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Manzansou's outdoor bath at Oku-Yamada Onsen

長野温泉トップ100の本の作成の手伝いで作家のPeterさんと信州高山村の松川渓谷温泉郷に行ってみました。前回は山田温泉の話でした。今回はその奥（距離は更に8.3km、標高は更に600m）の奥山田温泉。

奥山田温泉は標高1500mの高台にある。宿泊施設十数件で、お湯は濁り系で強い硫黄泉です。山田温泉から車で約15分です。（車の無い方は山田温泉までバスで、後はタクシーになってしまいます。しかし、山田温泉に普段はタクシーがないために事前に手配する必要がある。自転車で登る方もいらっしゃるようですが、初心者には無理でしょう。）

山田温泉は松川渓谷の谷間の景色ですが、そこからくねくねの道で上って上って、やっと奥山田高台にたどり着きます。冬はスキー場（グレンデの2割ぐらいしかグルーミングされていない;自然な雪で滑りたい方に喜ばれているようです）；夏は牧場。西は長野市への眺め、北東に笠ヶ岳（超えたら志賀高原）、南北は万座山（トレッキングの二日間一泊の最適なループコース）。

恐らく一番有名な宿は満山荘。日本秘湯を守る会のメンバー。奥山田温泉全体は「秘湯」な雰囲気：あまり知られていないし、場所は山奥のとんでもない所。その中の１軒はこの芸術的な手作り感のある満山荘。露天風呂から遠くの長野市盆地まで見れる。

そして、恐らく一番ユニークなお風呂はレッドウッド・インです。樹齢１６５０年の直径3.2mのあるレッドウッドの丸太がくり抜いた部分が浴槽となっている。噂は前から聞いていたけど、自分の目で見れて、感動しました。男湯から笠ヶ岳も見れて、良い雰囲気。

And the Nagano Onsen Top 100 project goes on. I am helping my buddy Peter write a book about Nagano Onsens, and we took another trip, first to Yamada Onsen (see the previous entry) and then to Oku-Yamada Onsen.

"Oku" means "further back". I had thought Yamada Onsen, situated like it is in the midst of the Matsukawa Gorge, was about as deep into the mountains as you could go. Little did I know that deeper and up into the mountains is this flat spot at 1500m altitude, that to the west, overlooks Nagano City and the Zenkoji Plain in the distance, and to the east, is towered over by Mt. Kasa-ga-dake and Mt. Manza.

In the winter, this spot becomes the Yamaboko ski area (with 70% of the runs left un-groomed for a wild, natural snow experience). And in the summer, it becomes Yamada Bokujo Ranch, with cows wandering around grazing. It's a destination for bicyclists who like lots of altitude gain, and a starting point for trekkers (apparently the 'Oku-Yamada - over Kasa-ga-dake to Shiga Kogen, cross over to Manza Onsen, then over Mt. Manza and back down to Oku-Yamada' course is the perfect 2-day loop trek.)

Oku-Yamada is 8.3km past and up from Yamada Onsen, about 15 minutes by car. If you came by bus to Yamada Onsen, the best way is to pre-arrange for a taxi to meet you there to take you the rest of the way to Oku-Yamada.

The onsen water here is of the milky-variety with a strong sulfur content. It definitely makes for a memorable onsen experience.

Perhaps the best known inn here is Manzansou. Although Manzansou itself is a member of the Japan Association of Secluded Hot Spring Inns, if you ask me, all of Oku-Yamada could qualify. Not many people know of Oku-Yamada, and its location deep and up into the mountains is certainly secluded. Anyways, Manzansou has artistic, hand-made touches throughout, giving it a special, one-of-a-kind feel. And the outdoor baths, with their views of Nagano City below in the distance, are unforgettable.

The inn with the most novel onsen bath is the Redwood Inn. Their outdoor baths are made out of hallowed-out slices cut from a 1650-year old real redwood tree. I had heard rumors of the redwood baths but it was impressive to see them in person. And the mens bath was particularly nice with the view of Mt. Kasa-ga-dake looming the background

満山荘 Manzansou
レッドウッド・イン Redwood Inn

Artistic approach to the secluded Manzansou

Unique touches to Manzansou's indoor bath

The legendary redwood onsen bath

Yamada Onsen's O-Yu

友人Peterさんの「長野県Top100温泉」の英語の本の作成に手伝っています。今回は山田温泉。

信州高山村の松川渓谷沿いの旅館6軒がある小さな温泉。上信越道の須坂長野東ICから約40分、長野電鉄須坂駅からバスで約35分。温泉の手前の赤い橋が写真ポイント。その辺から渓谷らしくなって、どの季節でも綺麗ですけど秋は紅葉で特に有名。温泉「街」は大湯という観光客が日帰りで使えるお風呂の中心で、お土産屋さん数件とスパ・ワインセンターがある。温泉のお湯は透明でナトリウム塩化物泉で少し塩っぽい。体が良く温まるそうです。

藤井荘が割と代表的な宿です。藤沢社長に案内して頂きました。ロビーからの警告の景色が格別でした。自慢の露天風呂もその景色をたっぷり楽しめるようにできている。

次は社長が特別で道の向こう側の滝の湯を見せてくれました。普通は住んでいる方化旅館のお客さんしか入れない木造な温泉銭湯です。源泉が60℃ぐらいで湯船は水をかけても暑い！地元のおじさんが気持ち良さそう～に入っていました。

山田温泉のもう一つな有名な宿が風景館です。松川渓谷の一番狭い所で川がすごい勢いで流れている沿い「仙人風呂」。怖い階段150段ぐらい下って、とんでもない所で設置している。ワイルドで素晴らしい温泉です。長野県にこんなに刺激的な温泉があるって知らなかった！

In my efforts to help my buddy Peter write his book "Nagano's Top 100 Onsens", this time we went to Yamada Onsen.

Located in Shinshu Takayama Village's upper reaches of the Matsukawa Ravine, Yamada Onsen is a small onsen resort with 6 inns grouped around O-Yu, the main bath house. Access is via car (35 min. from Suzaka IC on the Joshin'etsu Expressway) or bus (40 min. from Suzaka Station on the Nagano Dentetsu Line). Along the way, you pass a red arched bridge which, with the stunning backdrop of the forested ravine side makes for some picturesque scenery. Welcome to the Matsukawa Ravine. Known especially for the colors of the leaves in autumn, the area is beautiful any time of year.

One of the better known inns in Yamada Onsen is Fujiiso. The owner, Fujisawa-san, showed us around. Their elegantly appointed lobby features a series of picture windows giving you a panaromic view of the trees in the ravine. Their onsen bath also takes advantage of the scenic setting where you can soak in the onsen water (clear water high in sodium chloride with a slightly salty taste) as you enjoy the serenity of the trees. The minerals in the onsen water, by the way, supposedly work to soothingly warm your body.

Next Fujisawa-san took us across the street to Taki-no-yu. Normally this classic wooden bathhouse is only open to residents and guests of the inns, but Fujisawa-san let us in as a special favor. The onsen water originates at 60C, so even with regular tap water being added to the bath it was painfully hot. But one local elderly man was soaking away as blissfully as can be.

Yamada Onsen's other famous inn is Fukeikan. Their claim to fame is the Sennin-buro (hermit's bath). Perched on a cliff 150 scary steps down from the inn, the bath precariously looks over the roaring Matsukawa River as it is squeezed through its most narrow point along the ravine. I had no idea Nagano had such a wild onsen bath!

藤井荘　Fujiiso
風景館　Fukeikan

Footbath in front of O-Yu (notice the waterwheel in the back)

Yamada Onsen Spa Wine Center

Yamada Onsen Taki-no-Yu facade

Taki-no-Yu's hot bath and classic wooden architecture

Fujiiso's bath and ravine setting

Walking down Fukeikan's scary steps...

...to the wild Hermit's Bath

Onsen-pornography -- Fukeikan's much more sedated private outdoor bath