【秘湯】 秋田 仙北市～大仙市 ～秋田市 日本海を目指して湯めぐりの旅
A Journey to Visit Hot Springs on Route 46, Over the Mountain Pass and to the Sea of Japan . Hello, this is “Channel 8329.” Shizukuishi’s “Yoshage Street”…? This time, I’m heading to the sea in Akita using Route 46. I’ve picked out 112 places, but I won’t be able to visit all of them, so I’ll use this as a base for my trip. I’ve emerged onto Route 46. From here, I plan to head straight west all the way to the Sea of Japan. Before that , I’d like to introduce my favorite pizza place in Shizukuishi: “Soul Kitchen.” It ‘s an authentic pizza place that opened in 2012, and I love their impressive Chicago-style pizza. They also have a variety of other unique and delicious menu items, so please try them. Today’s trip started here. About 10km west of “Soul Kitchen” is “Shizukuishi Anekko Roadside Station.” This roadside station has a day-trip hot spring attached. It’s open from 9 AM to 8 PM, which is great for those camping in their car, and the prices are reasonable. The water is alkaline, simple hot spring water, and there’s also a sauna. The farm shop next door was bustling with activity this time of year. It’s mushroom season! They had wild kotake mushrooms, wild maitake mushrooms, and so many other varieties. I didn’t buy any because it would be lonely to eat alone, but I’ll pick some up as a souvenir on my way home. My next stop was a luxury inn. I assumed they didn’t offer day trips, but after some research, it seems they do. Still, I couldn’t believe it, so I called to confirm. It’s an amazing place! I didn’t explore for fear of bears… I saw a sign for Sashimaki Onsen, but couldn’t find it… Natsuse Onsen is a single inn deep in the mountains, and of course, it’s located at the top of a narrow mountain road that gets narrower and narrower… And then another oncoming car! A kind woman pulled up alongside me and started talking to me. Thank you! A really big bus! Good, wait ! There are no mirrors on this road. Turning into gravel!? I’ll get a four-wheel drive. This road is scary . I don’t want to pass any cars on the way back. The lake!! Anyway, there are no guardrails. Ahhhhhh , I’m tired (too scared…). This is in Dakigaeri Prefectural Park. Dakigaeri Valley is a famous spot for autumn leaves, and I’ve been there before, but I remember turning back halfway because of the magnificent scenery and the chilling high-altitude road. My destination is on the left. Thank you for your hard work . I’m tired… I ‘m not ready for day-trip bathing, so I’ll take a walk around the area. Natsuse Onsen is recorded as having opened in 1904, but documents from the Edo period show that it was already being used as a hot spring during that time. It closed in 2004, but reopened in 2005 as “Miyako Wasure.” The creditor is the famous Nyuto Onsen “Taenoyu.” I also visited there, and it was a refined and nice inn. Drinks and desserts are included with day-trip bathing. This is the private open-air bath for guests, who made a mistake. Natsuse Onsen is said to contain a large amount of ionized minerals, second only to Tamagawa Onsen in Akita Prefecture. The water quality is a sulfate spring (sodium sulfate spring), slightly alkaline at pH 8.1. While day-trip bathing is available only in the large public bath, there is also a “private open-air bath” that guests can use. The elegant design of the bathtub and the view outside are wonderful. This is a great place for couples to relax, and the food looks delicious, too. Locals. There are 10 rooms in total, all with an open-air bath, where you can enjoy dinner made with Akita ingredients and local Akita sake . It was luxurious and we had a relaxing time. We had some lemon water before heading home, although the journey home was a bit depressing lol. If you’re not confident in your driving, there is apparently a free shuttle from Kakunodate Station on the Akita Shinkansen line, which you can make a reservation for by phone. Private cars are not allowed in winter. You can only come by shuttle service, I’m not confident about driving on that frozen road myself. Thank you very much . If you go west from Natsuse Onsen, Kakunodate is very close, and in between there is the Akita Art Village Yupopo. In addition to the hot spring facilities, there is Tazawako Beer and the Warabi Theater, where performances seem to be held. Source: Warabi Onsen. Water quality: sodium sulfate hot spring. Water temperature: 35.8℃. pH value: 7.6. Kakunodate is famous, so we won’t be covering it specifically on this channel, but there is one place… Sakura no Sato restaurant. The oyakodon here was really delicious, and I saw the true potential of Hinai Jidori chicken. Moving west from Kakunodate, there is an interesting hot spring a little north. I entered Route 316. I’m almost there, I wonder if it’s pronounced “Kyouwa Onsen”…? We arrive at Kyowa Onsen, a relatively new hot spring discovered in 1981 after the ski resort was built. The spring water is a calcium-sodium sulfate spring with a weak alkaline quality. At first glance, it looks like a very simple farmhouse inn in a peaceful area. It seems to be used as a communal bath by locals, so you’d expect good water, but it’s closed!? Ah, what a shame. I’d heard that the water is thick and has a strong squelchy feeling, typical of a gypsum spring… but unfortunately! I’ll go to another place nearby, starting at 5pm! Starting at 5pm! A review from a year ago said it cost 150 yen… and it seems to be looked after by an old lady. I wanted to go to Kyowa Onsen. Is it completely gone ? Is today one of those days when you can’t go in? Let’s go a little further in… Oh, it’s in a place like this… A white hotel-like building has appeared, which doesn’t fit in with the atmosphere we’ve seen so far! I thought it would be a resort hotel-type facility that I’m not particularly interested in, but …it’s so deserted…I wonder if they do day trips? “Day trip bathing is available” This was a great place that I really liked… it’s really interesting… it has a retro Showa-era atmosphere. The landlady was also great. I liked her simple and unpretentious way of responding, which was light and cheerful. They also offer overnight stays, and it’s apparently famous as an inn where “Zashiki-warashi” spirits appear. Apparently, actor Harada Ryuji has stayed there, so it’s known nationwide. Let’s go to the bath…I ended up talking to the landlady. The water was clear and colorless, and felt a little thick. What surprised me was this “kettle bath”! The hot spring water is released into an enclosed space, creating a sauna-like atmosphere. I can see why it’s so popular; there ‘s no other place like it. The zashiki-warashi appear in the villa’s thatched roof. There was a photo of an orb on the blog. The Akita dog at the entrance, Taiga, the mascot, was big but gentle and well-behaved. He seemed excited and wanted to go for a walk, and the inn staff took him outside. Akita dogs are big and cute. Opinions are divided, but I loved them. It was an experience you can’t get anywhere else. Tonight, I’m sleeping at a roadside station. Since I hadn’t eaten since this morning, I headed to the restaurant. Kiritanpo Katsu Curry! I was curious, so I ordered it… and the beautiful waitress brought me… Akita specialty “Kiritanpo” wrapped in pork and deep-fried with curry! How do you eat this? It’s delicious, but it’s so hot… I just couldn’t get it in my mouth! While eating alone, I was kicking my feet because it was so hot. It was delicious! With our stomachs full, we decided to take a good rest. The next morning , the weather was beautiful again, and we were surprised to see all this play equipment here. We came from Natsuse Onsen in Iwate Prefecture to Kyowa Onsen, but instead of heading northwest towards Oga, we decided to head southwest to see Tsuyoshikubi Onsen. Day trips start at 11am, so we couldn’t take a bath, but we wanted to get a glimpse of the wooden inn that was over 100 years old. The gate came into view! It’s cool. However, we couldn’t find a parking space and wandered around… In the end, we parked on the side of the road in the distance and toured on foot. In 1964, the hot spring erupted while Teikoku Oil was conducting a drilling survey for natural gas, and the rights to this were transferred to the town, which is how Tsuyoshikubi Onsen began. The wealthy farming family, the Oyamada family, brought a hot spring into their mansion, and in 1972, when Momineen was founded, there were about 10 inns operating there, but now this is the only one left. The inn building is a nationally registered tangible cultural property, a stately structure that exudes a century of history. While it dates back to the Taisho era, it was built with earthquake resistance in mind, reflecting lessons learned from the devastating Kowakubi earthquake. The building was constructed based on research into earthquake-resistant architecture conducted in Tokyo at the time . I should have adjusted my visit accordingly. The spring water is a rare, iodine-sodium-chloride, high-salinity hot spring. It boasts an abundant flow of over 240 liters per minute, resulting in a salty, brownish-brown color. Reading the website, you can see the care and pride they take in their service . I didn’t take a bath this time, but I plan to return sometime. Before heading to Oga, I wanted to soak in the hot springs at Kainosawa Onsen, which is open for day trips from 9 AM to 7 PM. The price is also reasonable at 600 yen. (As of 2025) This is the only hot spring in Akita City that flows directly from the source, and it’s easily accessible from the city center, about a 20-minute drive . What’s more, the water here is exceptionally thick and creamy! It’s easy to see why so many people are there in the mornings. The building, renovated in 2016, is a Japanese-style building with a tiled roof. Apparently, it’s run by the president of a major supermarket in Akita City, so you can expect great food, lol. The inn is located in a lovely mountain village with a vast garden. Access by car is recommended, but there is also a shuttle service from the station and the supermarket it manages. The building itself is new and beautiful, and most of the staff seem young. I don’t know what it is, but it’s decorated with something divine. The changing room is simple and has everything you need, which is a great impression… and the bath! It’s incredibly thick and creamy, one of the best I’ve ever experienced. The open-air bath sparkled in the morning sun, and the rising steam seemed to dance… It was a great morning bath! Apparently there is also a bath exclusively for guests staying overnight, so it seems like a good place to stay as well as for day trips . Address : 66-96 Nagasaka, Taiheiyamaya, Akita City, Akita Prefecture, 010-1106 Phone: 018-838-3838 / Fax: 018-838-3406 Spring quality: Sodium chloride spring Source temperature: 62.5°C; pH: 8.0 Next time, we will finally reach the Sea of Japan and enter the Oga Peninsula. 8329 Channel How to Walk Japan Miyakowasure ~ Daisen City ~ Kakunodate ~ Kyowa
【秋田の日本海を目指す湯めぐり旅】
まずは、山あいの秘湯・夏瀬温泉へ・・・。
静かな渓流の音に包まれた協和温泉、地元に愛される名湯・貝の沢温泉を巡りながら、
次第に日本海の風を感じる男鹿半島へ近ずいて行く車中泊旅行。
夏の終わり、秋の始まりの季節、静かな秋田の湯めぐりドライブ旅です。
今回も妻は仕事で欠席、一人旅になりますが11月からは2人ともフリーになるので念願の車中泊旅が開始できそう・・・。徐々に南の温泉地へと活動を広げていく予定です。
#秋田温泉
#男鹿半島
#湯めぐりの旅
#秘湯
#夏瀬温泉
#協和温泉
#貝の沢温泉
#温泉旅
#東北旅行
#日本海ドライブ
#夫婦旅行
#混浴
#温泉へ行こう
#温泉巡り
00:00 スタート
00:51 雫石ソウルキッチン
01:30 橋場温泉 新はしばの湯
02:22 夏瀬温泉 都わすれ
07:39 ゆぽぽ
08:13 角館の親子丼
09:01 協和温泉 四郎兵エ館
09:28 藤久
10:17 からまつ山荘・東兵衛温泉
13:08 道の駅 協和 四季の森
14:14 強首温泉 樅峰苑
16:59 貝の沢温泉