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Me enjoying Yamada Ryokan's Ne-Yu

小谷村の3つ目の温泉:

小谷温泉「山田旅館」

この2012年から457年前（1555年）に武田信玄で見付けられたと言われている小谷温泉。木造3階建ての本館は江戸時代に善光寺の宮大工さん達に作られた山田旅館。小谷温泉の大湯元。

457年湧き続ける。山のいで湯を守る。標高850ｍの山深いロケ。ナトリウム炭酸水塩化泉の温泉らしいお湯（お風呂場に数十年で溜まった成分のモニュメントがあり;本格的な温泉だと言う証拠）。

私は大好き。

友人のＰｅｔｅｒさんは全体のさびれていた雰囲気が残念に思った様だが、私にとっては歴史が感じて、気に入りました。本館の男女別の内風呂はダサいタイル、格好付けるコンクリートのクラウンモールディング、ミスマッチの煉瓦、アルミドア、まあ、統一感がないと言えばない。

しかし、良く見たら、お風呂にゆっくり入ったら、その湯質、その成分の溜まり方、狭い所にうまい具合に寝湯も打たせ湯もあって、とにかく「温泉だ！」って感じ。大好き！

新館にまた別な男女別の内湯そして露天風呂がある。湯口は木の樽で風情があって、露天風呂からの谷の眺めがまた落ち着く。

武田信玄の気持ちが分かる様な気がした。

Our 3rd onsen stop in Otari Village:

Otari Onsen 'Yamada Ryokan'

Samurai warlord Takeda Shingen is credited with discovering Otari Onsen in 1555. That's 457 years ago from now (2012). Yamada Ryokan's main building is a three-story wooden structure built in the Edo era by the temple carpenters who put together the venerable Zenkoji Temple. Yamada Ryokan is the designated "O-Yu" (primary bathhouse) of Otari Onsen.

The onsen water has been flowing on this spot for 457 years. Yamada Ryokan has been protecting this mountain onsen for all of those generations. And the chloride hydrogen carbonate onsen water high in sodium content is the real deal. There is an objet of encrusted carbonate that built up over decades -- proof that Otari Onsen's water is really mineral water.

I love it!

But where I felt the inn exuded history and onsen essence, my buddy Peter wasn't a fan of the overall rundown feel. Certainly the main bath in the original building was a mismatch of tacky tile, grotesque concrete crown molding, cold aluminum frame doors -- an interior decorator's nightmare. But on closer inspection, and a leisurely soak in the onsen water, you realize how soothing the minerals are, how strong they are with the carbon-encrusted lip of the pool, and what a clever use of space it is, with a Ne-yu (laying-down bath -- see the picture) and an Utase-yu (waterfall bath) all in the tight quarters.

Besides the indoor bath in the main building, the newer building features another pair of indoor baths (I like the wood barrel used for the onsen water source) adjacent to outdoor baths featuring a sweeping view of the forested valley.

I can understand why Takeda Shingen fell in love with this Otari Onsen.

山田旅館（日本秘湯を守る会ページ）
Yamada Ryokan (Secluded Baths of Japan page)

Edo-period 3-story wooden main building

Utase-Yu waterfall with impressive (?) concrete crown molding

carbonate build-up -- proof that this ain't just tapwater

New bulding's indoor bath ...

... and adjacent outdoor bath with a view of the valley

Amekazari's Outdoor Bath

小谷村の2つ目の温泉：

奥小谷温泉「雨飾高原露天風呂」

小谷村の中心から県道114号を雨飾り温泉へ向かって登って、秘湯の小谷温泉を超えてされに隠れている所に雨飾荘に辿り着きます。その宿の手前に村営の露天風呂があります。

ブナの森の中露天風呂。山登りと山菜狩りの人達に人気があるようです。管理人がいないので協力金箱が置いてある。

源泉は56.3℃でナトリウム・炭酸水塩化泉です。

写真は女湯と男湯の両方です。私達が行った日は誰もいなかった。それは良かったです。なぜなら、男湯は暑すぎて（45℃？）入れなかった。女湯は適温で周りの緑を楽しみながら気持ち良く入れた。

もう一つな問題はハエでした。着替えている時にあっちこっちで食われました。

私達が行った日は雨飾荘が休館だったから残念ながらその大露天風呂の体験は出来なかった。更に奥に栃の木亭があるのでいつかはそのお風呂も入ってみたいと思う。

温泉は多いけど、時間が限られている。それは長野だね。

Our 2nd Otari Village onsen stop was Amekazari Kogen (Heights) Rotenburo (Open-air Bath).

Located near the end of Prefectural Road 114 as it climbs up from the main part of the village towards Amekazari Mountain, past the 'hidden' Otari Onsen, Amekazari-sou is a single onsen hotel deep in the mountains. Just down from the hotel is a village-operated onsen with 2 outdoor baths surrounded by a forest of beech trees. One bath is for men and one for ladies. The baths are not staffed, but there is a collection box for donations.

The onsen water is chloride hydrogen carbonate high in sodium. It comes out of the ground at 56.3 degrees celsius.

No one else was there when we went which was fortunate as the men's bath was too hot for me (45C?). The ladies bath was a bit more enjoyable temperature so I soaked away in peace as the beech trees swayed overhead.

One other problem was in between undressing and getting in the bath, we got eaten by flies. Not a pleasant sensation!

The day we went, Amekazari-sou was closed so we weren't able to experience their large outdoor bath. Further down the road is another onsen inn called Tochinoki-tei. Their bath will have to wait for another day, too.

So many onsens, so little time! That's Nagano for you.

雨飾荘 Amekazari-sou

The women's bath and changing 'room'

The approach

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.

Nekohana's bath with a view (nevermind the plastic roofing)

Changing room (with a loft!)

The onsen well

Nekohana's setting

The Salt Road