Day 19 - Hakkoda Mountain To Yachi Onsen - Hot Springs Walking Tour Of Northern Japan
Day 19 - Hakkoda Mountain To Yachi Onsen - Hot Springs Walking Tour Of Northern Japan
In this section of our walk, we have to walk inn to inn, with our full backpacks and without any bus or train support.
Today we walked from Hakkoda mountain to Yachi Onsen.
We were served a very good traditional Japanese breakfast at 7:30am this morning.
We had the usual trade offs when we are served a hardcore Japanese breakfast, in which Jules gives me his fermented natto or other items he finds inedible, and I give him instead the items he likes.
We both usually don’t eat the raw egg or the raw squid.
We went outside, just to check the weather and see how many layers of clothing we would need to wear, and saw about fifty people, gathered outside at the base of the ski mountain.
They had a row of weed wackers in front of them.
At first, it almost looked to us as if there were a sale of used lawn and garden equipment going on, but actually they had gathered there to cut down the chest-high grass that densely covered the ski runs, in preparation for the beginning of ski season.
Jules speculated that maybe they were getting free lift tickets, in exchange for doing this hard work, since they were clearly volunteers and not professional gardeners.
Even as we were walking away, we could still hear the buzzing of their weed wackers, sounding like a giant group of bees zooming around.
Even though we are already pretty high up in the mountains, today’s walk was another elevation gain of 1640 feet, (500 meters).
We dressed warmly with our ski jackets.
Rain was forecasted today to begin at 11am, and it started as if on cue, at 11:06 am.
It has kept on raining all day, and even as I am writing this at 8:00pm. in the evening, it is still raining hard. Fortunately we completed our walk early, at about 1:00pm, after walking in the rain and getting pretty wet.
As we walked, the landscape got prettier, and the autumn colors got more and more intense.
The virgin beech forests were amazing, and the maple trees displayed the most beautiful fall colors we have ever seen.
An ancient virgin beech forest doesn’t mean that it has trees that are a thousand years old, it just means that the beech trees currently growing are descendants of those ancient trees.
We had no shelter to stop for rest and to eat our lunch.
We walked for hours in the rain, and really wanted to sit down for a while.
Then we came upon the Jigoku-numa Pond, a small pond with a toilet and a covered picnic table which was dry.
We were as happy as if we had been granted a miracle.
We took off our backpacks, stretched out our toes, used the bathroom and ate some apple chips and mini apple pies with hot tea to warm our fingers.
Other tourists, who had driven by car, stopped to take photos of the pond and looked at us with sad eyes, as if we were two wet puppies, out in the cold rain.
But we didn’t feel miserable.
We felt adventurous, capable, strong.
Tonight we are staying in Yachi Onsen, an old Onsen and inn dating back 400 years.
The hot springs water is sulfurous and milky in color, and the hot spring itself bubbles directly underneath the Onsen baths.
There are two baths, one hot at 42 degrees Celsius, and the other only warm, at 38 degrees Celsius.
Yachi Onsen (谷地温泉) is one of the most historic and atmospheric hot spring inns in northern Japan.
Located in the Hakkōda Mountains, Yachi Onsen is a traditional mountain onsen ryokan (Japanese inn).
At over 400 years old, it is said to be one of Japan’s oldest natural hot springs.
The baths are completely naturally flowing (“kakenagashi”), meaning that the mineral water flows directly from the source without being pumped or transferred to the location.
The water is milky-white and slightly acidic, rich in sulfur and minerals (hydrogen sulphide hypotonic).
It’s known for its therapeutic qualities for the skin, fatigue, and joint pain, as well as for nerve pain, joint inflammation, muscle soreness, sensitivity to cold, fatigue recovery, chronic illnesses, and atopic dermatitis.
When we arrived, I was delighted to see this charming, character-filled Onsen.
It is located deep in the forest off the mountain road, and it is a very rustic, quiet location, surrounded by nature.
The lady at the front desk welcomed us in, directing us to purchase the daily soaking fee tickets from the automated machine.
I explained that we had reservations for a night’s stay with dinner, and she confirmed our reservations and gave us the keys and information about the inn.
The tatami rice mat room was warm and comfortable.
There are no TVs in the rooms and only a limited cell signal, perfect for those seeking a digital detox.
The wooden interiors of the building, and the long rather dimly lit corridors, were so charming that we put on our yukatas and went to soak before dinner.
I alternated between the 42 degrees bath and the cooler bath, enjoying the atmospheric wooden baths, made of old cypress wood.
There were no showers in the washing area, only wooden buckets, so you had to mix the cold and hot water in the bucket and pour it on you, as you shampooed your hair, applied the conditioner and scrubbed your body.
We did this multiple times, trying to be efficient and not freeze to death, as the drafty walls of the Onsen allowed plenty of cool air from outside.
But once inside the baths, it was heavenly.
A truly wonderful Onsen experience!
Our dinner included local and seasonal ingredients, featuring wild vegetables and river fish.
We ordered a hot sake (rice wine), which came in a fish shaped bottle with a sardine inside.
It tasted fruity and delicious.
There were plenty of other guests for dinner.
They all came by car.
In winter, access to this old Onsen is very limited due to heavy snow and freezing road conditions.
Sending you hugs and love,
Tali
Walked today - 16 km.
Walked to date - 282 km.
