Tuesday, July 24, 2012

Yugawara Foot Onsen

WHAT WE DID:

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For a nice weekend getaway we traveled to Yugawara to try and see some fireflies, pretty nature, and check out the famous foot onsen. The walk up to the onsen was incredibly beautiful. It took us through a long tunnel that opened up in front of a waterfall and river, with vibrant deep green moss and ferns covering every surface. The path followed the river all the way up to the entrance of the foots baths, where natural hot spring water came right out of its source in the side of a rock, filled up a giant traditional wooden bath, and spilled over its sides into a channel leading to the various foot baths within the onsen walls.

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There were several (I think around 10?) baths to experience, and each one varied slightly from different water temperatures to different surface shapes and materials lining the pool. There was one lined with large flat stones embedded in the cement so you could walk around and massage your feet on them. There was one that was just filled with loose river stones, so when you walked around the stones would all move and shift and it felt really cool underfoot. There was one where the actual shape of the bottom undulated so that as you walked your feet and calves would stretch at different angles. One was so hot it left Ryan and I with bright red heat socks on our bare feet.



WHAT WE ATE:

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We asked the lady working at the onsen what the best restaurant in the area was, and she recommended a little second-story, family-run fish place. We both had really good sashimi and crab miso soup. Everything was very fresh an delicious.



WHAT I WORE:

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please excuse the wrinkles- this is what a three hour train ride will do to a semi-linen skirt. woop.

suspender skirt: shop in shimokitazawa
blouse/hair pendant: vintage

sadly all the locals said it was a bad year for fireflies and we only saw a couple for a short time before they disappeared for the night:(

4 comments:

  1. Amazingly beautiful! Thanks for posting :)

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  2. that sashimi looks so. freaking. good.

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  3. I love this xxx such prettiness <3 and a magical place

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  4. This whole series of posts is giving me so much envy. Your Japan adventures are beautiful.

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