当たり外れの飯山市・栄村温泉巡りの第2ヶ所： いいやま湯滝温泉。
大当たりです！
温泉施設の世界の中で、場所を考えないで設計する事が多い。湯滝温泉は千曲川沿いの一を生かして、川のゆとりをたっぷり取り組んだ。
久しぶりに良い温泉に行ったって感じ。
説明させてください。
湯質は実は、大したお湯じゃない。単純泉の弱アルカリ(pH 8.32）で無色無味無臭。（温度はちょうど良い40℃ぐらいでした。）
でも、良いです。湯質にうるさい私にとっては湯滝温泉の第一印象は： 洒落ている。
受付の方の和服、
あちらこちらに手書きの注意書きではなくクラシックなフォントの丁寧な看板、
廊下と所々に飯山の伝統の「内山和紙」の装飾、
内風呂の千曲川の眺める大きな窓、
内風呂の地元の子供達の手作業で出来た壁画、
露天風呂の雪景色に合う庭園、
露天風呂石積み滝の湯口、
露天風呂の立派なハリを使った屋根、
拘ったメニューの食堂と川を眺めるテーブル、
どこ見てもお洒落！
言うのは失礼かもしれないけど、公社経営だととっても思えないお洒落な作り。なおかつ、大人500円と言う料金は安いか、同じ料金であるそから中の不潔な温泉施設が高いか。
飯山線上境駅から２００ｍと言う便利なアクセスだし。
湯滝温泉は長野県トップ100温泉の上位に入ると思った。
2nd stop on our recent northern Nagano hit-or-miss onsen tour: Iiyama City's Yutaki Onsen.
This was a huge hit!
In the world of day-use onsen facilities, it is really rare for the location and the architecture to take into account the setting. Yutaki Onsen on the other hand takes full advantage of its setting along the Chikuma River.
This was the first time in a while to experience A Really Good Onsen.
Allow me to explain.
First of all, the onsen water. Actually, their wasn't that much mineral content in the water. It was colorless, taste-less, smell-less, with the redeeming feature being that it was slightly alkalid (pH 8.32), and that the temperature was perfect for bathing, approx. 40 Deg C.
But that's okay. For me, a real snob when it comes to the quality of the onsen water, the primary impression I had of Yutaki was its overall classical style.
The lady at the entrance dressed in classy Japanese-style clothes.
No sloppy hand-written signs, only classy, professionally made ones with classic font.
Ample use of the local Uchiyama washi hand-made Japanese-style paper for the interior decorations.
A hefty picture-window for the indoor bath providing a beautiful view of the Chikuma River flowing by.
Murals on the walls of the indoor bath made by local school children.
A beautiful garden for the outdoor bath that looked beautiful with its covering of snow.
Yutaki's trademark 'taki' (waterfall) feature for the 'yu' to flow into the outdoor bath.
And an eating area with an elegant view of the river and the blue Yutaki Bridge and a restaurant featuring local cuisine.
Everywhere you look, classy elegance.
Located only 200 meters from Kamisakai Station on the JR Iiyama Line, access is a snatch. And with the price for adults only 500 yen, either Yutaki is really inexpensive or all the other similarly priced onsens with significantly less charm and thought are overpriced.
Not only does Yutaki Onsen make Nagano's Top 100, it has to be near the top of the list!
Yutaki's outdoor bath with waterfall feature to the right, elegant Japanese garden to the left, and the Chikuma River beyond the fence in the background
Hallway with Uchiyama paper accents
Indoor bath with picture window view of the Chikuma River
View of the Chikuma River and the blue Yutaki Bridge from the cafeteria
