【加速する衰退】少しづつ静かになっていく…廃墟化する人気だった混浴温泉街の今。レトロと風情を持つ湯治場 / 長野県観光スポット鹿教湯温泉と「斎藤ホテル」

【加速する衰退】少しづつ静かになっていく…廃墟化する人気だった混浴温泉街の今。レトロと風情を持つ湯治場 / 長野県観光スポット鹿教湯温泉と「斎藤ホテル」

Maruko Onsenkyo and Kakeyu Onsen. Press the subtitle or CC button to enjoy full captions. Hello everyone, this is Watatabi. I ‘m heading to Nagano Prefecture this time, as I’ve heard that some hot spring areas are experiencing accelerating decline. In March of this year, a facility that played a central role in the hot spring town closed, further exacerbating the situation. The location is Ueda City, located in the Toshinobu region in eastern Nagano Prefecture. My destination is Kakeyu Onsen, a hot spring resort nestled in the mountains at an altitude of approximately 800 meters. With the Northern Alps at my back, I head into the mountains on the other side. I’ll stop at tourist spots along the way. Am I the only one who gets excited when I drive through a tunnel with a slit moat? My sense of adventure is stirred as I head to my first destination. We’re almost there! It’s 1.3 km and 2 minutes away from here. I drive along the Sai River and delve into the deeper mountains. Oh, that’s it. This is it. Can I park? Isn’t it narrow? I’ve arrived. Here are the restrooms and parking lot. The parking lot only has space for two cars. Judging from the outside, it doesn’t seem like there are many visitors here. The trailhead is next to the parking lot. I came here today because I heard it’s a one-minute walk from the spectacular view. It’s already beautiful enough here. Oh, I’m suddenly in the forest. Wow, the moss is beautiful. Amazing. Is this the observation deck? I heard it was a one-minute walk, but it’s impossible. It takes about three minutes. The observation deck itself is very well-built. There’s a footpath beyond the observation deck, but a huge fallen tree makes it impassable. It seems like you could go through if you wanted to, but I don’t know what’s ahead, so I’ll refrain. This is the observation deck. “Yamakiyo Road” is a scenic spot near the confluence of the Sai and Omi Rivers. The deep valley carved by the river is dotted with strangely shaped rock formations and other sights. Wow! So beautiful! This appears to be the observation deck at Yamakiyo Road Park. It’s quite a distance, but it seems like there’s plenty to explore. There’s another observation deck here, too. There’s a parking lot here, too, so it’s a great place to park and stroll around. It’s a beautiful place, but the traffic is intense and noisy. It was a place like this. It’s only a short walk, so if you’re passing through, definitely stop by. I’m not sure if you’ll ever pass through a place like this. Now, let’s head to our next destination. Our next destination is a special spot. Are we supposed to park here? So we’re supposed to park in the grass here. We’ve arrived. Apparently, whale fossils are hidden in these mountains. Are we supposed to park here? My wife said she absolutely had no intention of going when she saw the sign, so I’m going to enjoy it alone. It makes you wonder if there really are whale fossils in a place like this. There’s really nothing around. There’s just one factory here. My wife is the same, but I don’t think people who aren’t interested are going to be interested. I’m not particularly interested in fossils myself, but I’m intrigued by the idea of ​​fossils in these mountains. Here it is. Let’s go. My wife immediately said she’d never go there when she saw this sign, so I’m enjoying it by myself. There’s really nothing there. I guess no one comes here. It’s overgrown with grass. This is it. It’s just a fossil, but it’s located in landlocked Nagano Prefecture, and it’s extremely rare to see it preserved in its original location, so I decided to come. This whale skeletal fossil is displayed exactly as it was when it was discovered. It ‘s probably just a small part, but it’s quite large. Apparently the head wasn’t found, but here’s a head, and these appear to be ribs. It seems to have been found in a mudstone layer deposited on the ocean floor 15 to 8 million years ago, making it a very old fossil. This is at a higher elevation, but it seems like it was once underwater. It was discovered on December 13, 1936, during erosion control construction. Since the surrounding area is still untouched, I imagine no special investigation was done. It’s amazing that a whale fossil could be found in a place like this. There’s nothing particularly noteworthy here, it’s just a spot with fossils in the mountains, but if you’re interested, I highly recommend you visit. It’s not the fossils that impress you, but the impression of “this place used to be underwater” and “there are fossils in the mountains like this.” Now, let’s head towards the hot spring town. I wish I had come. It was amazing! Is it amazing? There’s a whale fossil over 10 meters long, and it’s smiling. A smiling whale fossil. Is that so? Yes! A smiling whale fossil. Check out this video again when it’s uploaded. OK! It’s so moving. Really? Lol , yeah, I get it. I just saw a sign saying the elevation is 1000m. This area is pretty high, huh? It has a really retro feel. Turn left here. And then turn left here. We’ve arrived. This is about a 10-minute walk from the free parking lot, and this is the entrance to the hot springs. This is Shikayu Onsen, a hot spring resort I visited after reading an article about its accelerating decline. The name “Kakeyu” comes from the fact that a wounded deer revealed the hot spring’s location. Its name means “hot spring taught by a deer,” and is pronounced “kakeyu.” It’s a national hot spring resort designated by the Ministry of the Environment and has been open for over 1,200 years. The water is a simple hot spring (weakly alkaline, hypotonic, high temperature spring) with clear, colorless water. This is a somewhat unusual hot spring resort, with many hot springs that allow mixed bathing, and I noticed that many inns keep animals and allow pets. After researching the origins of mixed bathing, I learned that in the past, natural hot springs were open-air baths, so there was no concept of gender segregation and it developed naturally. Meanwhile, I heard from a hot spring inn that mixed bathing was practiced so that guests who came to treat injuries or illnesses could bathe with their companions. Perhaps mixed bathing here is also a remnant of the past. The main cause seems to be a decline in users due to changing tourist demands. While COVID-19 certainly has an impact, it feels like the area was in decline even before the pandemic. I’d like to see what it’s actually like. Let’s take a stroll. This is a national highway, but it’s quite busy. Unlike the busy roads, there’s no traffic here. This building is located right at the entrance to the hot spring town. It’s the popular “Tenryukaku” hot spring hotel, which looks abandoned. It seems to have been very popular among hot spring enthusiasts. Unfortunately, it seems to have become truly abandoned last year or the year before. It ‘s no longer open. The inn looks like this. It’s amazing, there’s a connecting corridor. This is Tenryukaku, and the passage leads to a temple-like building. I wonder if this was also an inn. There are a lot of buildings with thatched roofs and tin roofs in this area. This area is like that, too. I walked about 300 meters from the entrance to the hot spring town. From here, I could see a large building. On the right is “Oedo Onsen Monogatari’s Wanwan Resort.” It’s a pet-friendly hotel. Directly ahead is the traditional “Oedo Onsen Monogatari,” which doesn’t allow pets. It’s separated from the pet-friendly inns, so perhaps this hot spring resort has a high demand for pets? This seems like a popular inn. This is the annex of Kajikaso, and this is the main building. It has a very charming exterior. I entered the hot spring town from the entrance and am currently here, but I’m only a quarter of the way there. There weren’t any inns along this route. The hot spring town seems to be lined with accommodations from my current location. Since there doesn’t seem to be anything here, I’ll go around here and head towards the hot spring town. As I walked, I saw that the hot spring town was quite large. Turning right here is Oedo Onsen Monogatari. It’s an inn with a very historic feel. All the inns around here are open, so it doesn’t seem like it’s in decline. This is Oedo Onsen Monogatari. I’ve never stayed at Oedo Onsen Monogatari, but is it a good inn? If you’ve had the chance, I’d appreciate it if you could let me know in the comments. There are many impressive buildings around here. The huge facility in front of us looks like a hospital. The buildings on the left are the “Kokuminshuku Shikazukiso” National Guest House and the “Kakeyu Health Center Kurhaus Kakeyu.” They are the largest hot spring facilities in Kakeyu Onsen. The Kurhaus opened in 1983, and the neighboring Kakuyuso was relocated to a new building in 1988. They played a central role as a national hot spring resort, promoting the health and well-being of local residents and attracting tourists. However, due to changing tourist needs, the number of visitors decreased, and they closed at the end of March this year. The number of visitors to Kakuyuso fell from approximately 29,000 in 1991 to approximately 6,200 in 2022. The number of visitors to the Kurhaus fell from approximately 33,000 in 1991 to approximately 12,000 in 2022. As you can see from the map, it’s a fairly large building. This is Kakuyuso. The closure of this central building in the hot spring town speaks to the decline in tourists. This is a huge hospital, and next to it is a hotel, but it’s closed. The parking lot is like a storage shed. The front entrance looks like this. It’s no longer open . By the way, this area is the center of Shikayu Onsen, so it’s a great location. I’ve come out along the same road as before. There’s also a manju shop. This side is the hospital we just passed. This is the main street. On the left, there seems to be a shop that sells really good apple pie, so I’ll stop by later. There’s a lot of traffic and people, but it seems like a lot of them are patients going to the hospital. This is a hotel, but it’s abandoned. It’s quite impressive, though. There’s a soba restaurant, a shop selling monaka and manju, and a souvenir shop in the back, but I wonder if the souvenir shop is closed? It seems that way. The big hotel I saw earlier is also abandoned. The shutters are down next to it, too. This is a vacant lot. The “Izumiya Ryokan” over there is also closed. It’s right off the main street, but it’s closed. I wonder if this used to be a shop too? It looks like this, with a warehouse-like interior. It’s a very charming inn. Is this the drinking fountain? I’m not sure if it’s okay to drink the water. There’s a stamp. It looks like there’s a temple up ahead. This area is very charming. This looks like a hot spring. It looks like the “Kakeyu Health Center,” a day-use bathing facility. There’s a hall here. I haven’t done any research on this temple, so if you’re interested, please check it out. That building looks like it’s leaning, is it okay? Is it closed after all? I think there’s a bathhouse right in front of it, but there are plants growing inside. The building is separated by a curtain. It’s completely visible, but that’s the large bathhouse. Is it still in use? What is this? Is it a drinking fountain? Or is it just water? It’s a hot spring. It’s quite lukewarm, but the hot spring is gushing out. A historic-looking hall stands in an open area. Let’s pay our respects. It’s amazing! There’s a dragon painted on the ceiling here. There’s a path on this side of the hall, so I head over there. There are so many Jizo statues! It’s an incredible sight. I feel like I’m being watched by dozens of Jizo statues. It seems like I can’t go this way. I returned to the bridge I was at earlier. From here, the inn’s construction is incredibly complex. It started out small, and then expanded and grew. It used to be this valley. It ‘s hard to imagine from the street I was on before: the natural surroundings are so vast. There are more abandoned buildings than I expected. It may not seem like it, since they closed so recently, but in 10 or 20 years, the scenery could be ruined. I walked around the hot spring town, and it seems like there are more closed shops than open. Saito Confectionery Studio is famous for its apple pie, so I’d like to buy one. I bought an apple pie. The expiration date is the same if stored at room temperature, but if refrigerated, it will last until tomorrow. This apple pie is made with Fuji apples and, according to the shop, avoids adding cinnamon or other flavorings to bring out the natural flavor of the ingredients. I’m not a fan of cinnamon, so this is a welcome addition. The carefully selected butter is 100% domestic. The homemade pie crust is apparently made over two days with 256 layers to ensure a crispy texture. They’re incredibly particular about the ingredients. The apple pie is about 20cm, which is quite large. Each one cost 450 yen. It’s not very heavy, but it feels incredibly crispy. There’s a slit in the middle for easy eating, so you can eat it without getting your hands dirty. It’s a great idea. I’ll try it. It’s delicious! The butter is incredibly flavorful. Honestly, I’m not a big fan of apple pie, but this one doesn’t have a strong apple flavor. The butter really hits home. The apple filling was incredibly rich toward the center. You can also eat inside the shop, so be sure to stop by and give it a try. I highly recommend it. This is what it looks like from the car. Now, let’s head to our lodging. It’s right there. This is where I’ll be staying this time. It’s called Saito Hotel. I’ll check in there. That’s the front desk, and there’s a drinking fountain in front of the entrance. You can drink the hot spring water like this. The front desk on the first floor looks like this, and this ceiling is amazing. It’s open to the air. It’s open to the 12th floor like this. The shop is on the left side of the front desk. There are lots of souvenirs lined up like this. These are pecan nuts. I ate them in Kyushu. My room tonight is number 510, so this is it. This is what the inside looks like. There’s a small kitchen and refrigerator here. There’s nothing in the refrigerator. I think the toilet or bathroom is on the left as you enter. There’s a sink, toilet, and bath. Amenities are provided here. There’s a toothbrush, comb, shower cap, and cotton swabs. Bath towels and face towels are provided. This is the room. It’s quite spacious. There are two beds, and here you’ll find kimono, sweets, and tea. Yukata and tabi socks are provided here. It’s a very simple room like this. This is the fifth floor. I wonder what the view is like? The large window here doesn’t open, but this small window does. The view is like this. Even from the fifth floor, the view is great, and there’s more nature than I expected. The view is like this. This hotel has 12 floors, from the basement to the 1st floor, and guest rooms are on the second floor and above. The large public bath is on the basement floor. It seems it’s open 24 hours a day. There also seems to be a training room and a hot spring pool. The photos on the website showed a large hot spring pool. It seems they offer swimsuit rentals. Please note that newborn babies are not allowed in. There are vending machines and a 24-hour coin laundry. Check-in is from 2:00 AM and check-out is at 11:00 AM. The front desk is on the first floor. There’s a convenience store next to the front desk. The restaurant is across from the front desk. Both dinner and breakfast are buffet-style. The second floor has a library, private baths, and a smoking room. There’s a wooden bath and a ceramic bath, with the wooden one being larger. The views are similar, but I made a reservation for 3:00 PM because the wooden one is larger. The sweets served with the package are probably the local specialty. They’re hot spring manju, like this one. It says “Kakeyu Shiokawa Manju.” I received a private bath key at check-in, so I’d like to try it. First, I’ll check out the basement floor. This is the large public bath. Up ahead is the hot spring pool. This is the gym. The area beyond this point is not shown because it is also used by customers. You can get water here. Next to the large public bath is the laundry room and vending machines. This is open 24 hours a day. The basement floor looked like this. This is the bath. The ceramic bath is on the right, and the wooden bath is on the left. This is the changing room. There’s a huge mirror and a space to change clothes here. There’s also a fan and an air conditioner, which is very convenient. The bathroom amenities look like this. Razors and toothbrushes are also provided. No need to bring a towel from your room. This is the bathtub. It’s really nice. The bathtub looks like this, and the view to the left is of a forest. The hot spring is colorless and transparent, flowing directly from the source. Shampoo and body soap are also provided here. I’m looking forward to enjoying the hot spring. The spring temperature is about 42 degrees. The water is a little hot, but you can add water using the faucet here. It feels amazing. The hot spring ingredients are attached to the water. They’ve formed salt-like crystals. I wonder how long it takes for them to crystallize like this. I feel like peeling it off. lol, but I’ll refrain. The cicadas are chirping outside. Summer is almost over. This bath is available for up to 90 minutes, so you can relax. The price is 3,300 yen for 90 minutes. I took a bath. Being able to use it for 90 minutes is great. I was able to relax in the bath without worrying about time. I’d like to relax until dinner time. I only have about an hour left. Across from this hotel, there’s a stylish building that looks like a restaurant. It seems to be a dining area, and I was allowed to see inside, so I’d like to go. This is the restaurant called “Kei.” There are deer tracks in the concrete. If you use it, you can enjoy free coffee and whiskey. The dining area is on the second floor. Enjoy your meal in a modern space while admiring the view from the large windows. A relaxing atmosphere, perfect for adults. The wide selection of wines, all from Nagano Prefecture. I’m heading to the championship now, and I usually stay at ryokans, so I don’t often experience buffets, so I’m really looking forward to it. Heading to the dinner area. Enjoy your meal in a spacious, clean space surrounded by greenery. There’s an all-you-can-eat menu featuring approximately 40 dishes, including Japanese, Western, Chinese, and dessert options. This is what it looked like when I picked out my favorites. Let’s eat. The meat is quite rare. They said they were particular about their meat. They apparently use premium cuts to differentiate themselves from other hotels. While the food at inns is good, buffets are great because you can eat whatever you want. I thought I’d just eat the same thing over and over, but with so much variety, I want to try a variety. I couldn’t finish 40 dishes. It’s been a while since I’ve eaten in a lively place. I don’t like lively inns, but I don’t mind it at a place like this. This is my second dish. They had some swordfish tempura, so I ordered some. I love swordfish, so I was happy. Popular dishes tend to sell out quickly, but they quickly replenish them with new dishes. I had the impression that buffets were a bit rushed, but they constantly brought out new dishes, allowing guests to relax and enjoy their meal. This is my third dish. Hedgehog buns. I’ll stop here, I’m full. Thank you for the meal. I’m absolutely stuffed. I’ve had a meal. I’m already stuffed. It seems they’re particular about the ingredients, and it was delicious. Since it’s a hotel, there are a lot of families and it can be a bit noisy, but unlike a ryokan, I didn’t mind the noise at all. It’s annoying when it’s quiet at a buffet. I liked how the noise made it more enjoyable. I’ll take a bath in the hot springs, then relax in my room and go to sleep. Good morning. It’s 7:30 a.m. I’m heading for breakfast. Breakfast looks like this. I was surprised at the variety, as always. There were so few customers yesterday, so I was surprised there were so many this morning. This is the second time. It seems they have desserts like this in the morning too. I had breakfast. I really liked the fact that I could choose what I wanted and there was a wide selection of drinks. The food at the ryokan is of course good, but I thought a buffet would be great once in a while. As for the price, it was 30,490 yen for two adults, one night and two meals included. I made the reservation yesterday or the day before, and there was a last minute discount, so it was really cheap. It said it was a special price for that day, so it might usually be a little more expensive. You can enjoy the large public bath, private baths, a huge hot spring pool, and a gym, making this a place you can enjoy all day. This place is about 800 meters above sea level, so it was a bit chilly in the morning. Buildings in this hot spring town are falling into ruins every year, which can be quite depressing. As a hot spring resort with over 1,200 years of history, I hope it will become more lively. While I stayed at a hotel this time, there are many hotels and inns in the surrounding area, so I encourage you to visit Kakeyu Onsen as well. Now, let’s check out. This time, I visited Kakeyu Onsen in Nagano Prefecture. What did you think? The town is experiencing accelerating decline, so if you have the chance, I recommend visiting Kakeyu Onsen. See you in the next video! Thank you for watching until the end.

今回は長野県にある鹿教湯温泉に訪れます。
多くの観光地がインバウンド観光客で賑わう中、観光客の減少により廃れつつある温泉街の現状を確かめに行ってきました。

訪れた場所 : 日本、長野県、鹿教湯温泉
宿泊施設 : 斎藤ホテル
楽天トラベル : https://a.r10.to/h5lwps
Google map : https://maps.app.goo.gl/f8pwbJmENyh82mh78?g_st=ic

▶︎My Instagram https://www.instagram.com/watatabi.vlog/

【チャプター】
0:00 オープニング
0:55 今回の目的地
3:17 山清路
6:28 穴沢のクジラ化石
12:24 鹿教湯温泉を散策
28:51 斎藤ホテルと館内
30:11 客室紹介
34:16 貸切露天風呂
37:31 レストラン渓
39:00 ビュッフェ（夕食）
42:35 朝食
43:47 宿泊料金と感想

◾️Google 翻訳 を使用しています。 そのため、誤字や脱字があるかもしれませんがご了承ください。

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Filmora

【music】
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MOMIZizm MUSiC
https://youtube.com/@yumehito_bgm

#長野 #温泉 #廃墟