Carefully selected by a hot spring sommelier. A two-day, one-night trip to the hot springs of Shimane, the prefecture that provides beautiful skin

In this article, photographer and hot spring sommelier Kazuyuki Nakano introduces a carefully selected list of hot springs in Shimane Prefecture that are particularly effective for beautiful skin. We will propose a two-day, one-night trip plan to tour the hot springs by car from Izumo Airport.

Shimane Prefecture is long from east to west and has many hot springs. What is particularly noteworthy is the wide variety of hot springs. The spring quality varies, from typical hot springs such as cloudy water, hot springs containing carbon dioxide, and even clear hot springs with little flavor. The water temperature also varies widely, from hot water to lukewarm water and cold mineral springs.

On this trip, we will focus on "beauty baths," especially hot springs with water directly from the source, and introduce a course that takes you around hot springs that are renowned for their beauty baths.

Yunokawa Onsen Yuyado Souan, one of Japan's three great beauty hot springs, where you can enjoy a bath and lunch

Yunokawa Onsen "Yuyado Souan" is about a 10-minute drive from Izumo Airport. The traditional Japanese beauty is embodied in this old house, which is combined with European antique furniture to create a luxurious space. Enjoy the famous hot springs and delicious food at this blissful inn surrounded by a quiet forest, and you'll be able to instantly recharge your mind and body.

The guest rooms are divided into three different areas, each with its own unique atmosphere: "Shiunkaku," which showcases Izumo's traditional architecture; "Ancient Folk House Inn," which offers a sense of privacy; and "Relaxing Inn," which overlooks a Japanese garden.

The restaurant's lunch menu changes daily and features creative Japanese cuisine made with the finest ingredients from Sanin. The head chef personally purchases the ingredients and prepares them in the most optimal way, so both the fish and vegetables are exquisite.

<Hot spring sommelier's recommendation comment>
Yunokawa Onsen, known as one of the "Three Beauty Hot Springs in Japan," has a spring quality of "sodium-calcium sulfate-chloride spring." The sulfate spring is expected to "revitalize the skin," and the sodium chloride spring has a heat-retaining and moisturizing effect. It is a combination hot spring.

The annex opened this year. To "Yutsu Onsen Yakushiyu Annex"

After enjoying a satisfying lunch at Yuyado Souan, head to Yunotsu Onsen Yakushiyu, which is about an hour and 20 minutes away from Souan via the San'in Expressway and National Route 9.

Yunotsu Onsen is a historic hot spring resort discovered about 1,300 years ago. It is located within the Iwami Ginzan Silver Mine ruins, a World Heritage Site, and is a historic place that has been designated as an Important Preservation District for Groups of Traditional Buildings by the national government.

This nostalgic hot spring town, decorated with red and black Sekishu roofing tiles, was originally surrounded by rocks. The town layout from the Edo period, when people began to live in the spaces between the rocks, remains intact. In addition, elegant hot spring inns, temples, and shrines line the streets. This hot spring town is bustling, centering around two outdoor baths, "Motoyusen Yakuyu" and "Yakushiyu."

Yakushiyu has a private bath in the main building, but this year they just opened a private bath in the building opposite Yakushiyu (the annex). The men's and women's baths at Yakushiyu are next to the source, so you can feel the strong carbonation, whereas the private bath in the annex opposite Yakushiyu is only 10 meters away and feels like a mellow hot spring. The temperature is just right for those who like it slightly warmer, and the bathtub is spacious, so we recommend taking your time to enjoy the private bath.

Yakushiyu has a concept of "become beautiful through healing both body and mind." Not only are the hot springs expected to have an extremely effective skin-beautifying effect, but the relaxing atmosphere of the building and adjoining cafe, "Shinyu Cafe Kuranojo," is also noteworthy.

<Hot spring sommelier's recommendation comment>
A distinctive feature of Yakushiyu's "sodium-calcium chloride spring" is an ingredient that is not mentioned in the spring's name, called "metasilicic acid." This is an ingredient that is thought to promote the formation of the stratum corneum of the skin, and 118 milligrams of it is contained in each kilogram of Yakushiyu's spring water. A hot spring with a triple-digit amount of "metasilicic acid" is truly worthy of being called a "beauty skin bath."

A great place to stop by after a bath: Shinyu Cafe Kuranojo

Celebrating its 100th anniversary in 2019, "Kuranojo Cafe" uses the old Yakushiyu building, built in the early Taisho period, as a cafe. The wooden Western-style building, which has historical value and is built using the "timber frame" architectural style, is lined with antique furniture, making you feel like you've traveled back in time.

This is a particularly popular spot that stands out among the retro hot spring town. Enjoy healthy meals and authentic Italian coffee while immersing yourself in the authentic Taisho era romance.

For sweets, we recommend the rose chiffon cake (900 yen, tax included) and rose sparkling wine (1000 yen, tax included), which are made using edible roses, and for lunch, we recommend the "Uzonojo Curry (with hot spring egg)" (1000 yen, tax included) and the "Yunotsu no Bugyo-meshi" (1300 yen, tax included), which is a chicken rice dish with rice topped with hot spring steamed vegetables and a hot spring egg. Mineral-rich hot spring water is used to make the bugyo rice and steamed vegetables.

Inside the cafe, there are seats where you can look out over the atmospheric streets of the hot spring town, as well as seats where you can relax and read, and it seems that each regular customer chooses their own seat where they feel most comfortable. After soothing your skin in Yakushiyu, why not enjoy a relaxing time at the cafe?

For amazingly smooth skin. Spend a night at Toraya Ryokan in Mitamata Onsen

From "Yutsu Onsen Yakushiyu", take National Route 9 and the prefectural road to "Mitama Onsen Toraya Ryokan" in about 50 minutes. Mitama Onsen, which opened at the end of the Edo period, is home to a collection of inns and resort centers along the nature-rich Iekoyagawa River for about 200 meters.

The small hot spring town is spacious enough that you can easily stroll around even after enjoying the hot springs. If you walk leisurely along the cobblestone road, you will come to the recommended spot in the center of town, a free foot bath, where you can easily enjoy the luxurious, free-flowing water from the source, which has a smooth texture on the skin. Why not stay here for a night and relax before the next day?

We will be staying at the Toraya Ryokan, an inn with a nostalgic feel to it, set in an old building. It is not a large inn, nor does it have modern facilities... it is precisely because of this that we are able to provide a warm atmosphere and service.

Only a small inn that only accepts three groups per day offers such wonderful hospitality. The friendly owner and landlady will welcome you like family. In addition to the excellent hot spring water, the lovingly homemade dishes made with fresh fish caught at Hamada Port and local mountain vegetables are also very popular.

<Hot spring sommelier's recommendation comment>
Mitamata Onsen has two hot springs, and the mixture of these is what makes up Mitamata Onsen. Toraya Ryokan generously uses this water in their "free-flowing baths." When bathing, your skin will feel a strong "slippery" sensation. This is the emulsified, dissolved dead skin cells from the skin. There are many hot springs in the Chugoku and Shikoku regions that share this characteristic, but Toraya Ryokan is one of the top-level.

Get smooth, supple skin in the baths of a long-established inn: "Arifuku Onsen Yoshidaya"

On the second day, we first headed to Arifuku Onsen, which is about 20 minutes away from Mimata Onsen Toraya Ryokan. Arifuku Onsen is known as the "Ikaho of Sanin" because of the atmosphere of the narrow stone steps that continue up the slope, which is similar to Ikaho Onsen in Gunma Prefecture. It is the only place in the Chugoku-Shikoku region that has three public baths, Gozen-yu, Satsuki-yu, and Yayoi-yu, all within 100 meters of each other.

Arifuku Onsen was founded over 1,350 years ago during the reign of Prince Shotoku. The townscape, lined with narrow stone steps, retains the atmosphere of a good old hot spring resort.

Yoshidaya is an inn that was founded in the Edo period. The entrance is decorated with seasonal flowers grown by the proprietress, and the interior of the building exudes a sophisticated taste of the early Showa period. It is located on a particularly high point in the hot spring town, where buildings line the mountainside, and offers a panoramic view of the atmospheric scenery.

Yoshidaya does not normally accept drop-in bathers, but non-guests can also bathe if they meet certain conditions. If you order a drink or meal at the detached Japanese cafe, Chacha Yoshinoya, you can enter the hotel's proud natural hot springs for an additional bathing fee (600 yen for adults, 300 yen for children).

<Hot spring sommelier's recommendation comment>
Arifuku Onsen is a simple alkaline hot spring that is clear and has no particular taste, so many people can use it without hesitation. The water is viscous and very soft, with a slippery feeling. After you get out of the bath and the sweat has dried, your skin will feel incredibly smooth, silky, and bouncy. The symbolic "Gozenyu" of Arifuku Onsen is quite hot, but the "Yoshidaya" next door has its own hot spring source and is at a more comfortable temperature, allowing you to relax in it.

Enjoy the cafe "Chacha Yoshinoya" in combination with the bath at "Yoshidaya"

"Yoshinoya" is a cafe that opened in 2018 after renovating a 110-year-old traditional house that was once a geisha house. The house was built by the previous owner of "Yoshidaya" and has been reborn as a cafe under the direction of the current proprietress and young proprietress.

The old beams and verandas have been left as they are, and some of the furniture is made up of precious items that were used by geisha, creating a calming, retro-modern atmosphere that is relaxing to the soul. According to the proprietress, geisha used to take naps on the verandas. Spending time reminiscing about the atmosphere of this historic building is one of the joys of traveling.

The menu includes a homemade cake set (800 yen, tax included) and a matcha set (700 yen, tax included), as well as British tea, coffee, and alcoholic beverages. The kamameshi (rice cooked in a pot) with clams and seasonal mountain vegetables, and the udon noodles with a refined dashi stock are also popular.

If you want to enhance your skin-beautifying effects even further in addition to the beauty bath at Yoshidaya, we recommend the matcha set. Matcha is made by grinding whole tea leaves, so you can get all the catechins, vitamin C, polyphenols, and other nutrients contained in the leaves without waste. It's a drink that's especially perfect for women.

On nice days, we recommend relaxing on the veranda. The seasonal flowers decorating the interior of the store and the cafe's mascot dog, Lime, are sure to soothe you.

"Sanbe Onsen Sanbeso" where you can take a long bath in the lukewarm spring water

Sanbe Onsen, about an hour and a half away from Arifuku Onsen, is an old hot spring that has thrived as a therapeutic bath for over 200 years since the Kansei era of the Edo period. It is characterized by an abundant amount of water, with over 3,000 liters flowing out every minute, a distinctive carbonated smell, and a smooth texture on the skin. Rich in iron and salt, it has excellent heat retention and moisturizing properties, and produces a lot of hot spring deposits.

A must-see while here is the National Lodge Sanbeso, which underwent a major renovation in March 2020. The clean interior of the building has adopted universal design, and barrier-free rooms are also available. Additionally, the guest rooms on the south side, from which you can see the sea of clouds, were previously 8 tatami mats in size, but some have been renovated into 15 tatami mat Japanese-Western style rooms with twin semi-double beds. There is also a foot bath in the parking lot that you can use freely, and you can feel the great outdoors with Mt. Sanbe in the background.

<Hot spring sommelier's recommendation comment>
The biggest feature of Sanbeso is the "unheated spring water bath" at the back of the open-air bath. The water is basically lukewarm, and from spring to autumn it is about body temperature, so we recommend enjoying a long soak. Furthermore, by repeatedly alternating between hot and cold baths in the heated bath, you can expect to improve blood flow throughout the body and raise your body temperature. This is also a recommended bathing method for recovering from fatigue. The cloudy water, which contains iron, is a "typical hot spring" and can be enjoyed visually.

Savor the taste of 100% handmade soba noodles at "Sanbe Onsen Soba Cafe Yumoto"

Finally, have a late lunch at Sanbe Onsen Soba Cafe Yumoto, located less than a five-minute drive from Sanbeso National Lodge. End your trip by taking a dip in the onsen located nearby.

Sanbe Onsen Soba Cafe Yumoto is a renovated version of the Yumoto Ryokan, which was partially destroyed in the Western Shimane earthquake. With the help of a mother and daughter who owned the inn, and with the support of crowdfunding, it reopened in July 2020 as a place where you can enjoy the local specialty soba and hot springs.

The menu mainly consists of handmade soba noodles (from 900 yen), fried chicken set meals (1000 yen), two rice balls (300 yen), fried chicken and potatoes (600 yen), as well as soft drinks, beer, sour drinks, etc. "We're sorry, but we're using usable tableware that was buried in the rubble of a collapsed inn," said the manager. It's this kind of consideration and kindness that makes this restaurant so popular.

The 100% handmade soba noodles made with Sanbe local buckwheat flour are served with tempura made with seasonal vegetables from the restaurant's own fields, and chicken tempura sets. The cuticle of the buckwheat seed contains rutin, a type of polyphenol, which is said to have antioxidant properties and aid in the absorption of vitamin C.

The fried chicken is crispy on the outside and tender inside, and goes well with the salty sauce with plenty of garlic, making it a delicious dish that will make you want to eat more.

The hot spring is a revival of a rock bath built in the Showa era. It is the closest to the source of Sanbe Onsen, where the hot spring water gushes forth, and you can enjoy the hot spring water, which boasts outstanding quality, flowing directly from the source. After having lunch, enjoy a bath to end your trip.

A two-day, one-night trip where you can drive along the roads overlooking the Sea of Japan, enjoy the beautiful scenery of Shimane's rural mountains, and enjoy delicious food and beauty-enhancing hot springs. Not only will you feel refreshed, but you'll also be able to get smooth, silky skin, which will blow away your everyday fatigue. Why not try a healing trip to Shimane, the prefecture known for its beautiful skin?

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