[Aizuwakamatsu City, Fukushima Prefecture] Aizu Higashiyama Onsen Mukaitaki, a cultural property inn, where you can feel at ease with Japanese warmth and warm hospitality.

Aizu Higashiyama Onsen is a hot spring resort representative of the Aizu region, located on the outskirts of Aizuwakamatsu City, Fukushima Prefecture. The hot spring has a long history, and is said to have been discovered by the monk Gyoki when he visited Aizu about 1,300 years ago to spread Buddhism. Gyoki was a high priest who devoted himself to the construction of the Great Buddha of Nara, and was the first to attain the highest rank of Daisojo

During the Edo period, it flourished as a therapeutic hot spring for the Aizu domain, and in the Meiji period, the name "Aizu Higashiyama Onsen" became famous nationwide when the Aizu folk song "Aizu Bandaisan" sang, "Ohara Shosuke loved morning sleeps, morning drinks, and morning baths, and he ruined his life because of them."

The inns are lined up along the Yukawa River, which flows through the center of town. If you look closely at the inn names, you'll see that many of them have the word "waterfall" in their names, such as "Harataki," "Shintaki," "Taki no Yu," and "Mukaitaki." However, there are several small waterfalls along the Yukawa River, and it is said that the names of the inns were taken from the names of the waterfalls near the inns

The spring water is a sodium-calcium sulfate chloride spring, boasting a flow rate of approximately 1,500 liters per minute. Many of the inns have their own hot spring sources. The water is clear and colorless, and alkaline, making it gentle on the skin

Aizu Higashiyama Onsen Tourism Association<Information>

• Phone number: 0242-27-7051
• Official URL: Aizu Higashiyama Onsen Tourism Association

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The first designated tangible cultural property. Mukaitaki was a resort for the Aizu clan during the Edo period

In the middle of the hot spring town, there is a traditional, splendid wooden inn called "Mukaitaki." It has a long history, having been established in the Edo period as a health resort designated by the Aizu domain, called "Kitsune-yu." In the Meiji period, it took over and became the hot spring inn "Mukaitaki."

Almost all of the buildings at Mukaitaki were built between the Meiji and early Showa periods and are still in use as guest rooms, etc. The splendor of the buildings made them a historical cultural asset worthy of long-term preservation, and in 1996 they were designated as the first registered tangible cultural property of the country

Photographs of the construction at the time are posted on the Mukaitaki website, and you can see that the guest rooms were built on a slope, which made for a very difficult job. Some carpenters came from Tokyo. The guest rooms are purely Japanese in style, with each room having a different design, such as the openwork carvings on the transoms, the design of the shoji screens, and the construction of the shoin study, and no two rooms are the same. This really shows the high level of skill of the carpenters

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The first registered "Entrance Building" with a large hall and "Fox Bath"

Once you cross the Yukawa River, you will reach the entrance. This is the first registered two-story wooden "Entrance Building," built in the late Meiji period and renovated in the early Showa period. In addition to the entrance and kitchen, there is a large hall and guest rooms on the second floor, and a bath in the basement. This bath is a hot spring bath called "Kitsune-yu" that has been used since the Edo period

The "Great Hall" has a high ceiling and a cypress stage, and in 1992 it hosted the banquet for the Quadrilateral Trade Summit, an international conference attended by the trade ministers of the United States, Canada, the European Community, and Japan

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The oldest guest room building is said to have been built since the Edo period

Continuing down the corridor, you will come across a garden with a pond on the left and a private family bath on the right, with the guest rooms on the second floor. The corridor is a walkway, allowing you to always see the garden. From the corridor to this point is the oldest guest room building (Registered No. 3) at Mukaitaki. The furnishings of this guest room building have been renovated since later, but it is said to have existed since the mid-Edo period

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A mountainside "continuous building" constructed through the collaboration of carpenters from Aizu and Tokyo

Along the mountain in the distance is the "Continuous Building" which consists of conference rooms and guest rooms. The conference room is the only Western-style building at Mukaitaki. The guest rooms are located above the conference room on the floor above, and are built along the slope, making the stairs a little difficult to climb. Because it was built in collaboration with carpenters from Aizu and Tokyo, the hotel is filled with the same kind of refined craftsmanship, attention to materials, and room names that can be seen in Hakone and Izu. Construction of the "Continuous Building" began in 1934 and was completed in 1935 (Registered No. 4)

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 The "Hanare" was once a "Royal Family Residence"

If you go down the hallway to the left from the entrance building, you will come to a staircase, and at the top you will find the "hanare" (detached building). This is also a registered tangible cultural property, built in the late Meiji period (Registered No. 2)

The "Hanare" has three rooms, each with its own private hot spring bath. Hanging in the room is a calligraphy piece by Hideyo Noguchi entitled "Bishukako" (delicious sake and delicious food). The main room is built in a typical Shoin style. During the Taisho era, the hot spring town guide described it as "a building designated by the Imperial Household Agency, a palace where members of the Imperial family stayed." Of course, you can stay overnight in the "Hanare."

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A completely flowing hot spring that warms you from the inside out

There are three hot spring baths: Fox Bath, Monkey Bath, and Private Family Bath

A slightly hotter "fox bath" that has been around since the Edo period

The source of the "Fox Bath" is said to have been flowing for 1,300 years. © Mukaitaki

"Fox Bath" is located in the basement of the entrance building and is a bath that uses a natural spring that has been flowing since ancient times. The water is drawn directly from the natural spring along the Yukawa River, and the temperature of the spring is a little hot at 45°C. The pure white mineral deposits that adhere to the outlet are proof that the hot spring is rich in minerals. The baths are separated by gender, but there are no showers

Open-air indoor bath "Monkey Bath"

The large public baths, separated by gender, are called "Monkey Baths." There is no open-air bath, but it is an open-air indoor bath with large glass windows that allow you to see the lush greenery of nature. Since "Monkey Baths" is located a little far from the hot spring source, the water temperature is a little lukewarm at 42°C. There are separate baths for men and women, and showers and baths for after-bathing are provided

A private family bath that can be used at any time for free

There are three "private family baths." They are named "Ivy Bath," "Hill Bath," and "Suzu Bath," and each has a different carving on the ceiling. What's great is that you can use them for free whenever they're available

All of the hot spring baths are free-flowing, with no water added or heated, so you can enjoy the hot spring water as it is. Unfortunately, day trips are not permitted

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Mukaitaki: More than just the buildings and hot springs

There are many other attractions to Mukaitaki, including the cuisine, gardens, and hot spring town. Let me introduce some of them to you

Local cuisine centered around Aizu ingredients

Both dinner and breakfast are delivered to your room. The local cuisine is centered around seasonal ingredients harvested in Aizu. You can enjoy the flavors unique to the Aizu region, such as kozuyu and sweet-boiled carp

A strolling Japanese garden that makes good use of the slope

Because Mukaitaki is built on a slope, some rooms require quite a climb up the stairs. However, the view of the well-maintained garden from the corridor leading to the rooms is soothing. There is a pond just below the corridor, and trees and stones are arranged on the slope, making it a strolling Japanese garden that is beautiful from any angle in all seasons

Check details on accommodation reservation site

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Aizu Higashiyama Hot Springs Mukaitaki<Information>

• Name: Aizu Higashiyama Onsen Mukaitaki
• Address: 200 Yumotokawamukae, Higashiyamacho, Aizuwakamatsu City, Fukushima Prefecture, 965-0814
• Phone number: 0242-27-7501
• Official URL: https://www.mukaitaki.com/

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