Nozawa Onsen has 13 sotoyu, communal bathhouses, kept up by villagers through a system called yunakama. The water is 100% natural spring water flowing straight from the source, and instead of a fee, bathers leave a small donation for the yunakama. The Oyu, in the center of town, is the village symbol and preserves the look of an Edo-period bathhouse (one source says the present building was rebuilt in 1994). The water is a simple sulfur spring, with a hot tub and a cooler one.
Sources: nozawakanko.jp tabi-mag.jp
This moment in the journey
The bathhouse in the old style
After dark, back to the town. Past the steaming wooden lids, I headed for the Oyu, the village's symbol: a bathhouse with a sweeping karahafu gable in the traditional yuya style. Thirteen of these sotoyu, communal baths, are scattered through Nozawa Onsen.
At the entrance hung a sign for the men's bath and an offering box. A notice explained that the Nozawa-gumi supplies the spring water and that the local yunakama, the bath fellowship, fund and run the place. I looked up at the wooden plaque reading 'free-flowing from the source' and slipped through the curtain. Along the night street, the lights of inns and souvenir shops were glowing.
Watch this scene on YouTube3:17
More notes from this journey
Nozawaonsen, Nagano
Onsen tamago boiled in the hot spring
At the Ogama, the main source of Nozawa Onsen, water close to 90 degrees wells up, and locals have long boiled mountain vegetables and eggs in it.
From: Boiling breakfast in a hot spring: life in Nozawa
Nozawaonsen, Nagano
Rice bowl with stir-fried nozawana, fried tofu and onsen tamago
Nozawana is said to descend from Tennoji turnip seeds that the priest of Kenmei-ji temple in Nozawa Onsen brought back from Kyoto in 1756.
From: Boiling breakfast in a hot spring: life in Nozawa
Nozawaonsen, Nagano
The Ogama hot-spring source
One of the springs that feed Nozawa Onsen, with water close to 90 degrees.
From: Boiling breakfast in a hot spring: life in Nozawa
Nozawaonsen, Nagano
The village with onsen in its name
Nozawaonsen, in Shimotakai District, Nagano, is the only village in Japan with onsen in its name.
From: Boiling breakfast in a hot spring: life in Nozawa
Nozawaonsen, Nagano
Freshly boiled corn and sasa-dango
Eaten with the onsen tamago beside the Ogama.
From: Boiling breakfast in a hot spring: life in Nozawa
Nozawaonsen, Nagano
Oyaki of Shinshu
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From: Boiling breakfast in a hot spring: life in Nozawa
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