I just wandered around the inn.
Though I have visited here for 30 years
I had never had a chance to pace inside the building.
I usually come take a bath
eat soba noodle
and chimaki (dumpling)
and take a nap…
So it’s like a totally new adventure.
There is a sunken hearth, to begin with,
A painting of this inn by Munakata Shiko.
A notice informing about the monkeys.
The open-air hot spring
and the “hell” where steam of hot spring erupts from.
The floor gleaming black
Even stairs have a long history
A wasp nest
Countless of stairs and corridors
that confuse me to lose the sense of the level
Differences from the modern human society
Monkeys
And a note of Japan Association of Secluded Hot Spring Inns.
*It says,
“About the Japan Association of Secluded Hot Spring Inns
We, the member of the Japan Association of Secluded Hot Spring Innsare taking positive steps to maintain our historical buildings and natural hot springs for a long time, by minimizing the chances of touristic modernizationand aiming to preserve the valuable hot spring resources and natural environment that our ancestors have passed down to us.
We deeply appreciate your understanding of the differences from your everyday life and the inconvenience that may be caused due to our aged facilities.
We seriously consider, night and day, what a travel is… and what a hot spring is.. should you have anything you may come across, please let us know straightforwardly.
We hope you have a good rest recalling the distant memory of your old home by enjoying the chorus of cicadas and songs of birds delivered from the mountainside, the beautiful sound made by kajika frogs in montane stream, the mountain vegetables we collect in the neighborhood forest and valley, though they are nothing like a special banquet.
The inns that belong to the association care for the hot springs and nature so that they can serve you as the home of your heart and health.
We sincerely appreciate it if you could make our inns a place to enjoy your conversation with the nature.
The Japan Association of Secluded Hot Spring Inns