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Using a Japan Rail Pass to travel around Japan can give some good travel opportunities. While travelling from Kanazawa to Osaka I decided to break the journey to bath in the Yamanaka Onsen. Leaving the train at Kagaonsen I placed my luggage into a locker and took the local bus to Kaga, the town in which Yamanaka Onsen is located. Make sure you remember in which locker room you stored you luggage. That advice is from adverse experience! |
Upon arrival in Kaga, I did not immediately go to the bath but spent some time exploring the immediate countryside.
Though the hot spring were said to have been discovered more than 1300 years ago, the Yamanaka Onsen's public bath is named Kiku no Yu, after a haiku by Japanese poet Matsuo Basho(1644-1694). He said the onsens here where amongst the best in Japan.
Near the public bath is a small clock tower, from which wooden dolls play a tune, and a free foot spa.
The public bath consists of two separate buildings, one for men, one for women.
Go in and when you pay your money you will receive two towels, one which is normal size, the other, the size of a face wash flannel, and a locker key. Strip off, and place all your clothes into the locker. Go into the bath room and throughly clean yourself before entering the bath. Make sure all soap is removed. You can shave and brush your teeth if you wish. Japanese do not bathe to get clean. They are scrupulously clean before entering any public bath. Bathing is for relaxation. What you are supposed to do with the small towel, which you can take into the bath, I have no idea. I just placed it upon my head like everyone else.
There are several baths of differing temperatures ranging from about 35C to 40C. There is also, if my memory is correct, a small, cold water(18C), circular dunk pool.
After a couple of hours, bathed and relaxed, I returned to the Kagaonsen Railway Station and completed my journey to Osaka.