Tohoku 2016 東北の旅 - Koganezaki Furofushi Onsen 黄金崎不老ふ死温泉

Stayed 18.05.2016 (Wed)
Reserved via hotel website.
- Single room with half board = 13,500 yen + 150 yen (bathing tax)





I want to go! Being a seasonal traveller to Japan, I have learnt to enjoy hot spring, which has became one of my essential on every trip. Personally, I adore the outdoor section especially those that come with a view or beautiful landscaping. Found out about Furofushi Onsen 不老ふ死温泉 through NHK’s Train Cruise program and I would describe the encounter as a love at first sight. The hotel's outdoor hot spring pool is located right on the rocky coast, therefore boasts a spectacular view of the Sea of Japan. One other aspect of this hot spring which caught my attention was actually its name. The kanji characters of furofushi means immortality and I believe the name came about because of the healing powers that the hot spring waters possesses. Drawn to all these special traits, I made up my mind to pay this place a visit to see and experience it for myself.

Sunset. On Day 7, after visiting Hakodate in the day, I made my way to WeSPA Tsubakiyama ウェスパ椿山駅 via Resort Shirakami リゾートしらかみ and connected seamlessly to the free shuttle bus service provided for guests visiting Furofushi Onsen at this designated train station. Along the way to my accommodation for the night, I was greeted by the remaining moments of sunset. Fukaura-machi 深浦町, a coastal town which is bordered by the Sea of Japan, is well known for its breathtaking sunset view; already watched a prelude during the train journey along the scenic Gono line 五能線.

Room and facilities. Hotel is divided into the main (honkan) building and new (shinkan) annex. Was assigned to a western style single occupant room in the new annex. Regardless of which building the guest room is located in, a panoramic view of the Sea of Japan is unveiled once the curtains are pulled open. Opening of window will send the soothing sea breeze and the sound of waves crashing onto the coast into the room. The room was more spacious than the equivalent in budget business hotel. After completing the check-in procedure, it was already past sunset and the outdoor seaside hot spring, which I looked forward most to, was closed for the day. The outdoor facility is closed at night for safety reasons; operation begins at sunrise and ends at sunset. Had to wait for the following morning to be able to utilise this dream pool by the seaside. In the hotel lobby, there is a shop selling local specialty and souvenirs - bought a postcard depicting the seaside outdoor pool from here to send back home.

Love this postcard depicting the stunning sunset view seen from its iconic outdoor seaside pool.

There are two other hot spring facilities, one in the main building (Kogane no yu 黄金の湯) and the other in the new annex (Furofushi no yu 不老ふ死の湯). The communal bathhouses are separated by gender. Kogane no yu has only indoor section, while Furofushi no yu has both indoor and outdoor section. Headed to Furofushi no yu to bathe and enjoy a relaxing soak in the hot spring pool just before dinner. The hot spring source is 200 m below the ground and about 400 litres of waters gush out from here every minute. The brownish colour of the waters is attributed by its iron content and the therapeutic waters has been used to treat ailments such as neuralgia, backache, rheumatism, wound pain and skin problems. From Furofushi no yu, the magnificent Sea of Japan and its weathered rocky coast can also be admired through the large glass panels in the indoor section. 

Sumptuous dinner. Both dinner and breakfast were served in the common dinning area named yu hi 夕陽 which means sunset. After washing off a day's fatigue in the hot spring tub, my stomach was yearning for dinner. Arrived at yu hi and was surprised by the sumptuous spread of food neatly arranged on the table which I was brought to. After speaking to the staff, I realised (and have forgotten) that I have requested for a dinner upgrade at the point of room reservation. Seafood was the theme of the entire dinner course and freshness is guaranteed as Fukaura-machi flourishes as a fishing town well known for its bountiful bluefin tuna catch.

Fulfilling. Started the meal with a small glass of Hirosaki apple sake. This was the first time I saw a "dancing" abalone; in which a whole abalone was placed on a hot plate and wine was poured over it to cook it, right in front of my eyes. There was another abalone dish - thinly sliced abalone in brine. Love the fresh sashimi platter comprised of bluefin tuna (with one precious slice of fatty otoro!), brill, yellowtail and Spanish mackerel. I literally had a seafood feast that night - sliced thread sail filefish and salmon roe dressed in grated radish and vinegar, grilled turban shellfish, deep fried yellowtail, mini seafood hot pot, vinegared seaweed jelly and chawanmushi in Tsugaru style. Even though I was already quite full up, I could not resist the bowl of rice topped with savoury salmoe roe. Ended the meal on an excellent note with a scoop of snow carrot vanilla ice cream. Breakfast on the following day was buffet style.

Finally. Woke up way earlier than usual to meet the ultimate objective of my stay in Furofushi Onsen. There are two outdoor hot spring pools by the seaside, one for female only and the other one is a mixed pool, and they are separated by a divider. Sunrise was at 5 am that morning; had to brave the chilly sea breeze while I walked from the hotel to the outdoor pools. Reached at 5.45 am and was the only one using the pool! It was truly a moment of luxury to have the spectacular and unobstructed sea view all to myself while warming up my body in the hot spring pool. The cold sea breeze was sweeping on my face and I was immersing myself to the relaxing sounds of sea waves throughout the soak. It was a dream came true. At the same time, I could imagine how stunning the view would have been during sunset especially when the pool was strategically facing west - if only I have arrived at the hotel earlier the previous day. One other thing that I missed during my stay here was to step out of the hotel to witness the enthralling starry night sky undisturbed by urban sky glow.

Looks like I will have to return one day...

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Koganezaki Furofushi Onsen 黄金崎不老ふ死温泉
〒038-2327 青森県西津軽郡深浦町大字舮作字下清滝15
Contact number: +81-0173-74-3500
http://www.furofushi.com/

How to get there?

(1) By complimentary shuttle service from WeSPA Tsubakiyama JR Station ウェスパ椿山駅.
Scheduled buses will pick up guests who are taking Resort Shirakami リゾートしらかみ号 to the train station. Otherwise, prior reservation is required to utilise this complimentary service.



(2) By Konan Bus Juniko Line 弘南バス十二湖線, which commutes from Ou Juniko 奧十二湖, stopping by Juniko JR Station 十二湖駅, WeSPA Tsubakiyama JR Station ウェスパ椿山駅 and terminates at Furofushi Onsen 不老ふ死温泉. Do note that this bus is only operational from mid Apr to end Nov and not all the buses terminate at Furofushi Onsen.
http://www.konanbus.com/travel/junilake.html

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Video: Furofushi Onsen featured in NHK's Train Cruise program.

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Commemorative stamp:

Tohoku 2016 東北の旅 - Resort Shirakami リゾートしらかみ, Gono line 五能線

Travelled on 17.05.2016 (Tue) and 18.05.2016 (Wed)
in Japanese: https://www.jreast.co.jp/railway/joyful/shirakami.html
in English: https://www.jreast.co.jp/e/joyful/shirakami.html







Best so far. Resort Shirakami リゾートしらかみ is a limited express train which commutes between Aomori 青森駅 and Akita 秋田駅 via Ou main line 奥羽本線 and Gono line 五能線. Resort Shirakami was introduced in 1997 to promote Gono line which runs alongside the coastline of Sea of Japan and passes by Shirakami Sanchi 白神山地, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. This 147.2 km railway line connects Higashi Noshiro Station 東能代駅 in Akita Prefecture to Kawabe Station 川部駅 in Aomori Prefecture. Have utilised Gono line several times on both trips to Tohoku region (Oct 2015 and May 2016) and I feel that this is one of the most scenic railway lines I have rode on so far in Japan. I will highly recommend a journey on board this train during the sunset as the coastline and sea view is especially picturesque at that time. On my second trip to Tohoku region, I had the opportunity to admire the mesmerising sunset view twice, on consecutive days, and the captivating scenery was just beyond words to describe. Apart from the breathtaking scenery, there are numerous places of interest dotted along this railway line to explore and uncover.

For example,
- come up close with a mysterious blue coloured pond named Aoike 青い池, part of a cluster of lakes known as Juniko 十二湖 (nearest train station - Juniko Station 十二湖駅);
- experience a sensational hot spring soak just beside the sea of Japan at Furofushi Onsen 不老ふ死温泉 (nearest train station - WeSPA Tsubakiyama Station ウェスパ椿山駅);
- be blown away by the gigantic, colourful lantern floats displayed at Tachineputa Museum 立佞武多の館, an important cultural heritage of Goshogawara city (nearest train station - Goshogawara Station 五所川原駅).

This is definitely one of the railway lines which I want to visit again.











Trains. Resort Shirakami is operated by a fleet of three hybrid driven trains, named Buna 橅, Aoike 青池 and Kumagera くまげら. By pure coincidence, I have only sat on Aoike on all occasions. There are usually three round trips made per day, but it is advisable to check out the train schedule on its website first. The trains are made up of four carriages and all seats require reserved seat tickets. There are ample legroom with comfortable cushioned, high back seats and the train is designed to have large windows to enhance viewing experience. One of the carriages (Car 2) has box seats with tables which can accommodate groups of four people and the seats can even be adjusted for the legs to lie straight (such thoughtful design)! There are observation lounges in Car 1 and 4, located at opposite ends of the train and the seats are oriented for passengers to experience the driver's view (front viewing seats) and to admire the Sea of Japan through the wide viewing windows (side viewing seats facing the windows).

Northbound trains:
Train 1, 3: Akita >> Hirosaki > Shin Aomori > Aomori
Train 5: Akita >> Hirosaki (train does not end at Aomori)

Southbound trains:
Train 2, 4: Aomori > Shin Aomori > Hirosaki >> Akita
Train 6: Hirosaki >> Akita (train does not start from Aomori)

Spotted Kumagera, one of the three Resort Shirakami trains serving Gono line, at Juniko Station.

Live performance of Tsugaru Shamisen.

Pushcart moving along the aisle every now and then selling light snacks and local souvenirs.

Programs. In addition to the beautiful train scenery that Resort Shirakami offers, there are other events held on board the train. On Train 1, 2 and 3, between Ajigasawa Station 鯵ヶ沢駅 and Goshogawara Station 五所川原駅, there is a live performance of Tsugaru Shamisen 津軽三味線, a traditional musical instrument originated from Tsugaru Peninsula of Aomori Prefecture, held in the observation lounge or the event space of the train. Had the chance to enjoy the intriguing performance by two musicians while I was on board Train 3 heading for Goshogawara Station. Prior to its commencement, an announcement was made over the PA system and we made our way to the event space where the performance was held. On stipulated dates and train, passengers can also enjoy story telling performance (folk tales from Tsugaru) which is spoken in the local Tsugaru dialect, on the railway stretch between Mutsu-tsuruda Station 陸奥鶴田駅 and Kawabe Station 川部駅. There is also a pushcart selling light snacks, local souvenirs and merchanidise related to Resort Shirakami on board the train. Bought a handphone strap with three miniature trains depicting Buna, Aoike and Kumagera hanging on it.

Admiring Mt Iwaki from the platform of Ajigasawa Station.

Fancy a basketball shooting game at Noshiro Station?

Starting point marker spotted at Higashi Noshiro Station.

Stopover. Certain trains will spend a longer duration (15 mins) at some stations and passengers are allowed to alight the trains to explore the stations during this period of time. At Senjojiki Station 千畳敷駅, passengers can walk onto a bedrock beach which is said to be created from an uplifting of land during a major earthquake that occurred in 1792. When Train 1 and 3 (heading for Akita) pulls into Noshiro Station 能代駅, many passengers alight to try shooting a basketball at the station platform. Reason being Noshiro city is known as a basketball town and Noshiro Technical High School, in particular, has set a prestigious record of winning the National Basketball Championship 58 times. Also keep a lookout for the markers situated at the platforms of Higashi Noshiro Station 東能代駅 and Kawabe Station 川部駅, indicating the starting (0 km mark) and ending point (147.137 km mark) of Gono line, respectively.

Sharing more highlights captured during my train rides along Gono line:

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Commemorative stamp:

Tohoku 2016 東北の旅 - Hokkaido Shinkansen 北海道新幹線, Shin Hakodate Hokuto JR Station 新函館北斗駅

Hayabusa E5 series continues its journey from Shin Aomori northwards to Hokkaido.

Dream came true! A new chapter for Shinkansen unveiled on 26 March 2016 when the first phase of Hokkaido Shinkansen line from Shin Aomori to Shin Hakodate Hokuto began operation. Hokkaido Shinkansen is still in the infancy stage as the connecting line to the buiest city center of Sapporo is currently under construction and will only open after 2030. Still a long way to realise the dream to travel between Tokyo and Sapporo within the shortest possible amount of time by land transport. Wanted very much to try out this new line and since I was already in Aomori, the prefecture nearest to the island of Hokkaido, I could not convince myself not to step onto Hokkaido again via this alternative mode of transportation (relied on domestic flights on previous visits). Was determined to experience Hokkaido Shinkansen and spent some time tweaking my itinerary even after arriving in Japan. Managed to squeeze out a short 2.5 hours stay in Hakodate and this did not include the time spent on board the train (another 2.5 hours).

Purchased this commemorative set of stamps at the post office. Stamps depicted prominent landmarks and attractions in both Aomori Prefecture and Hokkaido.

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Top left: Purple stripe; Top right: Snowflakes motifs on the carpet.

Shin Hakodate Hokuto JR Station (H70), on the Hakodate main line and Hokkaido Shinkansen line. This newly named and refurbished train station was formerly known as Oshima Ono (渡島大野駅). Hokkaido Shinkansen line runs in the existing Seikan Tunnel which has a portion under the seabed. When the high speed train exits from the underground tunnel, an announcement would be made over the PA system to inform passengers that the train has reached the other side of Tsugaru Strait (津軽海峡). Tried to use the GPS to locate my position when the train was travelling in the Seikan Tunnel, but it failed to receive any reception on both occasions (to and return). There are also some visual differences between the existing Hayabusa E6 series and the E5 series which runs on the Hokkaido Shinkansen line. Pink stripe on the train body is replaced by purple colour (reminded me of the beautiful lavender in Furano) and the aisle carpet has snowflakes motifs on it (the long winter season experienced by this northern most island of Japan).  

Hakodate Liner connects Hakodate to Shin Hakodate Hokuto.

Convenient and not so convenient? 

• To Hakodate: Time taken from Shin Aomori to Shin Hakodate Hokuto takes around an hour by Shinkansen. As the terminus station of current Hokkaido Shinkansen is not located in Hakodate, all passengers who are making their way to Hakodate have to transfer to Hakodate Liner. This will mean another 15 - 20 minutes spent on rail before finally reaching the final destination. Though the route is not straightforward, the seamless transfer between the high speed and conventional trains was able to make up for that. 
• To Sapporo: For the time being, Limited Express Hokuto will still be the fastest land transport to commute from here to the capital city of Hokkaido.

What else to expect here? Made use of the 15 - 20 mins interval in between trains to explore the train station's facilities. Here, passengers can do their last minute shopping for popular Hokkaido sweets brands such Shiroi Koibito and Rokkatei at Kiosk, or enjoy snacks in the cafe or make an enquiry on nearby attractions in Hokuto city in the tourist information center. I have never been to Hokuto city before, but after browsing through the sightseeing brochures and online website, it did spark some interest to visit this remote city next time!  

Hokuto-shi Tourism Guide Website: http://hokutoinfo.com/

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Commemorative stamps:

Tohoku Solo Trip 2016 東北一人の旅 - Day 6 Itinerary: Hakodate 函館, Furofushi Onsen 不老ふ死温泉

Day 6: 17.05.2016 (Tue)

Breakfast: Kai Tsugaru 界 津軽

Owani Onsen JR 大鰐温泉駅 (0749 hrs) > Hirosaki JR 弘前駅 (0801 hrs)
by local train.

Hirosaki JR 弘前駅 (0806 hrs) > Shin Aomori JR 新青森駅 (0848 hrs)
by local train.

Shin Aomori JR 新青森駅 (0906 hrs) > Shin Hakodate Hokuto JR 新函館北斗駅 (1007 hrs)
by Hayabusa 95.

Shin Hakodate Hokuto JR 新函館北斗駅 (1024 hrs) > Hakodate JR 函館駅 (1038 hrs)
by Super Hokuto 4.

Hakodate Ekimae 函館駅前 > Suehiro 末広町
by Hakodate Streetcar.

Old British Consulate

Old Public Ward of Hakodate

Visited Old British Consulate 旧イギリス領事館 and Old Public Ward of Hakodate 旧函館区公会堂. [500 yen]
http://hakodate-kankou.com/british/
http://www.zaidan-hakodate.com/koukaido/

Visited Hachimanzaka 八幡坂.

Hakodate JR 函館駅 (1302 hrs) > Shin Hakodate Hokuto JR 新函館北斗駅 (1324 hrs)
by Hakodate Liner.

Shin Hakodate Hokuto JR 新函館北斗駅 (1335 hrs) > Shin Aomori JR 新青森駅 (1436 hrs)
by Hayabusa 24.

Shin Aomori JR 新青森駅 (1451 hrs) > Hirosaki JR 弘前駅 (1536 hrs)
by local train.

Sunset view along Gono line.

Hirosaki JR 弘前駅 (1608 hrs) > WeSPA Tsubakiyama JR ウェスパ椿山 (1840 hrs)
by Resort Shirakami リゾートしらかみ 6.

Check in: Koganezaki Furofushi Onsen 黄金崎不老ふ死温泉

Dinner: Koganezaki Furofushi Onsen 黄金崎不老ふ死温泉

- End of Day 6 -