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友人のＰｅｔｅｒさんの「長野温泉トップ100」英字本の研究の手伝いで、小谷村へお出かけしました。秘湯が好きな私には大喜び。小谷村は長野県の最も西北の位置で村実体が「秘密」って書いてあるって感じ。まず、紹介したいのは：

湯原温泉「猫鼻の湯」

1軒の日帰り温泉で公式ＨＰもないし、パンフもない、看板もほとんどない。本当に「隠れ」。だからこそ（かな？）、温泉ブロガーの世界では大人気。

場所は国道148号を糸魚川へ向かって下って、新潟県に入る前に塩坂と湯原トンネルの間に姫側へ右折して、千国街道（別名「塩の道」）の猫鼻石仏群の側。歩きなら塩道でＪＲ糸魚川線の平岩と北小谷駅の間。

お湯はナトリウム・マグネシウム・カルシウム入りの炭酸水素塩・塩化物泉。鉄も気持ち入っていたように感じた。
源泉は浴場の直ぐ側ですから源泉から離れているお風呂が嫌な人に嬉しいかもしれない。お湯の量は半端じゃないので熱めですが、お水を自由に足せる露天風呂から姫川の眺めが素晴らしい。

施設はどちらかと言うと「仮説」っぽい。しかし、建物より湯質、眺めそして「隠れ」で良い勝負になる。

猫鼻の湯
北安曇郡小谷村北小谷道筋3634-2
℡ c/o　清水衣料　(0261)72-3545 or 090-2666-7455
大人400円、子供200円　10:00-19:00 変動有り
冬は雪の為に休業。

In helping my buddy Peter research for his upcoming "Nagano Onsens Top 100" book, we took an onsen-hopping trip to Otari Village. Tucked away in Nagano Prefectures most northwestern corner, this trip really appealed to my appreciation of secluded onsens.

First stop: Yuhara Onsen "Nekohana no Yu"

This day-use bathhouse has no website, no brochures, and hardly any signage. Maybe that's precisely why it is so popular with the onsen blogging community.

Located by the 'Nekohana' cluster of buddhist statues on the Chikuni Kaido (aka Japan's Salt Road), to get to there you drive down Rt. 148 towards Itoigawa and the Sea of Japan. Once you pass the center of the village and before you cross over into Niigata Prefecture, in between the Shiosaka and Yuhara tunnels you turn right down towards the Hime River. There on a ledge above the river you will find the bathhouse. If coming on foot (as in hiking the Salt Road), Nekohana is in between the Hiraiwa and Kitaotari stations on the JR Itoigawa line.

Nekohana's mineral water is a sodium hydrogen carbonate and chloride onsen high in sodium, magnesium and calcium content. I detected a bit of an iron taste as well. The massive flow of onsen water can be cooled down by adding tapwater as you please. Nekohana's onsen well is adjacent to the baths so onsen purists who like their baths as close as possible to the source should be pleased.

The 'rotenburo' outdoor bath overlooks the Hime River. The building itself has a 'temporary shack'-feel. But Nekohana's focus is on the onsen water, the view and the hidden location -- not on facilities.

Nekohana
3634-2 Michisuji, Kita-Otari, Otari Village
Tel c/o Shimizu Clothes (0261)72-3545 or 090-2666-7455.
Adults 400 yen, Children 200 yen. Hours 10am-7pm.
Closed in winter due to snow.