TRAIN ONSEN Travel Journals to Hot Springs in Japan

One day in December.

it's so cold that I want to go to a hot spring that warms me up well.

Hmmm, a well-warmed hot spring ... Then, what about Suwa? We've been there before, but we couldn't go all bathhouses at that time.

Ah, Suwa ... Well, sure, it was a nice place ...

So, Nishi-san and Kita-san who revisited Suwa. First, head to the popular bathhouse "Tanganoyu". From Nakasendo, go through Mitamachi Street and go up Emonzaka road.

Gutter on Emonzaka road

Hey! Look! Steam is coming out of the gutter! It feels like SO hot spring town, you know.

There's hot water flowing in the gutter, too. In short, it means that there is a lot of hot water. It's a luxury, isn't it?

And because the air temperature is low, I can see the steam even more clearly.

It's only in winter.

Walking Yudasaka road from Emonzaka road, Tanganoyu is located on the way of downhill.

Exterior

Oh, this is it. It looks beautiful, surprisingly.

I've heard it's been renewed recently. It looks good on Suwa, too.

Shoes box

Oh, the inside is bright, and it feels good to be neat, right?

Exactly.

In the bathing room, there is a bathtub in front and a washing area on the right. There is an open-air bath when you go outside from the left. The indoor bath is divided into two tubs.

Indoor bath

Um ... Well ... The sign says this tub is "Slightly hot water". And the other is ... "Hot water" ...

In short, both are hot.

First of all, Nishi-san and Kita-san enter the "slightly hot" tub.

's hot! Is this "SLIGHTLY" hot!? It's SO hot! I can't be soaked in it ...

Oh, sure, it's pretty hot. Perhaps because my body is cold, I feel even hoter.

It's amazing that you can be soaked in such hot water.

Well, it's certainly hot, but there's nothing you can't put in. You may not be able to afford to taste the goodness of the hot water, though.

... So? Yes, ok, getting in slowly from my toe,and then ... It's hot! I'll give up!

Hey, it's less than 5 seconds. It's a pretty good hot water, when you get used to the temperature.

No, no, I'll be scalded before I get used to it ...

Then, let's go to the open-air bath. The open-air bath seems to be relatively low temperature.

They go to the open-air bath without entering "hot" tub.

Open-air bath

Oh, I can get in this.

Compared to the indoor bath, this one is right temperature.

But, even if you say an open-air bath, you can't see the scenery at all ... There is a roof and I can't see the sky. It's not an open-air bath, you know.

Well, You can say that again. It's just that the outside air comes in.

Hot water spout in the open-air bath

This water doesn't have much of a feature, does it?

Well, sure, it's colorless and transparent. I wonder if there's a little sulfur smell. But Suwa Onsen has been said to be a famous hot spring for a long time.

Hmmm, famous hot spring ... I don't think it's such a great hot water ...

I guess it's gentle hot water for everyone.

Gentle?　This TOO HOT water is not gentle at all, you know.

Hahaha, you can say so.

Suwa Taisha Akimiya worship hall

Nishi-san and Kita-san, who came out of Tanganoyu, are taking a walk around Suwa Taisha Akimiya.

It feels like the warmth of the core of the body continues. Shimosuwa Onsen is a hot spring that warms up as you requested.

Well ... But even so, it was too hot ...

Nishi-san and Kita-san, who went around Suwa Taisha Akimiya, are going to the next bathhouse after lunch and coffee break. (→ Continue to Yusen House Koyu)

(December 2019)