長野トップj100温泉 戸狩温泉暁の湯 Nagano Top 100 Onsens: Akatsuki no Yu

January 19, 2013: 長野に来る理由 Reasons to Come to Nagano

Akatsuki no Yu in all of its cracked plastic bamboo and garish neon sign splendor

長野県のトップ100温泉プロジェクトの調べ作業が続いています。友人のPeterさんの英語の本はほぼ完成で、仕上がりの関係で飯山と栄村の温泉に行ってきました。まずは:

戸狩温泉 暁の湯 (飯山市)

戸狩温泉に日帰り施設は2つあります: 暁の湯と望の湯。
以前は自分が家族を連れて望みの湯に入ったので、全体の雰囲気を気に入った。ただ、その日は露天風呂が閉じてあって、入れなかったのが残念だった。(Peterさんが行った時に露天風呂には入れて、トップ100だと判断したそうです。)
ただ、望の湯はスキーシーズン営業のみで、通年営業の暁の湯を掲載する様に言われたもので、今回はPeterと私の長野トップ100温泉チームで入りに行きました。

その判断は?

まあ、当たり外れがある中で、

外れ!

湯質はpHが高い(8.50)割りに肌が思ったほどすべすべにならなかった。香りはかった。色は微黄色で、特に露天風呂の方に茶色湯花が沢山浮いていたからただの水道水ではなくて温泉だとの事は確実だ。ただ、温泉の香りがないと私には物足りないな。(ごめんね、厳しくて。)
しかし、「外れ」の理由はそれじゃない。
温度は内湯が熱め(42℃?)で長く入れなく、
露天風呂は雪のせいか、ぬるくて(37℃?)で逆に上がれなかった。でも、それは許す。人それぞれだし。(この上からの目線は何?)
何が「外れ」かというと、プラスチックバンブーが多過ぎて、尚且つ所々に割れていた事と、
露天風呂からの眺めは「山と田舎に囲まれたおらほうの湯」や「日本の原風景を思わせるのどかな田園の中の温泉」と言っている割にその噂の景色は塀でブロックされていて、
唯一見えるのは派手の激しいネオンサインでした。

アウト!

望の湯の方はその景色が見えるので、冬期間営業だけかもしれないけど、望の方はトップ100だな。

じゃ、グリーンシーズンで戸狩で温泉はどうすれば良い?
車で10分ぐらいの所に湯滝温泉がある。同じ500円なら、千曲川の景色や設備・雰囲気は完全に暁の湯よりお勧め。

(暁の湯さん、その塀は景色が見えるように工夫し、プラスチックではなくて天然な素材を使って、激しいネオン看板が丸見えの場所から移せば、トップ100になるのではないですか?)

In researching Nagano's Top 100 Onsens (it's a tough job, but somebody's gotta do it), and helping my buddy Peter finish his book on the subject, we had to fill in a few more details. Hence, a trip to Nagano's northernmost city and village, Iiyama and Sakae.

First stop: Akatsuki no Yu in Iiyama City's Togari Onsen.

In Togari Onsen, there are two day-use onsen bathhouses, Nozomi no Yu and Akatsuki no Yu.

Both Peter and I had been to Nozomi on separate occasions. I enjoyed it for its ambience, but unfortunately the outdoor bath was closed when I went. Peter also liked it enough to include in his Top 100 book. However, we got word that Nozomi was only open during the ski season, and to include Akatsuki (which is open year-round) instead.

Hence, our trip to snowy Iiyama to check out Akatsuki.

In the world of onsens, there are hits and there are misses.

Akatsuki, unfortunately, is a big miss.

The onsen water didn't have any particular smell, but it did have a yellowish tint and at least the outdoor bath had 'yu-bana' (flakes of onsen minerals), proof that this wasn't just ordinary tapwater. For me, though, lack of an onsen smell is disappointing. (Yes, I'me an onsen snob.)

But that's not the reason Akatsuki is a miss.

The water temperature was a bit too hot (42C?) for the indoor bath and, perhaps due to the snow, too cool (37C?) for the outdoor one. But everyone has their own personal preferences so I withhold judgement in that regards.

No, the reason Akatsuki is a fail is for the heaps of fake plastic bamboo used all over, and not only that, but it is noticeably cracked in places. And furthermore, there is a huge, garish neon sign towering over the bath. Akatsuki promotes itself as having a view of the peaceful countryside and mountains, but all of that is blocked by a fence, leaving the neon monstrosity as the most noticeable feature.

Use natural materials for your bath surround, change the fence so it allows views of the highly-touted picturesque countryside, and move that darn sign, and Akatsuki would make the Top 100. Meanwhile, stick with Nozomi. What about in the green season? 10 minutes down the road is Yutaki Onsen, which, for the same 500 yen price, offers a much better view (this one overlooking the Chikuma River) and has much more elegant facilities. See the next entry.

戸狩温泉Togari Onsen






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