Genbu Onsen Lodge Tachibana

Lodge Tachibana stands at Genbu Onsen, on the southern skirts of Mount Iwate near the Kakkonda River valley in Shizukuishi, Iwate Prefecture. Genbu Onsen is said to have been opened before 1860, and although it lies within a volcanic belt it sits only about 30 minutes by car from central Morioka, making it a long-standing base for visits to Koiwai Farm and the Genbudo gorge. The Genbu Onsen source was re-drilled at the end of June 2001. The lodge itself is built of red brick and timber in an alpine-lodge style, with a fireplace in the lobby that is lit through the winter.

The water is a sodium bicarbonate spring, emerging at 44.6 degrees Celsius with a neutral pH of 7.0. It is clear at the moment it surfaces, then turns milky and finally a reddish brown as it meets the air, which is why locals call it the Genbu cloudy bath. Long valued as a beauty bath for the way it softens the skin, it is said to help with rheumatism, neuralgia, joint pain and chronic skin conditions. The bath itself is kept at around 40 degrees, deliberately on the cool side, because raising the temperature would drive off the dissolved carbon dioxide, so guests can soak at length.

Bathing is split between separate indoor baths for men and women plus an open-air bath, and a sauna is also available. Day-use bathing costs 650 yen for adults from junior high school age, 350 yen for elementary school children and 250 yen for infants, and is open from 10:00 to 21:00 with last entry at 20:00. The lodge closes every Tuesday, and free parking for 25 cars is provided. Overnight stays start at 7,700 yen (the lowest rate listed on Rakuten Travel) and feature local vegetables chosen by the proprietress, a certified vegetable sommelier, A5-grade Shizukuishi beef, and hittsumi, the local hand-torn dumpling soup.