Day 6: Takaragawa - The Most Beautiful Place on Earth?

We're skipping ahead a little bit and talking about our favorite place of the entire trip, Takaragawa Onsen.  From the moment I saw the website, http://www.takaragawa.com/english.html, I just knew it was one of the places we had to visit, but we actually didn't put it on the schedule until about two weeks before we left!  Takaragawa is situated close to the Minakami train station, about two hours from Nagano (where we stayed the previous night) and a little over two hours from Tokyo. 

The Minakami station is fairly small, you have to walk across the street to get to the tourist information office which has the bus schedule for the onsen in the area.  It seems to be mostly a tourist town although it didn't feel crowded or 'touristy'.  The street across from the train station also features a few eateries that do a pretty good business for lunch.  We stopped at a little noodle restaurant right next to the information office where the hubby had his favorite bowl of noodles.  It featured homemade noodles that resembled long dumplings, ground pork, and large rustic vegetables.  Delicious and filling!

A view of the building from the bridge

We took the local bus to a drop-off point where someone from the onsen staff comes to shuttle you the rest of the way there.   The roadway up the mountain made it pretty clear why the bus does not go that far!  There was a complimentary bus that ran in forty minutes or so, but paying the 1000 yen (~$11) per person was worth it to be there early.  We were impressed by our reception.  They sit you down in a little area where you're served some tea while someone goes through the check-in process with you.  The tea was a little unusual and somewhat spicy, but we didn't catch the name of it.  Then they let you pick out your yukata and show you to your room.  We had booked a room (called Ume) in the Annex with a river view and no private bathroom.  This turned out to be perfectly situated to access the outdoor baths and the view was spectacular.  From our room we could look left and see the bridge that you must cross to get to the onsen and to our right you could just make out the baths.  The room was also very spacious.  It had a small foyer, large heated tatami room with a table, and a sink and sitting area toward the back.  It also had a mini bar stocked with beer and sake.

A very steamy shower room with indoor baths

The shared bathrooms in this annex had two separate water closets for women each with a washlet toilet with bidet functions.  The heated seats were oh so nice as the bathrooms didn't seem to be well heated!  They were also very clean.  The only disadvantage to our room location was that we were on the other side from the public indoor baths with the washing stations.  The hubby and I, after taking some photos in our room, headed there to wash up for our onsen adventure.  Again, we were very impressed by these public baths.  Each station featured some shampoo and body rinse, but we really didn't spend much time there because the best was waiting for us outside. 

Looking across the river toward the first large bath

We stuffed our room key and wash cloths into the provided lockers and took the locker key along with two towels a piece out to the baths.  At Takaragawa, because all but one of the outdoor baths are konyoku (mixed gender bathing) with clear water, they ask that everyone wear towels into these baths.  The baths are built alongside a river.  We crossed the bridge and took a peak at the pet bears in their cages.  We also saw a lot of day bathers headed down to the outdoor baths as well.  Trees with orange leaves overhung the path.

The other side of the bridge features the path down to the baths

We stopped at the first changing station that divided one large bath and one small bath and put our towels on.  Men and women have separate changing rooms, of course.  We tiptoed into the large bath to get used to the water.  Mostly men and some couples were sitting on rocks along the walls of the bath which were built with stone.  The hubby and I found a good spot and settled in to enjoy the scenery.  There was an interesting sculpture toward the other end of the bath.  After some time we noticed that there was an adjacent smaller pool connected to this one where the water was quite a bit hotter so we waded in there after the other couple departed.  Trees also overhang the bath so once in a while we saw leaves floating in the water. 

Rising steam and a sculpture in the first bath

After about an hour or so we headed in to rest before dinner.  Our dinner was served in a communal dining room but the lights were turned down low and each table featured its own pot with hot coals to cook fish over so it still felt very intimate.  Our server was friendly and attentive, asking where we were from and where we were headed to and such.  Our dinner felt like a feast!  One unique dish they served us was bear soup.  It looked like a hearty vegetable stew with a piece of meat in it that was a little tough--it could have passed for beef.  However, we can now say we've eaten bear meat.

The bear soup is here on the left

After dinner we tried out the other large bath that was on the same side as the Annex building.  What we didn't realize until the next morning was that there was actually a path from our building to this bath!  Instead, we had walked across the first bridge, past the first bath, and across a second bridge to get there.  This bath also had a changing room attached to it, and its water was cooler in spots which allowed us to stay longer.  Because it was dark we couldn't really enjoy the view of our surroundings, but we could hear the river rushing by.

The baths were open 24 hours, so we set our alarm clock and took another dip at 1 AM when we had it all to ourselves.  We tried the smaller bath on the other side of first bath which had something of a stronger sulfur smell.  It was wonderful to just lay there and stare at the moon and stars.  The pathways were lit to help guide us to and from the baths.  It was also probably 45 F outside, so it was quite a chilly walk on the way there but worth it.

The third bath with the river to the right

At first light we ventured out again to snap some pictures before others arrived and then went in to enjoy our breakfast which was in the same dining room. 

We both agreed that we would stay here for a longer length of time when we next get to visit Japan.  The scenery, welcoming hospitality, and 24 hour baths all made for a relaxing getaway.  We should also mention that we encountered two people on the staff who spoke English very well, so don't feel intimidated if you don't speak much Japanese.  This place is recommended in guide books and is one of the most popular onsen in Japan, but we never felt like we were in a tourist trap.  To date, we have to call it the most beautiful place on earth that we have seen with our own eyes.