Japanese Onsen

温泉。 さて、秋の終わりから冬にかけては

This really is a reason to visit Japan having this pool of cold air surrounding you and then

凛とした寒空の中、温かいお湯に浸かる そんな贅沢を求めて日本に来る人も多いですね。

Submerging into this warm almost hot water between fall, winter and spring. There's no other feeling in the world like it

世界のどこに行っても味わえない、 まさにONLY in JAPANです。

It's truly an only in Japan experience now

温泉を巡って日本一周もアリですが 今回は福島から素敵な温泉を紹介しようと思います。

It's a reason to travel around Japan the entire country, but I'm in Fukushima this time to introduce some of their wonderful Onsen

さあ、最高の温泉を探しに行こう！

We're gonna be hitting some of the best Onsen around

福島県は東北地方、 東京から北に数時間の距離です

Fukushima is located in the Tohoku region a few hours north of Tokyo

面積は全都道府県で第3位、 海から山に伸びた土地に平地が広がります。

It's Japan's third-largest Prefecture stretching from the sea to the mountains and the plains beyond in

今回は、この温泉にどっぷり浸かりながら 一気に巡ってみようと思います

This episode we'll cross the entire prefecture soaking in over a dozen baths

スタート地点はここ 太平洋を臨むいわき市から。

But let's start here at the Pacific Ocean in "Iwaki" city, a place I used to live in almost 20 years ago

20年ほど前に私が住んでいた町です。

Iwaki is a peaceful seaside town where you'll find "Yumoto Onsen" and

いわき市は湯本温泉のある 穏やかな海の町。

The "Sahako-no-Yu" public bathhouse. It has a very unique look with various shapes and angles

さはこの湯 公衆浴場

Because this is a public bathhouse

多角的な形でとてもユニークな建物ですね。

Anyone can stop in for a bath at a reasonable 230 yen,

公衆浴場ということで、 230円と格安でお風呂に入ることが出来ます。

about $2 the baths are separated by sex all with natural hot spring water

大体$2ぐらいです。

My favorite bath is made of wood and has a very high ceiling

中は男女で分かれていて、 全て天然の温泉です

"Sahako-no-Yu" is majestic inside and

お気に入りなのは、木製で天井の高いこのお風呂。

For those who want a little more privacy. There is a private bath. You can reserve

さはこの湯では荘厳な内装が楽しめます。

The walls are all wood the baths smaller, but inviting

プライバシーが気になる人には 専用のお風呂を予約することもできます。

Oh! this is hot this is really hot oh

壁は全て木製。お風呂は小さいですが、 味があります。

Okay oh

うわ、熱っ！

It's slow

これホント熱っつい！！

You'll learn fast locals like it really hot. It's not uncommon for temperatures to be as high as 50 degrees Celsius

オゥ　オゥ　オゥ…

The first,

OK…

The second is a little bit comfortablle, but

ホォー…！

It used to

なかなか入れないよ！

Ah, a little bit better

いきなりのこの熱さには びっくりさせられますが

Yumoto Onsen has hot water everywhere

50℃というこの原泉は、 実は珍しいモノでもないんです。

I spent the night at "Shintsuta"

最初より…

a spacious Ryokan on with the traditional flair to it

2回目はちょっと入りやすくなったけど、

The indoor baths are nice especially in autumn when the leaves turn

さっきより…

But it gets a whole lot better outside

うん…よくなったかな

This is a Konyoku-bath, meaning men and women can bathe near together enjoying the fresh air and lovely views of the surrounding nature

湯本温泉ではいたる所に 熱いお湯があります。

Two friends joined me on this trip "Miya", and "Shige" and our first stop was at Onsen shrine

広々とした老舗旅館「新つた」で 一泊することにしました。

The perfect place to pray for a good Onsen hopping trip

秋の紅葉を眺めるお風呂はまた格別です。

The trip from lwaki took us a couple hours northwest to Mt. Bandai area

でも、外で見るともっと凄い！

This is "Hana-no-Yu", a massive Ryokan popular for groups

ここは男女が一緒に入る、 いわゆる「混浴」の風呂です。

It had a unique mix of bath style starting with this the standing bath, it's 140 centimeters' high

自然に囲まれて、 新鮮な空気と景観を楽しむことが出来ます。

Onsen at night is one of the benefits of staying at the Ryokan

二人の友人、ミヤ、シゲと共に まず向かったのが温泉神社

You usually have access late into the night sometimes getting the whole bath to yourself

この温泉巡りの旅には うってつけの場所です。

Each bath has a different temperature and surrounding this large barrel much brighter than the other areas

いわきから北西に2時間ほど 磐梯山の周辺へ行くと

It can fit three or four

華の湯、 団体客に人気の大型温泉です。

Don't worry these are limited to one bather at a time

ここにはちょっと変わったお風呂もあるんです。

The end is a long bath where you can find a corner and soak yourself into the rocks around you

例えば、「立ちっぱなしの湯」

Or wander over into this grotto looking space if there was a table you could have dinner here, but let's stay serious

高さ140cmのお風呂

It's a bath a really big one that can accommodate a society of bathers

夜の温泉は旅館の醍醐味です。

From autumn to winter

夜遅くになると、どのお風呂も入り放題。

This area around Mt. Bandai is famous for ski resorts and every skier wants to soak in a bath after hitting the slopes

それぞれ、違う温度や景色で楽しめます。

This is "Atsushio Onsen"

このひのき樽風呂は、 他に比べてちょっと明るいですね

"Yamagataya" Ryokan is a place with a really nice bath here

3、4人は入れるサイズです。

While me a dipper thing on the other side Shige and I went in for a long soak in the big bath

ご心配なく。一人用もありますよ。

The natural light streaming in gives the bath a lot of character, it's easy to relax here listen to the running water

隅っこの方には、岩に囲まれて浸かる長いお風呂 岩見の湯があります。

Or you can get up and go to the outside, but do it quickly because it's chilly out there

洞穴のような所を見てみると…

When you get tired of sitting in one bath for too long it's nice to move around getting another view

テーブルがあればディナーを 食べられそうな場所が

Charcoal is famous in this area and Yamagataya has a warm chillax room in the basement complete with crickets for a post bath nap

でもダメですよ、ここもお風呂ですからね

Not far away is the ultra friendly "Kawachi" inn

お風呂の社会に溶け込みましょう。

The bath here was top-notch

秋から冬には、この磐梯山は スキーリゾートとして賑わいます。

There's a beautifully illuminated outdoor bath, but it's the water here. That's the real attraction

スキーを楽しんだ後、 スキーヤーたちはこの温泉にやってきます。

Yah, feeling very good, aren't you?

熱塩温泉

It's the perfect weather for Onsen the air is cool

ここ山形屋旅館には実に良いお風呂があります。

You can see all the steam rising from this super hot water which is great for the body

ミヤが女湯に行っている間、 シゲと私は大浴場で長湯を愉しみます。

this is Kawachi Ryokan, "Yanaizu Onsen" and

自然の光が様々な姿を見せてくれます。

This water is really special really a sacred the water flows from Enzoji temple, which has a history stretching past

リラックスして、 水の流れに耳を澄ましましょう。

1200 years

露天風呂に行くことが出来ますが、

It does feel as magical as it looks

凍えないようにとにかく急ぎましょう！

It's one reason the bath looks like it was sent down from the heavens

湯に長く浸かり過ぎて疲れた時は、 他の景色を見に行くのもいいでしょう

This is "Dake Onsen" in Onsen town with several wonderful Ryokans for a relaxing stay a stream flows right through the center of it

山形屋ではこの炭も有名です

"Hanakanzashi" is one of the most popular places to stay because it has spacious traditional rooms with a private Onsen baths

コオロギの声を聞きながら居眠りできる 炭床式の低温サウナ「チャコール・バーデン」。

Real luxury Dake Onsens' natural hot spring water is a milky white from the minerals in it

そう遠くない所には 超フレンドリーな「瀞流の宿かわち」があります

In the shared bath open to all in a free-flowing sake barrel where bathers can help themselves

ここのお風呂は最高級です。

It's in the bath like this one that I feel the traditional touch of Japanese culture

光に美しく照らされた露天風呂がありますが 実は本当に凄いのは、このお湯の方です。

Far from the city center in Tokyo it's a place where urban dwellers can escape for the complete and absolute relaxation

--あぁ～、いい感じですねぇ

As the snow came down we pulled into "Tamago-Yu" at "Takayu Onsen"?

--いやぁ、気持ちいいですねぇ

The old bathhouse has a lot of character to it the milky water giving it part of its name

絶好の温泉日和ですね

So this is "Takayu Onsen". In this, bath

空気が冷たくて、身に染みるほど熱いお湯から 湯気が昇るのがはっきり見えます

and Ryokan is "Tamago-Yu"

このかわち旅館にある柳頭温泉のお湯は 特別で神聖なものです。

Tamago means egg in Japanese and you might be wondering why they call this the egg bath

このお湯は1200年の歴史を持つ 円蔵寺から流れてきているのです。

It's because

見た目もそうですが、 神秘的な何かを感じますね。

After sitting in this bath for some time your skin starts to take on the consistency the feeling the smoothness of an egg

このお風呂はまるで天からの贈り物のような そんな気分にさせられます。

we can get slippy feeling of a skin surface, can't we?

岳温泉。

Yeah, we say smoothness in Japanese is "Tsuru-tsuru". Tamago-Yu is also famous for having that sulphuric egg smell

くつろげる温泉旅館が立ち並ぶ 温泉街にあります

People have been coming here for a retreat since the 1870s. One of the many famous Onsen towns in Japan

中央に流れるお湯を見られます。

If Shige and I stay here too long

「花かんざし」は広々とした人気の宿です。

We'll turn in to eggs ourselves so we decided to make a run for it to the other bath nearby

伝統的な部屋に 個室のお風呂。

It's cold outside

実に豪華です。

This bath faces the river between the mountains and the bath has that super hot water protect you from the sub-zero temperatures outside

岳温泉のお湯は 温泉の成分から乳白色に濁っています。

You can see the minerals clearly here like ash after an eruption

いいねぇ

The water source is treated as a holy place a tribute to the gods for bringing such beautiful water to us

共同の風呂に行くと、 誰でも呑める酒樽が置いてあります。

You can see it bubbling up naturally from the ground

都心から離れたここで 温泉に浸かって日本の文化に触れる

Here at the origin the minerals are quite deep

ここは都会に住む人が疲れやしがらみを忘れ 癒しを求める場所なのです。

This is "Tsuchiyu Onsen". A scenic Onsen town that is just perfect when the snow is falling

雪の降る中、高湯温泉の「玉子湯」へ

Hotel Sansuiso is located right next to the scenic emerald colored hot spring waterfall

年季の入った建物がいい味を出しています。

And you get an amazing view of it from the back

この白く濁ったお湯が名前の由来になっています。

Although the water is a little hotter than what I'm used to. The bath has one of the most relaxing

ここは高湯温泉の玉子湯 という旅館なんですが

Views and atmospheres I've ever been in thanks to that rushing water at the Falls a hundred metres away

「タマゴ（Egg）」は日本語で「玉子」です

What makes the Fukushima Onsen experience so amazing it's this bath

そこで「なんで玉子のお湯なの？」 って思うでしょう？

It's sitting and soaking for 10 or 15 minutes and looking at the beautiful views that

それはこのお湯につかると、お肌がすべすべになって まるで玉子のようになるからなんですね。

Leaves the biggest impression on me because you kind of forget everything out in the outside world all the things that you

すごいつるつるでしょ？

were stressed out about you forget for this time period where you're soaking in the bath, and

うん、つるつるですねー

I think Japanese people also enjoy this about the Onsen. It's just an escape

肌が滑らかな事を 日本語で「つるつる」って言うんですよ

It's the perfect escape and it helps you physically, mentally, spiritually

玉子湯は硫黄による卵の臭いでも有名です

There's not a part of the body that I don't think it helps coming to an Onsen

1870年頃（三島通庸から）湯が返還され人々が集まり 今は有名な旧き良き温泉街となっていきました。

It's the ultimate Japanese experience in my almost 20 years of living in Japan. It's the Onsen that Ryokan

とはいえ、あんまり長く浸かりすぎると 僕らの方がタマゴになってしまいそうなので

the total experience that I remember the most

近くの別の風呂までひとっ走りします。

"Iizuka Onsen" is a lot different from Tsuchiyu Onsen

外はやっぱり寒い！

Gone is the snow in the sounds of rushing water a stunning looking building that is open to the public

山あいの川に面したお風呂です。

One of the biggest attractions for locals can be seen as notorious for outsiders

このとても熱いお湯が 氷点下の空気から身を守ってくれます。

Yeah

火山灰のような温泉の成分がはっきりと見えますね。

I heard about this a lot of the people who live in this area they they prefer the hot water and if it's not hot

原泉は神聖なものとして扱われています。

Enough they complain so the bath is usually at a ridiculous

これはこの美しいお湯に対する貢物なのでしょう

51 degrees Celsius one of the hottest baths in Japan actually

地熱による天然の泡を見ることが出来ます。

Slightly

原泉には非常に濃いミネラルが含まれています。

Uncomfortable

この土湯温泉は雪の季節に 最高の景色が見られる温泉街です。

Although it's stunning inside a lightweight can't stand the heat for more than a few minutes at a time

ホテル山水荘は、エメラルド色に輝く 温泉の滝のすぐそばにあります。

In Aizu Wakamatsu nearing the end of our onsen tour is "Higashiyama Onsen"

風呂から絶景を楽しめます。

Ryokan "Harataki" has an amazing outdoor bath that changes with the four seasons

けど、ここのお湯はかなり熱い。

It's also one of the many hangouts from my 30 centimeter tall Samurai friend, Wakamatsu

これまで観た中でも特に素晴らしい雰囲気、景色。 何より、ほんの100M先にある滝が素晴らしい。

If there was ever an Onsen Jedi Master it would be Wakamatsu

この福島の温泉の素晴らしさとは…

Namuamidabutsu

このお風呂…

Daub-San, nice to be to join me

10～15分ほど浸かって、印象的な景色に包まれて

You may have noticed the energy from the water falling around you

外の世界の事は全て忘れてしまえる。

It's this force of nature that brings me here time and time again

ストレスなんかも全部忘れて 風呂に入る事で区切りを打つ。

What Wakamat-San says really makes sense?

思うに、日本人にとって温泉は、 愉しむ場所でもあり、息抜きの場所でもあるんだ。

Onsen can be a great place to meditate

息抜きには完璧なものだよ。 肉体的にも精神的にも、魂にさえも。

It can be so peaceful one may even fall asleep

身体を余すところなくリフレッシュ出来る。 それだけだとは思わないけど。

Fall asleep

二十年来日本に住んできて 一番日本を感じることが出来たのは、

"Ashinomaki Onsen" is south of Aizu- Wakamatsu in the mountains

温泉と旅館かな。

"Okawaso" is an incredible Ryokan, and I've come with my friend Gawk just soak it up

これをひっくるめた経験、 これが最高なんだ。

Okawaso is up on the hilltop overlooking the river and the bath has a fantastic view

飯坂温泉は、土湯温泉とはまた違いがあります。

The distant sound of the river is a nice contrast to the Onsen that are right next to waterfalls

何やら面白い形の公衆浴場から 雪の中響く水音が。

"Toryukan" at "Yunokami Onsen" has become one of my favorite places to stay

地元で親しまれるここは、 逆に他所の人からは恐れられています。

From the long family history of the end to the amazing rooms and baths. It's an easy stop for me on this tour

本当に熱いお湯が大好きな人たちは よその温泉はぬるいって言うんだけど

The reason why our family has started this Ryokan was

…そりゃそうだよ、 こんなふざけたお湯に毎日浸かってるんだから。

The predecessor drew water from the river flowing far below our original hut

なんと51℃！ 日本でもここまで熱い風呂はまずない。

and increased and improved the size and quality of Ryokan since then

これはちょっと…

The thing with Toryukan is that the rooms are so comfortable with their own private Onsen bath

キツイね。

There's little reason to even leave your room

素晴らしい内装だけど… ヤワな人にはこの熱さにすぐ音を上げてしまう。

Minami Aizu is pristine nature, and it's easy to see what makes this the ideal Onsen stop

温泉ツアーも終わりに近づく会津若松市、 東山温泉。

So we traveled all the way from the Iwaki on the coast to the mountains and Bandai and now we're at

旅館「原瀧」には四季折々にその姿を変える 素晴らしい露天風呂があります。

Minami Aizu

こちらでは身の丈1尺の侍の友人、 若松がご一緒します。

And the great thing about Japanese Onsen is that it takes you out of the city and brings you to a place like this?

温泉のジェダイマスターを決めるとしたら、 この若松でしょう。

Iwa-Furo is quite casual bathers here on the honor system to pay the 200 yen, or $2.00 entrance fee

ドーブさん！ お招き感謝いたす

The bath is Konyaku (mixed bathing) if the bathers are okay with it women can enter

そなたもこの雄大な滝の力が分かるであろう

No trip to Japan is complete without a stop at at Ryokan for a night, or a good long soak at a scenic Onsen

この自然の力に魅せられ、 拙者も足繁く通うておるのだ

Fukushima has some of the best Onsen in Japan and being a short trip from Tokyo

若松さんの言う事も 何となくわかるかな？

It's an ideal getaway for Tokyoites like me or any visitor that simply wants an adventure that will leave you feeling younger

確かに温泉は、瞑想にぴったりの場所。

smoother and definitely a lot cleaner

とても穏やかな気持ちになり…

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寝てしまう

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寝ちゃった？

Matane

芦ノ牧温泉は会津若松市の南部、 山に囲まれた中にあります。