【肘折温泉ひとり旅】新潟・山形ロングドライブPart2【湯治場風情の黄金温泉】
Today is the second day of my 6-night, 7-day trip to Niigata and Yamagata. Unfortunately, it’s raining, but I’m driving along and taking a break at a roadside station called “Atsumi Sharin” in Tsuruoka City, Yamagata Prefecture. The restaurant looks good, but I’ve already had lunch today. It has a different atmosphere from the Hokuriku coast. My destination is Okura Village, Yamagata Prefecture, a hot spring resort with a traditional hot spring therapy culture called “Hijiori Onsen” . I’m on the free section of the Japan Sea Tohoku Expressway. Hijiori Onsen has a long history, and it is said to have begun in 807 when an old monk broke his elbow and immersed himself in this hot spring, where the wound healed instantly. I get off at the Tsuruoka Nishi exit. I leave the city and head into the mountains. I see the word “Hijiori” on the sign . It’s
just a little further to Hijiori Onsen , and that red bridge is the “Hijiori Nozomi Bridge”. This bridge was completed in 2013 after two years of construction. It is known as a new specialty of Hijiori Onsen , and is the longest of the 240m long Hijiori Hope Bridges, a steel truss bridge in Japan . *Image from the official website of Hijiori Onsen Today’s accommodation is a little away from the hot spring town, in Okura Village, Mogami District, Yamagata Prefecture. Kinseikan – a nice rustic innI climbed the stone steps to enter the inn and my room was “Rindo” on the second floor, a 6 tatami Japanese-style room.It felt like I was staying at my grandma’s house in the countryside during my summer holidays as a child.I was the only guest staying there that day, so I was able to relax without any worries.There is no air conditioning, so we used a fan to beat the heat.There is a shared refrigerator in the hallway.It was raining outside the window.I immediately took a bath.This bath is one of the three sources of Hijiori Onsen, the “Golden Onsen,” and you can enjoy the hot spring water directly from the source.When I soaked in the cloudy water, I could smell a faint hint of iron.The spring quality is a sodium chloride bicarbonate hot spring.I also went to the open-air bath, which is said to have great heat retention and skin-beautifying effects.Wow … the stones under my feet are quite slippery! The water on the outside was a little warm, but the water on the inside was quite hot. I felt revived. I went back to my room and took a nap. It was time for dinner. The food brought to my room by the landlady was all full of flavor and was a bowl of rice. Miso soup with tofu and nameko mushrooms. I had imagined it would be small, but there was a lot of variety and it was very filling. I managed to finish it all, but I felt fuller than I had imagined. I took another bath and went to sleep that day. The next morning, it seemed like the weather had cleared up. I washed my face and headed out. The morning market is a specialty of Hijiori. It is held every day early in the morning from April to November. It is located in Hijiori Onsen town. It takes about 20 minutes on foot from the inn. Let’s enjoy a morning stroll. The hot spring town comes into view across the Dozan River. A hot spring that retains the atmosphere of the Showa era . The town has such a charming atmosphere. From here on is the morning market venue. I’ll buy something for dinner. There are lots of delicious looking things like mushroom rice and pickled wild vegetables, but I made the regrettable mistake of forgetting my wallet. I knew in advance that payment was only by cash, but… I had no choice but to turn back . I was sweating so I went back to the inn and took a morning bath. It was time for breakfast, which the landlady brought to my room again today. I had a hearty morning bowl of sasakama rice . White rice and natto were the best. I also put a raw egg on the rice . Phew, I’m so hungry. After a while I went outside again. I could see the Hijiori Kibou Bridge that I passed yesterday. I walked through the hot spring town . It was exactly the kind of town I imagined when I heard the word “hot spring town”. “Yakushi Shrine”, Okura Village, Mogami District, Yamagata Prefecture. This shrine was founded in 1390 and is also known as “Yuza Shrine”. There are various stories behind the construction of the shrine as you climb the stone steps. Looking down, it’s quite high. Continue on through the hot spring town, past the bathhouse , and you’ll see what’s ahead . Going through the hot spring town, you will reach the upstream of the Dozan River, the “Gensen Dome” in Okura Village, Mogami District, Yamagata Prefecture. The “Hijiori Dam” in Okura Village, Mogami District, Yamagata Prefecture. The foot bath attached to the dam is not currently open. Let’s go back to the hot spring town and have lunch.
新潟・山形ロングドライブPart2
昭和の雰囲気が残る肘折温泉で温泉と湯治飯を堪能。肘折朝市、薬師神社、肘折ダムを観光。6泊7日美食と温泉の旅その2。
道の駅 あつみ
https://www.at-syarin.com/
旅館 金生館
#グルメ #旅行 #グルメ旅行 #ひとり旅 #一人旅 #山形 #観光 #湯治 #温泉 #ドライブ
0:00 オープニング
0:40 道の駅 あつみ
2:08 肘折希望大橋
2:56 旅館 金生館
9:21 肘折朝市
11:51 薬師神社
12:58 肘折ダム
13:34 次回予告