onsen. The bus to Narada Onsen leaves from JR Shimobe Onsen Station. Everything was fine till they had got on the Minobu Line to head there, but the train stopped at a station along the way and didn't move. After a while, an announcement was made that the train ahead had hit a deer...

Hitting a deer? That sort of thing happens... Well, 'cause the Minobu Line runs through the mountains.

If we're too late, we might not make the first bus. Then, the next one will be four hours later. I wonder how long it'll take. I hope it can get going in about 30 minutes...

After a while, an announcement was made that train would resume after they had retrieved the deer.

Well, if there's a deer lying on the tracks the trains won't move.

I wonder who retrieves the deer. The train operator? If so, it's hard to be the train operator.

Luckily, the delay was only 25 minutes, and Nishi-san and Kita-san made it safely to the first bus. The bus was running the road alongside the Hayakawa River.

The view from the bus window

Oh, it's starting to look more and more like a secret spot. It's pretty beautiful, you know.

It's the season for autumn leaves. When I came here last time is in summer, so I thought I'd come in autumn next time.

The view from the bus window

I see. But come to think of it, if you can get there by bus, it's not a secret spot after all...

Exactly. But, well, they say so, and there are no convenience stores.

No convenience stores?! Then it must be a secret spot. No doubt about it.

After more than an hour, they finally arrived at Narada Onsen.

Lake Narada

Yeah! Finally arrived! But when I looked at the scenery, I wasn't bored than I thought.

Well then, let's go to Joteinoyu for now. It's still a little early though.

Exterior

Joteinoyu opens at 9:00. Nishi-san and Kita-san waited for a while, admiring Lake Narada. They entered the facility as soon as it opened.

Huh, this is a dirt floor. It looks like an old folk house.

Exactly. Maybe they renovated an old folk house? Or not?

They walked down a winding passageway, then along an exterior corridor to an outbuilding, and reached the bathing room.

Bathtub (lukewarm)

Wow, the windows are huge! You can see the lake!

The view is nice, but the water here is great. It has a slimy and slippery feel.

Oh, I see. And there's a lot of yunohana! They pile up at the bottom!

Bathtub (hot)

This yunohana feels kind of slimy, right?

You're right. This water is definitely not ordinary. And the temperature is different on each side of the bathtub. I can understand why people want to take a long bath.

They enjoyed the hot water for a while and then went to a break room.

View through the shoji window in the break room

Look! The view through this shoji window is pretty nice, you know.

Exactly. As I thought, coming in the autumn is the right choice.

While relaxing in the break room, it was almost lunchtime. They headed to the nearby "Old folk house cafe Kagiya" for lunch.

♨ Perhaps because of the inconvenient transportation in Narada, it seems that it has retained its own unique language and cultural practices that are different from the surrounding areas.

♨ Joteinoyu is newly built, not a renovated old house.

Old folk house cafe Kagiya Exterior

I'll have 'Venison stewed in tomato sauce'.

Oh, they serve 'Limited to 10 servings - Venison pasta'. If it's limited, I have no choice but to try it.

I heard that there are lots of game meat dishes around here. Venison may be common too.

This deer might be the one that was hit by the Minobu Line this morning.

Ah, so that's why they were retrieving the deer. It's freshly ground venison, so it must be delicious...but no way!

Old folk house cafe Kagiya Front garden

Nishi-san and Kita-san enjoyed their venison lunch. In the afternoon, they went to a hot spring that Nishi-san had been wanting to visit again. (→ Continue to Narada Onsen Shiranekan)

(November 2024)

♨ Old folk house cafe Kagiya is a cafe renovated from a 200-year-old traditional house. They are particular about using locally produced food. And even the tableware and cutlery are made by artists living in Hayakawa Town.

Impression & rating

The amount of yunohana is considerable. The water has a slimy feel and is wonderful, so the claim that it is good for your skin is no lie.

4.0 pt

Impression & rating

The view of Lake Narada from the bathing room and break room is very nice. It's quiet, so perfect just for relaxing.

2.5 pt

→ How to rate

The Onsen facility

Address: 486, Narada, Hayakawa Town, Minamikoma District, Yamanashi Pref.
Phone: domestic: 0556-42-7382
international: +81-556-42-7382
Website: Narada Onsen Joteinoyu
Bathing hours: 9:00 - 19:00(Last entry at 18:30)
Closed day: Wednesdays (If it is a public holiday, the next day)
Charge: Adults: ¥700 / Children: ¥300
Baths: Gender-separated indoor bath
Facilities: There are no lockers in the undressing room, but there are lockers in the hallway for valuables (100 yen return type). Large and medium-sized lockers are available in the locker room (300 yen and 200 yen)

The hot spring data
(According to hot spring analysis report etc.)

(Field examination date: Jan. 22, 2019)

Spring quality: Sodium - Chloride / Hydrogen carbonate spring (Hypotonic Alkaline Hot spring
Source: Naradanosato-onsen
Gushing place: 263, Ihira, Narada, Hayakawa Town, Minamikoma District, Yamanashi Pref.
Temperature: 41.3℃ (106.3℉)
[air temperature: 5.0℃ (41℉)]
Water volume: Not measurable (Pumping after drilling)
pH value: 8.8
Total ingredients: 1.714 g / kg
Perception: Colorless and clear, Weak sulfur odor and taste

Today's Detour

Shiomi Bridge, Lake Narada and Narada Hachiman Shrine Park

(top and bottom left: Shiomi Bridge and Lake Narada,
bottom right: Gazebo in Narada Hachiman Shrine Park)

Lake Narada is an artificial lake created by damming the Hayakawa River with Nishiyama Dam. Shiomi Bridge is a suspension bridge that spans Lake Narada. It's sturdy with fences on both sides, so crossing is (probably) not scary. Some people may be able to enjoy the scenery on the way across.

Just beyond Shiomi Bridge, there is Narada Hachiman Shrine Park. It is an empty lot with only a gazebo and Hachiman Shrine, quiet and peaceful. On a nice day, it's not bad to relax in the gazebo while looking out at Lake Narada and Shiomi Bridge.

The descriptions on this page contain personal opinions and are not necessarily objective facts.
The information may have changed at present. In particular, the charge and price etc. has often not updated from the time of travel, so check the latest information on the official website.

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