Yoshinoya Ryokan at Yunomine Onsen

16 November 2016

Yunomine Onsen is one of the oldest hot springs in Japan and directly connected with the Kumano Kodo. After walking a section of the Kumano Kodo Nakahechi Route from Hosshinmon-Oji to Hongu Grand Shrine and exploring the shrine and attractions in the Hongu area, an overnight stay at the hot spring village of Yunomine Onsen was a good choice. Yunomine Onsen featured a special public bath called Tsuboyu. This bath was used by pilgrims in the past to purify themselves with the hot water and is the only hot spring that you can bathe in that is registered as UNESCO World Heritage.

There are many inns in this village located in a small valley. Buses links the village to the Hongu Taisha area, as well as Kii-Tanabe and Shingu. We chose to stay at the Yoshinoya Ryokan over the other inns primarily because it has a private outdoor hot spring bath in addition to the typical shared onsen.

We took the 4.45 PM bus from Hongu Taisha to Yunomine Onsen. The bus was crowded and we got glimpses of Kawayu Onsen and Watase Onsen (the other 2 onsen villages in Hongu area) before arriving at Yunomine Onsen shortly after 5 PM. Most people alighted at Yunomine Onsen.

There is only one road running across the small village and most inns are located along this road. Yoshinoya Ryokan is located near the centre of the village and a few steps away from the famous Tsuboyu. While waiting to check in, the group of 4 Singaporean girls we met at Takahara’s Kiri-no-Sato Lodge walked in. They had taken the long arduous 21 km route to Hongu Grand Shrine instead of using a bus like us.

The owners showed us the facilities in the ryokan and assigned us the rooms. We were given a room on the second floor, with views of the road and centre of the village. A flask of hot water, green tea and snacks were provided in our room. This is typical of Japanese inns that we had stayed in.

Welcome snack at Yoshinoya Ryokan at Yunomine Onsen with cartoony logo of the 3 legged crow.

Our room came with basin and ensuite toilets but no bath. We guessed that the ryokan’s shared onsen would be crowded with guests taking baths before dinner at 6.30 PM, so we decided to defer our bath till after dinner. We went out to explore the village and shoot some photos of the beautiful night scenes.

 

The small cabin in the front is the Tsuboyu. The Yoshinoya Ryokan can be seen just behind the Tsuboyu.

 

A small creek runs parallel to the road and across the centre of the village. The Tsuboyu is a small cabin by the creek. There was someone using the onsen and we could hear and see them partially through the wooden slats. We planned to try the Tsuboyu the next morning.

 

Further downstream from the creek, there is an area with hot spring water to cook eggs that can be purchased from a convenience store across the road. We went to check this out and saw a few families enjoying the experience of cooking their onsen tamago (onsen eggs) and eating them by the creek. 

Steamy night at Yunomine Onsen.

We did not buy any eggs to cook as we would be having a Kaiseki (Japanese multi-course) dinner to enjoy back at the rokan later. Instead, I bought a Kumano Kodo beer from the store.

It was a nice stroll through the village at night, looking at all the inns with the lights on.  

Dinner at the Yoshinoya was served in a common dining room, sitting crossed legged on cushions with back-rest (thankfully) laid on tatami floor. I would have preferred a normal table especially after a long day of walking but we were here to experience Japanese culture.

The dinner was great. So was the company. The Aussie ladies that we met on Day 1 soon joined us at the adjacent table. It was good to see them again and they told us the outdoor onsen was good. The 4 Singaporean ladies came in as well.  We found out that we were the only two who took bus on this day while everyone else that done the arduous and longer walk without the help of public transport.

Here are the dinner photos.

Tuna and sweet shrimp sashimi.

Squid Sashimi with a nice sauce.

Appetisers – mountain vegetables and mushrooms.

Grilled fish.

Tempura - prawns, onions, pumpkins and tuna.

Clear fish paste soup with vegetables – delicious!

Seasonal local fruit for dessert – persimmons.

After dinner, we changed into our yukatas and went to use the private outdoor onsen that was located in a separate building just opposite to the entrance of the ryokan. In larger hotels or ryokans, the use of the private onsen is sometimes chargeable and has to be booked. This is not the case for Yoshinoya Ryokan where the private onsen is free and operated on a first come first serve basis.

A small wooden tablet is hung near the entrance to indicate if the private outdoor onsen was occupied. It was occupied when we arrived at the lobby. We did not have to wait too long in the lobby for our turn as most people would not soak too long in the hot water.

The onsen pool is not big, about the size of a Koi pond, with hot spring water running down a stone waterfall. In fact, there was a smaller fish pond next to the onsen pool but there was no fish spotted in it.  It was really nice to soak in the hot water, with views of the maple leaves and night sky above us.  Bliss and relaxation before heading back to the ryokan for a good night sleep.