雲仙・島原の絶景と温泉をめぐる旅【長崎旅】
Today, we’re heading to Unzen in Nagasaki Prefecture. This is Chijiwa Observatory, a representative view point of the Shimabara Peninsula. On clear days, you can see as far as Amakusa. Next, we head to Obama Onsen. Obama Onsen is one of Japan’s hot springs, boasting a source temperature of approximately 100°C. Steam rises from the hot springs throughout the town, creating a truly unique hot spring atmosphere. The Yubatake (hot spring field) is also impressive. Enjoy the hot springs while gazing out at the ocean from the approximately 105-meter-long footbath. Popular dishes include “steamed pot cuisine” using hot spring steam and fresh seafood caught in nearby waters. Steam also rises from the ocean. There are also private baths available . We arrive at Unzen Onsen. Let’s take a stroll around the town. This is Gokuraku Park. There’s a sign for Unzen Onsen. Steam is rising from the surrounding area. The distinctive sulfurous smell, unique to hot springs, permeates the surrounding area. This is Manmyoji Temple on Mount Unzen. Within the temple grounds sits the imposing Unzen Great Buddha, approximately 5 meters tall. We descended to Unzen Jigoku. The steam from the hot springs is impressive up close, and even more steam surrounds the other side of the Yukemuri Bridge . Let’s go and check it out . The amount of steam is truly incredible. It’s truly called Hell for a reason. Unzen Jigoku is dotted with over 30 locations with names like “Hell,” including geothermal fumaroles, hot mud, thread hell, and Kiyoshichi Hell . Beyond the steam is the hotel where we’ll be staying tonight . The strong sulfur smell, unique to hot spring areas, is also present. There’s also Machiko Rock, which apparently served as a filming location for a radio drama in the 1950s. Let’s go a little further in and arrive at the rest area – Oito Jigoku. Oito is apparently the name of a real Christian woman who lived during the Edo period. Legend has it that she was tortured for being a Christian and refused to renounce her faith, and was martyred in a boiling water hell. There is a spacious green space stretching out before you, and there is also a hot spring here 😄 Now, let’s head to the inn. Our room will be on the fifth floor and you can see the terrace. I’ll go there later. Now, let’s go into our room. The view of Unzen Jigoku spreads across the window. It must be exceptional to take a bath in a hot spring while looking out at Unzen Jigoku. There is also a daybed on the balcony where you can relax after your bath. What a nice view. You can relax here with a cup of coffee or something. It seems you can also enter the room from here. We have come down to the first floor. The first floor is a corridor. Let’s go out to the courtyard. The air is so quiet and peaceful that it’s hard to believe we are in the middle of the steam. When we go up to the second floor, an open terrace spreads out before us. Drinking morning coffee here or a drink at dusk is exceptional. We have come to the rooftop terrace . You can get a good view of the steam from the hot springs from the rooftop. Now it’s time for dinner . The dinner is filled with local vegetables , mountain produce, and seafood . A taste that will stay with you forever. That was dinner time . We arrived at the courtyard terrace in the evening . During the day, this is a cafe terrace overlooking the courtyard, but at night, the atmosphere changes completely… The illuminated courtyard feels like another world! ✨ The gentle breeze and the slight smell of sulfur are soothing. Guests staying at the hotel can enjoy their drinks in the open air for free. 🥃 Good night! 🌛 Good morning! We arrived at the rooftop lounge, where a variety of free drinks are available. The spacious space is amazing. Now, let’s head to breakfast. Breakfast in the quiet air is truly a “reward.” The vegetables were crunchy, and the aroma of the broth was superb . With each bite, I felt like my body was slowly waking up. It was such a luxurious experience to have such a carefully prepared meal in the morning. Thank you for the meal ! So luxurious to be able to enjoy a hot spring bath after breakfast! It was a wonderful inn. Thank you! After leaving the inn, we drove a short distance and arrived at the Unzen Ropeway. Below us , we could see the Unzen Golf Course and Oshidori Pond. There was also a wonderful view from the parking lot. The majestic nature of Unzen was right in front of us. It shows different faces with each season, from autumn leaves in autumn to frost-covered trees in winter. We arrived at Shimabara Castle. The parking lot is spacious and easy to park in. The castle was built in the early Edo period, during the reign of feudal lord Matsukura Shigemasa. The pure white five-story castle tower stands out against the blue sky, making it truly one of Kyushu’s famous castles . It is a castle with a rich history, having also been the site of the Shimabara Rebellion. Just below the castle tower is a quiet, garden-like square. This place was originally called “Oumamisho,” where the feudal lord would view horses and hold events. Looking at this scenery surrounded by stone walls, the era of war seems like a distant memory. The view from the castle tower is beautiful . Beyond the peaceful townscape, the Ariake Sea stretches out quietly, and it feels as though time is passing slowly. On the other side, you can see Mount Fugen . This view overlooking the town that has overcome a history of eruptions, You can feel the strength in the silence. This is the Mount Unzen Disaster Memorial Museum, a facility created to convey the Heisei eruption. Through footage from that time and a model of the lava dome, you can learn about the people of Shimabara living with the volcano. Inside the museum, footage from the time of the Mount Unzen eruption and materials conveying the state of the disaster are carefully exhibited. Models of lava and pyroclastic flows, records of evacuations, and the footsteps of people who worked towards reconstruction… Rather than just looking at the exhibits, you can feel the breath of the people who were there and the breath of the earth. As you walk through the exhibits, you can see how much the people of Shimabara have faced the volcano and lived together with it . There is also a corner in the museum where you can learn about volcanic disaster prevention, This is a place where you can feel the eruption of Mount Fugen not just as a disaster of the past, but as a lesson that should be passed on to us who live in the present. Our trip to Unzen and Shimabara came to an end in the blink of an eye. We were soothed by the mountain scenery, relaxed in the hot springs, and were able to feel the history, volcanoes, and people’s lives at Shimabara Castle and the Disaster Memorial Museum. Even though it was a short trip, it was a fulfilling trip packed with nature and history . I would like to visit again in a different season someday and see a new side of Unzen and Shimabara.
長崎・雲仙の旅へようこそ。
千々石展望台からの絶景、小浜温泉の湯けむり、雲仙温泉の歴史ある街並み、そして普賢岳の雄大な姿。島原城やジオパーク島原の自然も巡りながら、温泉と大自然、歴史が融合する島原半島をゆったり散策しました。
癒しの風景とともに、のんびりと旅気分をお楽しみください。
