[Hanamaki City, Iwate Prefecture] Depth 1.4m! The largest standing bath in Japan. Fujisan Ryokan, a nostalgic three-story wooden hot spring inn

``Fujisan Ryokan'' is an inn in Namari Onsen that was founded in 1786, about 240 years ago.

Namarionsen is located in a mountain village surrounded by deep greenery along the Toyosawa River, approximately 27 km from Shin-Hanamaki Station on the Tohoku Shinkansen and 14 km from Hanamaki Minami IC on the Tohoku Expressway. Legend has it that the hot springs were discovered about 600 years ago by the ancestors of the Fujii family, the founders of Fujisan Ryokan, after seeing a white monkey healing its limbs in the spring water flowing from the roots 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 established as a hot spring inn.

A solid wooden three-story building. ``Fujisan Ryokan'' was a hot spring resort for the Nanbu domain.

``Fujisan Ryokan'' is located a little down from the cliff created by the Toyosawa River. The building consists of a three-story wooden main building that was completed in 1941 (Showa 16), made entirely of zelkova, followed by an annex and a spa made of reinforced concrete. When you look at the building from the front, the curved roof in front of the entrance gives you a sense of the grandeur of the building. Shining brightly in the center is the family emblem shaped like a circle and a ten. Speaking of ○ and 10, it is the family crest of the Shimazu family of the former Satsuma domain (Kagoshima Prefecture), but why is it the family crest of Fujisan Ryokan in Iwate Prefecture?

The reason for this is, ``For a long time, as a hot spring spa for the lords of the Nanbu domain, the lords' parties stayed there. As a trace of this, the family crest of our hotel is generally a "hanging wisteria", but due to the friendship between the Nanbu domain and the Satsuma domain, we received the family crest of the Satsuma domain, "〇ju", and even today, the family crest of the main entrance is also "〇ju". '' is written on the owner's blog.

Soothe your mind and body in a hot spring bath with free flowing water

The charm of Fujisan Ryokan is definitely its hot springs. The hot spring water gushes out from within the premises, and all the baths are directly fed from the source. There are five sources, and the source temperature is an average of 57 degrees Celsius.The spring quality is alkaline simple hot spring, and it contains many minerals, making it a hot spring rich in effects that are effective for neuralgia, skin diseases, diabetes, recovery from illness, and health promotion. The slightly alkaline hot water is also said to be a hot spring for beautiful skin.

``Shirazaru no Yu'' is a standing bath on the 1st basement floor where hot spring water gushes out from under your feet.

In particular, the ``Shirozaru no Yu'' that made ``Fujisan Ryokan'' famous throughout the country is located on the first basement floor, and the average depth of the bathtub is 1.25m, with a maximum depth of 1.4m. Therefore, all of the baths are standing baths, which can be a little uncomfortable if you are not used to it. After you stay in the water for a while, the water pressure that is evenly applied to your entire body will gradually become 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. Where exactly does the hot spring water come from? It comes naturally from the bottom of the bathtub, at your feet. In a typical hot spring, hot water is drawn from the source and poured into the bathtub, so it comes into contact with the air during that time, but at Shirazaru no Yu, you can enjoy the hot spring water itself as it gushes out from underground without coming into contact with the air. . The hot springs continue to gush out, so when the bathtub is full, it is simply thrown away. This is the reason why it is said to be a “genuine source flowing directly from the source.”

I dug deeper so that the hot springs would come out better, and at the current depth.

However, for the inn, this "flowing water from the source" is a big job. Although the hot springs are getting newer and newer, the bathtubs inevitably get dirty. We set a specific day to clean it, but the bathtub is carved out of a large rock, so we can't make any drainage facilities. A commercial-grade drainage pump is inserted from above, and the hot water is sucked out before entering the bathtub to clean the rock surface.

So why is there a standing bath? This is strange. The answer is quite unique.

``Shirozaru-no-Yu'' was gushing out from the banks of the Toyosawa River about 600 years ago, when the source was discovered, but it is not clear when, but the hot water gradually became weaker, and our ancestors However, I thought that if I simply dug a little more, the hot water would flow better, and after digging repeatedly, I reached the current depth (average 1.25m). It's pretty simple! ” (From the owner's blog)

``White Monkey Hot Spring'' is a mixed bath. But don't worry, there is also a women-only time.

The bathhouse where ``White Monkey Bath'' is located has a bathtub on the first basement floor, and the ceiling is about three stories above ground. And it's spacious! There's a standing bath in the middle of the floor, making it a very mysterious space. The bath is open 24 hours a day, so it's quite mysterious if you're alone in the middle of the night. You can spend time with a sense of freedom. However, do not forget that it is a mixed bath. There is a time reserved for women, but other than that it is a mixed bath. Please note that wearing swimsuits is prohibited.

At Shirazaru no Yu, there is a small bathtub next to a large bathtub. This was added later, and it contained slightly lukewarm water, and was designed to be used as a hot bath or for cooling down. It doesn't have an official name, but whoever gave it to it is said to be "Little Monkey Hot Spring."

Enjoy a tour of four hot springs with different tastes

``Fujisan Ryokan'' has ``Shirazaru-no-Yu'', ``Katsura-no-Yu'', an open-air bath for men and women on the banks of the Toyosawa River, and a semi-open-air bath for men and women, where you can see Shiraito Falls flowing into the Toyosawa River from the window. There is a large public bath called ``Shiraito-no-Yu'' and a small indoor bath called ``Shirogane-no-Yu'' which can be reserved for private use, so you can enjoy touring the baths. The baths other than the ``Shirazaru no Yu'' are filled with hot water that is mixed from five different sources and adjusted to just the right temperature, and no water is added or heated at all. You can freely use the hot springs even if you stay at the hot spring treatment club.

Hot spring therapy is an old-fashioned way of using hot springs where you stay in a hot spring for a long time during the agricultural off-season or after getting sick to heal your body and build up your strength while cooking your own meals, and it is available at a very low price. Fujisan Ryokan has a communal kitchen and a convenience store-like store.

Fujisan Ryokan, loved by Kenji Miyazawa and Torahiko Tamiya

Until 1969, there was a railway from Hanamaki Station to the hot springs where Fujisan Ryokan is located. The Hanamaki Electric Railway connects Hanamaki Station on the Tohoku Main Line to Shinzu Onsen (station name: Nishizumi Onsen), which is just one stop away from Namada Onsen, in about an hour. Founded in 1921 (Taisho 10), there are eight hot springs along the line: Matsukura Onsen, Shidotaira Onsen, Watari Onsen, Osawa Onsen, Yamanokami Onsen, Lead Onsen, and Shinzumi Onsen. It is said that it was very crowded with people visiting the hot springs. Many people flocked to ``Fujisan Ryokan'' as well, and among them were Kenji Miyazawa, known for ``Kaze no Matasaburo,'' and ``Ginshinchu,'' a novel set in ``Fujisan Ryokan,'' which was made into a movie. There was also Torahiko Tamiya, who wrote "Shirogane Shinju".

Hanamaki Electric Railway, where an extremely narrow horse-drawn tram ran

Hanamaki Electric Railway's track width is only 762 mm, and as a result, extremely narrow cars, commonly known as ``Umamo Densha'', were running at approximately 1.6 m in width. Japan's general railways have a track width of 1067mm (narrow gauge/Shinkansen has a standard gauge of 1435mm), and JR East Yamanote Line E235 series trains have a vehicle width of 2950mm, so you can see how narrow they are. Apparently, if you sat on either side, your knees would bump into each other. Hanamaki Electric Railway was discontinued in 1969 due to the development of automobiles, but after the line was discontinued, one of the horseshoes was preserved in Zaimokucho Park in Hanamaki City, so it is worth seeing.

``Fujisan Ryokan'' where you can enjoy the unique flavors of Iwate

All of the rooms in the main building of ``Fujisan Ryokan'' are made of Japanese zelkova wood, creating a very relaxing space. Meals are served in a semi-private dining room, and the kaiseki cuisine is made with mainly local ingredients, as well as seafood shipped directly from Sanriku. You can enjoy the flavors unique to Iwate Prefecture. We also have a wide selection of alcoholic beverages, including local sake from Iwate Prefecture.

``Fujisan Ryokan'' is a hot spring inn that you should visit at least once, with the best standing bath in Japan and a 3-story wooden building nestled in nature.

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