Kawakami Village - 川上村

Shinoha Onsen Yamabato-yu

Japanese Name: 入之波温泉 山鳩湯Prefecture: NaraCity: KawakamiAddress: 奈良県吉野郡川上村大字入之波391Closest Station: Category: Hot Spring FacilityWebpage: http://www.yamabatoyu.yoshino.jp/Price: ¥800Holiday: Wednesday (November through March, Closed Tuesday & Wednesday)Hours: 10:00-16:00
Review:When you have to drive this far to get to an onsen, it will probably be good. When you arrive and see the cliffside below the hot spring buildings covered in orange covered runoff from the baths, then you know it will be good. You enter from the top and head down to the baths, but I am going to write this from the baths, or the bottom, up. The baths are at the lowest floor of the building. There is a free small locker for wallets and other things if you need it as there are no lockers in the changing room. This is ryokan style with some baskets only. Also no toilets in the changing room. Use those before you head to the baths. There are two baths. A large indoor one and a smaller outdoor one. Both baths are encased in years of mineral buildup just like the hillside below the baths. The spring comes in via a large grey pipe then fills the tub in the front corner. That corner will be the hottest. This is kakenagashi straight from the well water at the 39°C temperature it comes out of the earth. The air in the room smelled oddly like kerosene, but that only enhanced the effect of being here. I thought they might have been heating the water, but I doubt that. The bath had a magical air to it. After washing off I slowly got in as the water is so opaque you cannot see in the baths. Be careful moving around in the baths here so you do not stub your toe. The outside bath is smaller and fed from the larger indoor bath. Both the mens and women's baths drain into a gutter between them and underneath the dividing wall. You can see all the spring water flowing out from the baths down the hill then it the damned Yoshino River. The soap and whatever else you wash off in the showers also just directly flows into the river. Visit Date: November 2019 *Hot Spring Data*Spring Type: Chloride spring - 塩化物泉Well Temperature: 38.8°CTemperature Type: Hot spring - 温泉pH: 6.4pH Type: Neutral - 中性Osmotic Pressure: Low - 低張性

Sugi no Yu

Japanese Name: 杉の湯Prefecture: NaraCity: KawakamiAddress: 奈良県川上村迫695Type: Hot Spring Hotel w/ day useWebpage: http://www.suginoyu.com/spa/spa.htmlPrice: ¥700Holiday: WednesdayHours: 11:00-19:00
ReviewRyokan perched high on the side of a narrow river valley. Great water. Amazing views of the river from the cliffside rotenburo. Great place to take a break if you are driving down to the Hongu area.
Hot Spring DataType: Simple spring - 単純温泉Type: Neutral - 中性Type: warm spring - 低温線Osmotic Pressure: Low - 低張性