Yunoyama Onsen Kotobukitei

Kotobukitei is a long-established ryokan founded in 1911 (Meiji 44), located in Komono-cho, Mie District, Mie Prefecture. Situated at the foot of Mount Gozaisho, the principal peak of the Suzuka Mountain Range, the inn is enveloped in the tranquil natural beauty of the Yunoyama Onsen resort area, offering stunning scenery through all four seasons. Yunoyama Onsen itself is said to have been discovered in 718 (Yoro 2) by the monk Jokun following a divine revelation from the Healing Buddha, making it an ancient spring with over 1,300 years of history. The legend of wounded deer healing themselves in the waters gave rise to the alternate name Shika no Yu (Deer Spring).

The spring water is classified as simple hot spring (hypotonic mildly alkaline low-temperature spring), sourced from Yunoyama Onsen Omoteyu (Omote I and II blend). It is an alkaline radium spring rich in emanation, characterized by its colorless and transparent appearance. The water contains sodium ions, bicarbonate ions, and fluoride ions, with therapeutic benefits for fatigue recovery, neuralgia, skin conditions, gynecological ailments, and arteriosclerosis. Known as a beautifying spring, it is prized for its skin-smoothing effects. The water undergoes circulation filtration, heating, and disinfection treatment.

The grounds feature an expansive Japanese garden, and the open-air bath commands magnificent views of Mount Gozaisho and its ropeway. The inn offers six distinctive private baths across two pavilions — Rinsenkan with three stone baths and Keiseikaku with three baths including cypress and Shigaraki-ware tubs — providing diverse bathing experiences. The annex Suiunkaku, built in 1929, is designated as a Nationally Registered Tangible Cultural Property, featuring beams hewn from century-old trees and rare Colburn process glass panes of considerable architectural value. The inn is also renowned as the retreat where the great novelist Naoya Shiga stayed and wrote the short story Komono.