A Hot Spring in Snow

Every winter vacation, my wife and I went to a hot spring to recovery our exhaustion, which has accumulated for a year. This year, we stayed at a hot spring inn in Kaminoyama, Yamagata prefecture, which was full of snow.

I love a hot spring in snow, because the contrast between the warmness of a hot spring and the chillyness of the snow is really nice.

Yamagata prefecture is on the Sea of Japan, where snow falls heavily every winter season. Tokyo, was clear and sunny, but after crossing Ou Mountains, it turned to be a snowy world.



Just after arriving at a hot spring inn, Meigetu-so, I rushed to a public bath.

It is wonderful to see snow falling while taking an open-air bath. The hot water warms my body and at the same time open air cools my head, so I can stay in the hot water for a long time. Fallen snow absorbed noises, and I listened just to hot water spring.



After taking the bath, we drank a lot of sake with nice fish dishes, while seeing snow falling in a warm room. Fish caught in the Sea of Japan is much more delicate and delicious than in the Pacific Ocean.

I feel like making harder next year, now.