Sasaya Hotel's Regal
戸倉上山田温泉の一番歴史のある宿が笹屋ホテルです。１９０３年に開業し、昔は天皇陛下や９８年の冬五輪の時にIOCCの会長などが泊まった宿です。宿の一部はフランク・ロイド・ライトの弟子、遠藤新が設計した国の登録有形文化財に指定された「豊年虫」館です。
この立派な宿のお風呂は先日に初めて入らせて頂きました。代表の「石の湯」に入れたが、そのデザイン性、その高級の石、天皇陛下まで泊まったって納得できました。
笹屋ホテルは独自の源泉があるので量は豊富の様で、広々した内風呂も庭の中の露天風呂も、皆は１００％源泉かけ流し。戸倉上山田の温泉らしいお湯が程よい硫黄の香りで、高目なｐH（8.7ぐらい）で肌がすべすべになる。
長野県の代表できるお風呂の一つだと思いました。
Togura Kamiyamada's oldest ryokan is the esteemed Sasaya Hotel. Dating back to 1903, Sasaya has hosted the likes of the emperor of Japan and, during the '98 Nagano Olympics, the IOCC chairman. One of the wings, Honenmushi, was designed by Frank Lloyd Wright's protege, Shin Endoh and is designated a national historical treasure.
Just the other day, I finally had a chance to experience Sasaya Hotel's onsen bath myself. I had seen pictures of their famous "Ishi no Yu" (stone bath) but this was the first time to see it personally. The bath's graceful design and the stonework and arches of the bathhouse exude a sense of grace and nobleness. And the outdoor bath's garden setting makes excellent use of the borrowed scenery of the surrounding hills.
Sasaya Hotel has their own dedicated onsen source and it has an impressive volume, as all of their baths are 100% flow-through (no re-circulating). Togura Kamiyamada's mineral water has just the right amount of sulfur presence and the relatively high 8.7pH leaves your skin feeling silky smooth. The temperature was a perfect 41F.
Certainly a bath deserving of the emperor. And, in my opinion, one of the best onsens in all of Nagano.
