[Hanamaki City, Iwate Prefecture] 1.4m deep! Japan's longest standing bath. A nostalgic, three-story wooden hot spring inn, "Fujisan Ryokan"

Fujisan Ryokan is a single-family inn in Namari Onsen that was founded in 1786, approximately 240 years ago

Namari Onsen is located in a mountain village surrounded by lush greenery along the Toyosawa River, about 27km from Shin-Hanamaki Station on the Tohoku Shinkansen line and 14km from Hanamaki Minami IC on the Tohoku Expressway. The hot spring is said to have been discovered about 600 years ago by an ancestor of the Fujii family, the founders of Fujisan Ryokan, who saw a white monkey soothing its wounds in the spring that came from the base of a tree

Later, around 1443, the Fujii family built a temporary hut and began using it as a hot spring, and in 1786 it was opened as a hot spring inn

A stately three-story wooden building. Fujizo Ryokan was a hot spring resort for the Nanbu clan

Fujizo Ryokan is located a little way down from the cliffs created by the Toyosawa River. The building consists of a three-story wooden main building made entirely of zelkova wood, completed in 1941 (Showa 16), followed by an annex and hot spring treatment area made of reinforced concrete. When you look at the building from the front, the curved roof in front of the entrance gives the impression of the building's elegance. Shining brilliantly in the center is the family crest of a circle with a cross. The circle with a cross is the family crest of the Shimazu clan of the former Satsuma Domain (Kagoshima Prefecture), but why is it the family crest of Fujizo Ryokan, located in Iwate Prefecture?

The reason for this is that "for a long time, the hotel served as a hot spring resort for the lord of the Nanbu domain and hosted the feudal lord and his entourage. As a testament to this, the inn's family crest is generally a "hanging wisteria," but because of the friendly relationship between the Nanbu and Satsuma domains, we received the Satsuma domain's family crest, "XX," and even today the crest on the front entrance is still "XX.""

Relax your body and mind in the completely free-flowing hot springs

The biggest attraction of Fujisan Ryokan is its hot springs. The hot springs gush out from within the grounds, and all of the baths are filled directly from the source. There are five springs, with an average temperature of 57°C. The water is a simple alkaline hot spring containing many minerals, and is highly effective for treating neuralgia, skin diseases, diabetes, recovery from illness, and promoting good health. The weak alkaline water is also said to be good for the skin

On the first basement floor, there is a standing bath called "Shirazaru no Yu" where hot spring water gushes out from under your feet

In particular, the Shirozaru no Yu bath, which made Fujisan Ryokan known throughout the country, is located on the first basement floor and has an average depth of 1.25m, with a maximum depth of 1.4m. As a result, all baths are standing baths, which can feel a little unsettling until you get used to it. After soaking for a while, the water pressure evenly applied to your entire body gradually becomes more comfortable. It is said to be the deepest artesian hot spring bath in Japan

There is nothing around the bathtub. There is no step between the bathtub and the floor. So where does the hot spring come from? It naturally bubbles up from the bottom of the bathtub, at your feet. At regular hot springs, water is drawn from the source and poured into the bathtub, which means it comes into contact with air during the process, but at Shirazaru no Yu, the hot spring water bubbles up from underground without coming into contact with air, allowing you to enjoy the source itself. And because the hot spring water keeps gushing out, once the bathtub is full it is simply discarded. This is why it is called a "real free-flowing hot spring."

If we had dug deeper to make the hot springs come out more, we would have reached the current depth

However, for the inn, this "free-flowing hot spring water" is a major undertaking. The water is constantly being renewed, but the bathtub inevitably gets dirty. It is cleaned on set days, but the bathtub is carved out of a large rock, so it is not possible to install a drainage system. A commercial drainage pump is installed from above, the water is sucked out, and then the inn staff enters the bathtub and cleans the rock surface

So why is it a standing bath? It's a mystery, isn't it? The answer is quite unique

"When the source of Shirazaru no Yu was discovered about 600 years ago, it gushed forth from the banks of the Toyosawa River. However, although it is not clear when this began, the flow of hot water gradually decreased. Our ancestors thought that if they simply dug a little more, the flow would improve, and after repeated digging, the hot spring reached its current depth (average 1.25m). It's pretty simple, isn't it?" (From the head of the family's blog)

"Shirazaru no Yu" is a mixed bath, but there are also women-only times, so you don't have to worry

The bathhouse where "Shirozaru no Yu" is located is on the first basement floor, and the ceiling is about three stories high. It's also spacious! There's a standing bath in the middle of the floor, creating a truly mysterious space. The bath is open 24 hours a day, so if you bathe alone in the middle of the night, it can feel quite mystical. You can spend a relaxing time here, with a sense of freedom. However, don't forget that it's a mixed bath. There are designated times for women only, but the bath is mixed at other times. Please note that wearing swimsuits is prohibited

At "Shirozaru no Yu," there is a small bathtub next to the large one. This was added later and contains slightly warmer water, designed to be used for pouring water over yourself or cooling down. It doesn't have an official name, but it's been called "Little Monkey Bath" (little monkey bath), and no one knows who gave it that name

Enjoy a tour of four different hot springs

In addition to Shirazaru no Yu, Fujizo Ryokan also has Katsura no Yu, an open-air bath for men and women on the banks of the Toyosawa River, Shiraito no Yu, a large public bath with a semi-open-air bath for men and women to use on a rotating basis, from which you can see Shiraito Falls pouring into the Toyosawa River from the window, and Shirogane no Yu, a small indoor bath that can be reserved for private use, so you can enjoy bathing in different baths. All baths except Shirazaru no Yu are filled with water that is mixed from five hot springs and adjusted to the perfect temperature, with no water or heating added. Even if you are staying at the hot spring treatment area, you are free to use the hot springs

Toji is a traditional way of using hot springs, where you stay at a hot spring for an extended period during the farming off-season or after recovering from an illness, cooking your own meals while healing and strengthening your body, and it is available at a very low price. Fujisan Ryokan has a shared kitchen and a convenience store-like shop

Fujizo Ryokan, beloved by Miyazawa Kenji and Tamiya Torahiko

Until 1969 (Showa 44), there was a railroad from Hanamaki Station to Namari Onsen, where Fujisan Ryokan is located. The Hanamaki Electric Railway runs from Hanamaki Station on the Tohoku Main Line to Shinnamari Onsen (station name Nishinamari Onsen), one stop off at Namari Onsen, in about an hour. Founded in 1921 (Taisho 10), the line includes eight hot springs: Matsukura Onsen, Shidotaira Onsen, Watari Onsen, Osawa Onsen, Yamanokami Onsen, Namari Onsen, and Shinnamari Onsen. It's said that each hot spring was bustling with visitors. Many visitors flocked to Fujisan Ryokan, including Miyazawa Kenji, known for his novel "Kaze no Matasaburo," and Tamiya Torahiko, author of "Shirogane Shinju," a novel set at Fujisan Ryokan that was also made into a film

Hanamaki Electric Railway, where extremely narrow "horse-fronted trams" ran

Hanamaki Electric Railway's track width was only 762mm, which meant that the carriages, known as "horse-faced trams," were extremely narrow, measuring just 1.6m wide. Japan's regular railways have track widths of 1067mm (narrow gauge; Shinkansen trains are standard gauge at 1435mm), while the carriages of JR East's Yamanote Line E235 series trains are 2950mm wide, so you can see how narrow it was. Apparently, if you sat on either side of a passenger, your knees would touch. Hanamaki Electric Railway was abolished in 1969 due to the development of automobiles and other transportation, but one of the horse-faced trams has been preserved in static display in Zaimokucho Park in Hanamaki City since the line was closed, and it's worth seeing

INFORMATION

• Facility name: Hanamaki City Zaimokucho Park (Hanamaki Electric Railway Preserved Train)
• Address: 3-17 Zaimokucho, Hanamaki City, Iwate Prefecture
• Phone number: 0198-24-2111 (Hanamaki City Hall)

 

Fujisan Ryokan: Enjoy the unique flavors of Iwate

All rooms in the main building of Fujisan Ryokan are made of zelkova wood and feature a purely Japanese style, creating a very relaxing atmosphere. Meals are served in semi-private dining rooms, where kaiseki cuisine is served, featuring mainly local ingredients and seafood delivered directly from Sanriku. You can enjoy the flavors unique to Iwate Prefecture. There is also a wide selection of alcoholic beverages, including local sake from Iwate Prefecture

Fujizo Ryokan is a hot spring inn that you should visit at least once, with its charming three-story wooden building nestled in nature and the best standing bath in Japan

Check the details on the accommodation booking site

• Check the details page of [Jalan]
• Check the details page of [Yahoo Travel]
• Check the details page of [Ikyu.com]

INFORMATION

• Facility name: Namari Onsen Fujizo Ryokan
• Address: 75-1 Nakahira, Hanamaki City, Iwate Prefecture
• Phone number: 0198-25-2311 (main) Toji Department: 0198-25-2901
• Accommodation fees: See the official website or travel booking site
• Spring quality: alkaline simple hot spring
• Spring temperature: approx. 57℃
• URL: Fujisan Ryokan