Tohoku 2016 東北の旅 - Nyuto Onsenkyo Tae no yu 乳頭温泉郷 妙の湯

Stayed 19.05.2016 (Thu)

Reserved thru’ Jalan.net.

Single room (with half board) = 14,300 yen + 150 yen (bathing tax)

Rustic. Nyuto Onsenkyo 乳頭温泉郷 refers to a cluster of seven hot spring lodging scattered among the mountains in Semboku city of Akita Prefecture. Depending on its composition, the hot spring waters offered by the lodging here vary in colour - from milky white, brownish to transparent. Apart from the therapeutic effects of hot spring waters, Nyuto Onsenkyo is well known for the rustic beauty of its rotenburo (outdoor hot spring pools) which are surrounded by river and/or forest views. Chose Tae no yu 妙の湯, a family run ryokan which has been around since 1952 and is strategically located just beside Sendatsu River 先達川. After completing a one round tour of Tazawa-ko 田沢湖, I boarded Ugo Kotsu Nyuto line bus from Tazawako-han 田沢湖畔 which brought me to the doorstep of Tae no yu half an hour later.







Room. Tae no yu is made up of three buildings - Sakura-kan 桜館, Tsubaki-kan 椿館 and Momoji-kan 紅葉館. Stayed in a Japanese style room in Momoji-kan, which does not come with an attached toilet and bathroom. Was not much of an issue for me since I would bathe in the communal bathhouse and the communal toilet was not too far away the room. The 6 tatami mat laid room was located on the ground floor and has a small, extended outdoor deck where a vintage wooden rocking chair was placed. Slid the door open to the outdoor deck and I was greeted by an unobstructed view of Sendatsu River right in front of me.





Meals. Dinner and breakfast were served in separate locations in the ryokan. Dinner was served in Sou-an 草庵 and I was assigned to a window facing seat, which allowed me to admire Sendatsu River yet again, while having my meal. Dinner was kaiseki style and the menu highlighted the usage of seasonal ingredients and incorporated delicacies that are unique to Akita Prefecture. Kiritanpo-nabe きりたんぽ鍋 was one of them. Kiritanpo is made by first pounding cooked rice, and subsequently wrapping the mashed rice around a cedar stick. The rice skewers are then toasted over charcoal fire until the surface turn lightly golden brown. Resembling umaibo (the popular Japanese puffed corn snack), Kiritanpo is cut into smaller pieces and cooked together with cuts of Hinai dori / chicken 比内地鶏 (also a delicacy of Akita Prefecture) , mushroom, abura-age (fried tofu) and other fresh greens, in a soy sauce flavoured, Hinai dori / chicken broth. In fact, I have tasted Kiritanpo-nabe the day before (at a restaurant near Akita Station) but felt the soup a bit too sweet for my liking. In comparison, Tae no yu's version was much more well balanced in terms of taste and the lightly charred rice sticks tasted delicious after absorbing the flavours of the broth. Found out that the rice used to make Kiritanpo and served during dinner is called Akita komachi あきたこまち, a popular local grade of rice characterised by its sticky texture and rich flavour.





Dinner menu
Drink before meal / Shokumae sake 食前酒: Yamamomo / Japanese bayberry sake 山桃酒
Sakitsuku 先付け: Warabi ohitashi / Boiled braken わらびお浸し
Appetiser 前菜:
- Teriyaki duck 鴨照り焼き
- Saikyo yaki mero (toothfish) メロ西京焼き
* Saikyo yaki refers to pickling overnight in Kyoto style sweet white bean paste and then grilled.
- Iso Tsubugai / Whelk 礒つぶ貝
- Roast Pork ローストポーク
- Miso flavoured butterbur 蕗味噌
- Sockeye salmon oshizushi 紅鱒押し寿司
Substitute for clear broth soup / Suikawari 吸い代り: Inaniwa Udon 稲庭うどん
Sashimi / Otsukuri お造り: Tazawako sockeye salmon and char 田沢湖産紅鱒と岩魚
Main or Substantial dish / Shiizakana 強肴: Boiled Shidoke (Momijigasa), a type of edible wild plant / Shidoke ippon hidashi しどけ一本浸し
Fried dish / Agemono 揚げ物: Fatsia sprout tempura タラの芽天婦羅
Additional dish / Takiawase 炊き合わせ: Edible fern ぜんまい
Pot dish / Nabemono 鍋物: Kiritanpo nabe きりたんぽ鍋
Rice / Gohan 御飯: Akita komachi rice あきたこまち, served with tsukemono
Dessert / Suikamono 水菓物: Iced daifuku and watermelon アイス大福と西瓜








On the following day, breakfast was served in Miyakowasure 都わすれ which has a modern Japanese interior design. Breakfast was equally sumptuous and largely Japanese style. It was also my first time seeing natto (fermented soybeans) being served in the most traditional way. Instead of the conventional small packets which I was familiar with, the natto are wrapped in rice straws! Got to enjoy both western and Japanese cuisines - bacon and eggs as well as grilled salted fish, within a meal.



Hot springs. The best part of my stay at Tae no yu was its hot spring facilities! Tae no yu has two types of hot spring sources - Kin no yu 金の湯 (golden spring) and Gin no yu 銀の湯 (silver spring) and seven different types of bathtub/pools to enjoy. Kin no yu is a magnesium and calcium sulfate containing hot spring waters, which has been used to treat ailments such as skin disease, rheumatism, neuralgia and anemia. On the other hand, Gin no yu contains sodium bicarbonate and is said to have therapeutic effects on people suffering from ailments such as bone fracture, external wound, gynecological disorder and gastrointestinal disorder, and people who are convalescing from illnesses. There are a total of three communal bathhouses and both types of hot spring waters are available in each of them. Two of the three bathhouses are separated by gender and they are swapped at 2000 hrs daily such that guests get to enjoy both bathhouses during their stay in the ryokan.





Mixed bath. The two bathhouses are connected to the third one which is a outdoor, mixed gender bathhouse and has the best view among all. Taking into consideration female guests who want to try out this particular bathhouse, Tae no yu has blocked out an hour (1700 - 1800 hrs) solely for female guests usage; and they are also allowed to use special bath towels provided by the ryokan to soak in the pools outside the blocked out timing. Fortunately, I got to indulge in this mixed gender bathhouse all by myself (without having to feel embarrassed) when I visited it just before dinner. It was indeed a moment of luxury for me as I admired the spectacular view of the nearby woods, river and waterfall while relaxing to the sounds made by flowing waters and soaking comfortably in the wooden tub overflowing with Kin no yu. For those who still find it daunting to use the mixed gender bathhouse, similar outdoor view can also be experienced in another private bathroom which can be utilised by guests who are staying overnight without additional cost. Take note that reservation is required to use the private bathroom, therefore do check the availability of time slots during the check-in process.



Precious. All in all, I will score Tae no yu pretty high in all aspects - room, food, hot spring facilities, service and price. What I find Nyuto Onsen most attractive is its peacefulness that originates from its remote location hidden in the woods and I hope this beautiful yet precious attribute can be preserved for as long as possible. 

======

Nyuto Onsenkyo Tae no yu 乳頭温泉郷 妙の湯

秋田県仙北市田沢湖生保内字駒ヶ岳2-1

http://www.taenoyu.com/

* Yumeguri-cho 湯めぐり帖
For those who intend/want to try out all seven hot spring spots in Nyuto Onsenkyo, Yumeguri-cho 湯めぐり帖 will be able to meet your needs. Sold at a discounted price of 1,800 yen, Yumeguri-cho is a booklet of tickets to admit to all seven hot spring facilities (once per lodging only) with one year validity from the time the tickets are purchased. One other perk provided to visitors is the operation of Yumeguri-go bus 湯めぐり号バス which facilitates travelling from one hot spring facility to another effortlessly.
Nyuto Onsen Association website: http://www.nyuto-onsenkyo.com/

How to get there?

(1) By bus.
From Tazawako Station 田沢湖駅 Bus Stop 1, board Ugo Kotsu Nyuto line bus 羽後交通乳頭線 and alight at Tae no yu 妙の湯.
Bus schedule: https://ugokotsu.co.jp/wp-content/jikoku/latest/nyuto.pdf