Osawa Onsen has a lovely mon or seal of ginger.
March 2 - One of the best seasons to visit a Japanese hot spring is wintertime. The steaming hot baths seem especially inviting in the cold air. Ann and I very much enjoyed our recent visit to Osawa Hot Spring on the Izu Peninsula.
We stayed in a 340-year-old wooden building. Our host explained that carpenters built our hall with traditional Japanese techniques without using a single nail! The zelkovia central post, he said, was 54 cm thick. We also enjoyed the traditional Japanese garden, and the storehouses for soybean paste, tools, and rice.
Pounding steaming hot rice into mochi
But the wonderful baths are the most memorable attraction. One of the baths is called kesho no yu or "makeup bath" because its waters are good for the skin. Ann and I also enjoyed the outdoor baths. A winter rain had begun to fall, and the large cold drops chilled my skin as I hurried over the wet stone path to the large bath. But once immersed in the hot water, I found the cold rain falling on my head quite refreshing. The large drops danced off the surface of the bath and mixed with the rising steam.
That night, after we helped the hotel staff pound hot rice into mochi, we fell into a deep, restful sleep.
Until next time,
Jim
Oh, that looks like a nice hot spring. I bet you and Ann had a great time. This looks like another of those date night things that is great for a couple to do and get away from the hustle and bustle of Tokyo. ほんにうらやましい～。Congratulations.
