Kappa-no-yu, Oku-yagen Onsen, Aomori Pref. Closed Down

[update] Kappa-no-yu reopened in April 2011. It's no more gender mixed onsen. Available for men from 7AM to 9AM, 11:10AM to 1:00PM, and 3:10PM to 5:00PM. As for wemwn, from 9:10AM to 11:00AM and 1:10PM to 3:00PM. Available until 11:00AM only on every Wednesday.

The Kappa-no-yu, at Oku-yagen Onsen in Aomori Prefecture (see my post dated May 1, 2009) is unavilable now, closed down by the end of March according to a recent local newspaper's report.

Infringement of the public bath law was mentioned in the article. It was an open-air mixed bath without gender separated changing rooms. It said the officials were planning to build gender separated changing rooms, separated baths, and screens to block watchers to reopen the Kappa-no-yu in the future.

I guess increase of WANIs (as for WANI, see my post dated Jan. 23, 2010) in recent years is part of the reason. A friend of mine and I met five or six WANIs there in the summer of 2006, when we were to leave.

The Japanese traditional mixed baths are decreasing. The rotenburo (open-air bath) at Yunokami Onsen, Fukushima Pref. closed down about a year ago (see my post dated May 14, 2009), and swim suites bathing introduced at the Funsenchi, Gero Onsen in Gifu Pref. (see my post dated Jan. 17, 2009) recently.

Hyakkannon Onsen, Kuki City, Saitama Pref.

The big Open-air bath at upper stage.

Saitama is next prefecture of Tokyo, and you can make a half-day trip to the Hyakkannon Onsen (百観音温泉) from Tokyo. Located three minutes walk from JR Higashiwashinomiya (東鷲宮) Station, it's easy to access for visitors from abroad.

It's a basic day-visit onsen without frills, but the sodium onsen is abundant, gushing 1000 litter every minute. The muddy onsen smells a bit like rubber, the temperature is high at 57.3°C and cooled down by heat exchange system. I guess this is the one of the best day-visit onsens in Greater Tokyo Area.


The smaller open-air bath at lower stage.

If you feel a bit embarrassed to share a bath with unknown people, there are five private baths here. One of them is wood made barrel bath, and remaining four are made with stone and tiles. Tatami mat rooms for rest are attached for all private baths. You can order meal delivery from the restaurant. You can see pictures of the private baths on their official site.

They don't permit single use of the private baths, and you have to be a group of two on weekdays, and three or more on weekend and holidays. Their private baths are very popular and usually you have to book about a week in advance for weekends.



◆Hyakkannon Onsen （百観音温泉）

Type: Gender separated indoor and open-air baths, five private baths

Address: 2-10-1 Nishiowa, Kuki City, Saitama Prefecture

Location: 36.091393, 139.67701

Tel: 0480-59-4126 (English unspoken)

Business hour: 8:00 AM to 11:00 PM (from 6:30AM on weekends and holidays)

Holiday: Third Tuesday of every month

Admission fee: ¥700 (three hours), additional ¥3150 per room for the private bath (three hours). If two of you soak yourselves at a private bath, it will be ¥4550 altogether

Equipment: 2 indoor baths, 4 open-air baths and 1 sauna each for men and ladies, 5 private baths, a restaurant (upper floor), snack bar (first floor)

Access: Take Utsunomiya Line (宇都宮線) to Higashiwashinomiya (東鷲宮) from Ueno (上野) or Akabane (赤羽). It takes about 50 minutes from Ueno station, costing ¥820 one way. Some of the trains (limited rapid service) skip Higashiwashinomiya, in the case you have to get off at Kuki (久喜) and change to local train for one station. When you reach Higashi-washinomiya, walk straight from the west exit and turn right at first signals. See the linked map blow.

Links:
Official website of the Hyakkannon Onsen (Japanese only)
Map of the Hyakkannon Onsen in English

My rating (out of five): A-

Yasuragi Ioujima, Nagasaki City, Nagasaki Pref.

The smaller open-air bath. The floor stained chestnut brown with onsen ingredient.

If you come to Nagasaki, Kyushu Island, I recommend you to spare at least three hours to visit Yasuragi Ioujima(やすらぎ伊王島), Nagasaki Onsen in Ioujima(伊王島) off the coast of central Nagasaki City. You can enjoy an onsen soaking and short cruises.

Ioujima is a small island with 2.26km² area and nearly 900 people, once prospered after a coal mine opened in 1941. The coal mine closed in 1972 and resort development started in '80s. Yasuragi Ioujima is a big complex now accommodating maximum 420 guests per day.


The smaller Indoor bath. There are a sauna, too.

Its onsen was developed rather recently, and I didn't expect anything write home about, but the sodium hot springs were fresh and good, small bubbles sparkle on the surface of the water like soda water. Of course you can soak yourself watching the sea at the open-air bath. Two bath rooms are bit different, the left bath room is bigger. Mens' and ladies bath rooms change daily.

Apart from then onsen, you can rent a bicycle and get around the island. A beach located north is named "Costa del Sol". (^^;


The main building of Yasuragi Ioujima is believed to be Mediterranean style.

Just 20 minutes ferry ride from central Nagasaki City will takes you to the Ioujima, then it take only a few minutes walk to reach Yasuragi Ioujima. If you make a day visit, it costs only ¥980 including round trip ferry tickets, and onsen admission fee including a hand towel and a bath towel. You don't have to bring any bath goods.

There is a counter of Yasuragi Ioujima at the Ohato Pier (大波止埠頭) of Nagasaki Port (長崎港). Buy your ticket there. They will hand you one way ferry ticket and onsen admission ticket. Keep these and hand the ferry ticket when you get off the ferry. After arriving Ioujima, walk right along the sea or you can expect free shuttle service. You'll get return ferry ticket at the entrance of the onsen at Yasuragi Ioujima.

A bridge connecting Iojima and main land Kyushu is under construction.　[update] Now that the bridge has opened in March, 2011, you can visit Ioujima by bus. It serves only on weekdays. Check out the timetable and other info at tourist information center.


There are three pot baths for single use at the each open-air bath.

◆Yasuragi Ioujima, Nagasaki Onsen （長崎温泉やすらぎ伊王島）

Type: Gender separated indoor and open-air baths, swim suites bating prohibited

Address: 1-3277-7, Ioujima-cho, Nagasaki City, Nagasaki Prefecture

Location: 32.705890, 129.77857

Business hour: 6:00 PM to 0:00 AM

Holiday: None

Admission fee: ¥980 for day visit (round trip ferry ticket, a hand towel and a bath towel included. You have to return towels.)

Equipment:Complimentary soaps, shampoos, hair driers, skin lotions and others. There are a restaurant inside Yasuragi Ioujima.


The ferry "Cobalt Queen the second" arrived at the Ioujima.

Access: Take a ferry from Ohato Pier（大波止埠頭） of the Nagasaki Port（長崎港）. It's within walking distance from Nagasaki Station (about 15 minutes).

Ferry timetable:
From Nagasaki port (* not subject to day visit plan.)
5:50*
7:20
8:50
10:15
11:50
13:55
15:30
16:25
17:55
19:20
21:05*

From Ioujima
6:45
8:15
9:47
11:10
12:55
14:52
15:53
17:26
18:52
20:30
21:57

Note: You have to buy day visit tickets at the counter of Yasuragi Ioujima at the pier, because normal ferry ticket is ¥650 one way and day visit plan is special discount offer. If you don't enter the onsen at the Yasuragi Ioujima, you will be charged the balance of regular fare.

My rating (A-E): B


The Megami Ohashi or the Venus Wing and central Nagasaki City view from the ferry.

Bathing Culture MANGA "THERMAE ROMAE"

[update] A movie version of "Thermae Romae" starring Hiroshi Abe, Aya Ueto, Masachika Ichimura and others will be released in April 2012. I'm not sure if you can see this movie outside of Japan.

Japan is getting more famous for its subculture than manufacturing products among younger generations recently. One of them is MANGA. The word "MANGA" stands for cartoons, but it's different from American cartoons as many of you already knows.

I bought a MANGA book worth mentioning in this blog last week. The title is "THERMAE ROMAE", staged in ancient Roman Empire under the emperor Hadrianus. Lucius, the main character of the MANGA is an architect of Roman baths, accidentally time warps to present Japan.

He doesn't know what happened to him, and recognizes the Japanese in 21st century as "flat faced slaves with very high level of bathing culture". He comes and goes between Roman Empire and present Japan several times, and makes success by building Japanese style bath houses in Roman Empire.

The vol.1 of the serial MANGA books came out in last Dec. and is to continue. It was awarded "Cartoon Grand Prize 2010" this month. Mari Yamazaki, creator of the MANGA has studied in Italy, and lives in Portugal now.

[Related post] Animated "THERMAE ROMAE" (Feb 26 2012)

Wulai Hot Springs, Taipei County, Taiwan

A soaker and feet bathers. The hot springs water itself is almost transparent, looks gray after mixing with bottom sand. (photo: Mar. 2010)

Wulai（烏來） is a small town of Atayal or Tayal tribe in Taipei County, North Taiwan. It's famous for onsen as well. I made my fourth visit here with a friend of mine, and soaked ourselves in the naturally gushing hot springs on the banks of the Nanshih River the other day.

We found the place to soak at the left side of the bridge over the Nanshih River. You have to make your own soaking pond here, moving rocks to mix river water and the hot springs to make adequate temperature for soaking. Fortunately, a kind man gave his soaking space for us, so we didn't have to work hard to get a pond.


You can find readymade soaking ponds at the right side of the bridge.(photo: Mar. 2010)

The hot springs gushing from the bottom sand and very hot, more than 60°C in the sand at my visit. We had to keep stirring water around us to mix river water and hot springs. Swim suites are necessary. There are no changing rooms around there, but a nearby grocery store made us change clothe in their toilet with small money.


Primitive changing rooms are ready at the right side of the bridge.(photo: Mar. 2010)

If you go right side of the bridge, you'll find more organized (?) place for soaking with some concrete made ponds. There are four private changing rooms, and the ponds for washing and for soaking are separated.The river flows slower around here, and many people swim in the river for cooling down after soaking in the hot springs.


There are many hotels with hot springs on the both side of the river. (photo: Feb. 2009)

Of course there are hotels and resorts you can make a day visit. Don't forget to try bamboo tube rice（竹筒飯）, one of the aboriginal dishes.

Access is easy. There are frequent direct bus to Wulai from 青島西路 (Qingdao West Rd? location 25.044587,121.51858) , south side of the Taipei Railway Station, taking about one and half hours and the fare is $70 one way. Although many guidebooks recommend to go to Xindian（新店） with MTR (subway) first, then to take the bus to Wulai($40) from just behind of the tourist information center at the Xindian station to avoid traffic jam in central Taipei, this bus gets desperately crowded especially on weekends, and the road is winding. If you go with small kids and aged people, I recommend you to take the bus from central Taipei. Get off the bus at the last stop at Wulai in either case and just walk around. You will find the bridge I mentioned.


Souvenir shop looks very much like one in Japan. (photo: Feb. 2009)