When traveling through the islands of Japan, it’s not possible to miss the unique hot springs of each of the local places. The locals say that these hot springs are really a blessing of the earth.
First, we’ll head to Ibusuki in Kagoshima city in Kyushu to begin our tour of the best hot springs in Japan. Savour the scenery and nature of the southern country as visitors can choose from various hot springs in the vicinity. Travellers on a budget would be delighted to know that there is even a free hot spa, Ashiyu, which is also a good way to warm your feet.
Stop by the souvenir shop for Kagoshima’s specialities for you to remember your trip by. In the shops, many local specialities are lined up and among them include loquats and other products like loquat juice. Due to Ibusuki’s mild weather throughout the year, it’s no wonder then that loquats are also a special product of the district.
It is even less surprising then that the first featured bath is a hot spring with loquats. There is a pick-up bus that is available for all travellers to get them to the holiday village Yubisuki. Built on the beach, Yubisuki is a popular inn for all age groups. There, a steam hot spring sand bath with loquat leaves awaits.
Loquat leaves from the local farms are used for the sand bath and is a unique bath that can only be experienced there. The leaves also have good health properties and are good for back or joint pains in the knees.
After a relaxing bath, enjoy the lunch package which starts off with the Shabu shabu hot pot. Cooked with loquat leaves, the hot pot soup is also served with black pig, Kagoshima’s specialty, which enhances the taste of the soup greatly. Also on the menu is steamed snapper and bamboo shoots wrapped in a loquat leaf, and Kibinago (round herring) and local octopus marinated in loquat leaf extract.
We continue on in our search of unique hot springs in Kagoshima and the next destination is Kokubu in Kirishima city, a peaceful town at the foot of Kakurajima. A six minute bus ride from the Kokubu station, a famous foot spa awaits you. Be sure to take a look at the black vinegar factory next door, which has flourished in traditional black vinegar production for a long time already. The entire two-year production process is still being carried out manually, with ingredients put in ceramic pots for brewing in a traditional process.
Finally, make your way to the foot spa which is also a popular location for the locals. To begin your foot bath, put a little bit of black vinegar with the essence of Japanese cypress in a bag, and then dilute it with hot spring water. Following which, let your feet soak in the bag in the hot spring. While it may seem strange at first, the numbing sensation felt is reported to do great wonders for your skin.
For a romantic train ride with a great ambience, jump aboard the popular sightseeing train, Hayato no Kaze. With great lighting and wooden furnishing creating the atmosphere, one doesn’t even feel like you’re aboard a train. Travelling through the rural landscape, the train stops at the Karegawa station, yet another sightseeing spot. Opened on 15 January in the Meiji year of 36, the station building holds 104 years of history. After stopping for six minutes at the station, the train heads deeper into the Kirishima Mountains.
Alight at Kurino station, a small station among the mountains. Located halfway up Kurino-dake, a ryokan called Nanshukan is located in the Kurino-dake hot spring. Established for 100 years already, the inn is a popular choice by visitors to the region. Contrary to what locals may call it, it is a rather eye-opening climb up the mountain trail to the back of the inn, otherwise known as “Hell”. Its name was given for its rather mystic sight to see the source of mud springs which sprouts hot water with mud. More highly frequented in the winter period from December to February, where more muddy water springs out, the mud is said to be a good relief for neuralgia and arthritis.
Dinner is a meal not to be missed out on at the inn, where delectable dishes made from local ingredients only found in the mountains will satisfy you for sure. Especially popular is the assorted wild vegetables tempura and unique steamed cup, made with local wild vegetables, rice cake, egg based soup, rice porridge and finished with a salted plum on top.
While it may seem a daunting task, climbing the sleeper stairs from the discontinued train line will provide a view unlike any other. With 561 steps in total, the stairs are the longest in Japan and after all that effort, will provide an especially great spot to see the magnificent Kagoshima, and even Sakurajima in the far distance.
To get to the next destination on our hot spring tour, head to Ogaki by Tokaido line from Nagoya, and then transfer to the Kintetsu Yoro line and travel for 25 minutes. The destination is Ibi, south-west of the Gifu prefecture. A place surrounded by mountains, it is here we begin our tour of herbal and bamboo charcoal baths.
At the foot of Mount Ibuki is a place called the Kasuga Mori-Mori village, where an herbal bath can be easily reached with a 20 minute bus ride from the station. The unique herbal bath is also a health promotion facility that is especially well-loved and frequented by the locals. A modern building situated in the middle of the woods, different blends of herbal essences from Mount Ibuki are dissolved in the water, depending on the season. With the water at 40 degrees Celsius, this is one of the best ways to truly enjoy the herbal treasury of Mount Ibuki.
Yet another good way to enjoy the medicinal value of the herbs is to enjoy the Irodori set, consisting of more than ten dishes containing seasonal herbs. Prepared with time and effort by Mr. Narumi, the leading chef for Yakuzen (healthy herbal cooking), this meal is guaranteed to be both a tasty and healthy choice. Among their most popular dishes includes the Yakuzen ramen, which is made with a chicken stock base and a healthy dose of pine nuts and sesame seeds, and the Irodori-zen set, which is most popular with female customers.
Next, head to the south by the Kintetsu Yoro line from the Ibi station and alight at the Yoro station. Famous for its bamboo, bamboo grows can be found everywhere in the town of Yoro.
After the minor detour to the charcoal studio, head to the Yoro-kan, also known as the inn of bamboo. Decorated with bamboo works and bamboo charcoal art pieces that the master has carefully selected, all 13 guest rooms are also named after bamboos. Guests may even try their hand at harvesting bamboo shoots at the bamboo grove at the back of the inn.
Before dinner, however, be sure to take the inn’s famous big barrel bath, which is rightfully named as each barrel is spacious enough for six. In fact, great quantities of bamboo charcoal are used for the bath, so much so that the master, who is so particular about the bamboo, makes his own kiln there. Laid under the bottom board of the bath, the water becomes soft as it is purified by the charcoal. If you’d like to try another bath, however, the natural hot spring or Keyaki bath is also available.
Most expectedly, dinner at the inn is a meal filled with bamboo shoots which are available all year round at the inn. Not to be missed out on is the sashimi of bamboo shoots which is simply out of this world!
With the blessings of the mountains in Yoro, head to Izu next, a 2 hour 40 minute journey by JR Odoriko from Tokyo. You’ll arrive in Rendaiji, a small hot spring town, one stop before Shimoda. Apart from savouring the seasonal taste of Izu, the famous oranges of the area are also used in the orange bath in a natural hot spring. Contracted orange farms provide seasonal oranges at different and in February to March, Hassaku or sweet summer oranges are used.
From Izu, then take the express from Rendaiji station and arrive at Kawazu station to have a sumptuous seafood meal. A variety of fresh locally caught seafood like amberjack, squid horse mackerel and salmon roe, can be enjoyed with the chef also personally catching the abalone himself. It is a true bargain at 1600 yen as guests can even enjoy Izu’s specialty, a boiled and seasoned whale alfonsino.
Heading back to Kawazu station on a flower printed shuttle bus, alight at one of Japan’s most eminent rose gardens, the Kawazu Bagatelle Park. A sister garden to Paris’ famous rose garden, Bagatelle Park, there are about 6000 roses of 1100 kinds there. The French style garden is also equipped with many other restaurants and shops, to keep all visitors entertained.
