Japan Tourism / Rare milky white hot springs at the foot of Autumn Mountain; Hotel Hanabun in Niigata Pref. Captures hearts with its views, hot springs and food

The Myoko Kogen hot spring resort is located at the eastern foot of the 2,454-meter-high Mount Myoko, one of Japan’s 100 famous mountains, in the southwest of Niigata Prefecture. There are seven different hot springs in the resort area: Akakura, Shin-Akakura, Ikenotaira, Suginosawa, Myoko, Seki and Tsubame. When I visited the resort before, I was taken by the beauty of the spring greenery, and I thought the autumn leaves here would be beautiful too.

Because the Tsubame hot spring is located at the starting point of a mountain trail at an altitude of 1,180 meters, climbers and hikers also visit the hot spring. The hot spring used to be a rarely visited spot that was closed in winter due to heavy snowfall, but now there are five hot spring inns in the area.

Hotel Hanabun is a hot spring hotel located at the entrance to a “hot spring village” that has built a reputation for its views, hot springs and food. The wooden indoor pool, made from centuries-old trees, creates an attractive atmosphere. Both the outdoor and indoor pools allow people to bathe while enjoying the view of the Otagiri Valley, which is famous for its autumn foliage. In the valley, many trees, such as Japanese maples, Japanese beeches, giant dogwoods and alders, paint the deep valley in red, yellow and other colors.

The milky white hot spring water with mineral deposits called “yu no hana” (warm spring flowers) is a carbonated hot spring, which is rare in Japan. The hot spring water flows directly from the source into the bathtub. No water is added to the bath and the hot spring water is not heated or recirculated. The gentle hot spring water is gentle on the skin and is said to be effective for nerve pain, hypersensitivity to cold, rheumatism and other conditions. The vibrant patchwork landscape and high-quality hot spring water soothed me both physically and mentally.

The food at the hotel uses seasonal ingredients and I look forward to the mushroom dishes in the autumn. Fall is also the season for shin soba, or soba made from freshly harvested buckwheat. What wins the hearts of regulars is the handmade juwari soba, made from 100% rare local buckwheat flour, which has been cultivated since the Edo period (1603-1867). The handmade noodles were very soft and aromatic when combined with the soba sauce, which was carefully prepared from warishita stock.

You can also enjoy the autumn leaves outside the hotel. For example, at the Tsubame hot spring there are two free outdoor bath facilities where you can enjoy the autumn leaves. Clouds of white steam rise from Ogon no Yu (Golden Hot Spring) and Kawara no Yu (River Hot Spring), both within walking distance of Tsubame Village. There is an observation deck near Ogon no Yu, where visitors can see the approximately 80-meter-high So Waterfall flowing from the mountain.

There are other places worth visiting for their autumn foliage in the Myoko Kogen region, such as Imori Pond and Naena Waterfall. Because there is a well-maintained walking path along the pond with a circumference of about 600 meters, it is easy to walk around. The powerful Naena Waterfall flows from a height of about 55 meters and visitors can feel the earth rumbling. For this reason it is also called the ‘Earthquake Waterfall’.

Enjoy the view of the autumn mountains in the Myoko Kogen region.

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Japan Tourism is presented in collaboration with Ryoko Yomiuri Publication, which publishes Ryoko Yomiuri, a monthly travel magazine. If you are interested in the original Japanese version of this story, click here.