Nakadanaso's outdoor bath with its woodsy setting overlooking the Chikuma River
この間の東信温泉巡りの続き: 小諸市の中棚荘。
1892年から始まった中棚荘の社長は五代目の藤岡さん。旅館業界の中で尊敬されている方です。温泉ファンの中で、人気度の高い宿。冬場はりんご風呂で有名。
そして、作家の藤村さんにも愛された宿。
歴史、風情、自然、誇り、中棚荘は東信の代表的な宿。一つだけの注意点: バリアーフリーな、完璧に清浄されているお風呂が好きな方に合わないかもしれない。
玄関からお風呂までは階段と長い廊下（私にとっては風情がある）、お風呂の周りに気が沢山あって、その葉っぱや虫がお風呂によく遊びに来るそうです。（緑があるからこそ、落ち着くと私が思いますが…）
中棚荘:忘れられない温泉。長野県は本当に恵まれている。
Started in 1892, Komoro City's Nakadanasou is run by the capable hands of its 5th generation innkeeper, Tomioka-san. Well respected in the ryokan community, the inn Tomioka-san runs is also popular amongst onsen-lovers. In the winter months, Nakadanaso features a flotilla of apples floating in the onsen baths. The sweet fragrant of the apples mingles with the mineral water to create a most relaxing environment for the bathers. The woodsy setting and the historical building also contribute to the overall subdued mood of Nakadanaso.
One of Nakadanaso's claims to fame is it was one of the favorite inns of Japan's literary great Shimazaki Toson (d.1943). The inn is just down the hill from Kaikoen, Komoro's 'castle in a hole'. And it's just up from the banks of the Chikuma River, with the mysterious Nunobiki Kannon Temple a 10 minute drive down river. So there is lots to see and do in between your soaks in the apple baths.
Please note that the approach to Nakadanaso's onsen baths is a lyberinthian course of stairs and passageways so perhaps not the best for people that have difficulty walking. And while the bathhouses are tastefully constructed wood buildings, the onsen water itself is a bit on the mild side. Actually, the apple bath idea is representative of that. If one were to place apples in an onsen with fuller mineral content like the water here at Togura-Kamiyamada, the minerals would interact with the apples and create a mess.
The changing room open to the showers and the main bath, all with beautiful wood appointments
Nakadanaso's main entrance
A peak at the Heiseikan rooms
