Japan. Onsen Explorer. Day 4. Fujisato.

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Onsen Explorer Day 4. Fujisato.

What a change from yesterday. Blue sky and 20 degrees with a warm wind. Breakfast at a great Ryokan at 7 for 8am start on a nice short downhill run into pleasant farmland. There were a variety of crops in small plots to larger farms. Fennel seemed very popular along with potatoes, cabbayand other vegetables. Rice was the main crop and we did see a rice combine harvester in action which unfortunately was partly hidden from view by the tall crop so I was unable to photograph it working. There were many smallholders tending their crops with hand tools and small powered cultivators. You will be upset if I did not observe the manhole covers so I have a couple for you today. One depicting the Shiba-Inu dog, which has a history going back 1000 yrs as a hunting dog. The second cover depicts a woodpecker which can be found in the region we are in. A compound with old tractors could be seen on our right at one stage but did not stop as their tractor history does not seem to go back that far but I did see a small Porsche tractor circa 1950’s in the entrance. Lunch was at a stop by the river at Futatutsui. This was a very nice location overlooking the wide river and the food was moderately priced at around 800JPY, excellent quality and served quickly. What more can you ask for? The Hotel Yutoria is very nice with proper beds and a magnificent onsen which makes your skin feel slippery when in the water.
Below is a resume of the Onsen requirements and uses from, Japantravel.com

Onsen. Technically, an onsen must be warmer than 25 degrees Celsius and contain at least one of 19 elements designated by the official Japanese "Onsen Law" (surely only Japan would have such a law!), including lithium, sulphur, sodium chloride, and iron. Onsen that naturally meet these conditions with water from geothermally heated springs are called tennen onsen, or "natural onsen," as opposed to jinko-onsen, or "manmade onsen," which meet the conditions artificially. Usually classified as either volcanic or non-volcanic.
The first instances of people bathing in onsen date back to the 7th century, and it has become the prime form of leisure for Japanese people since. However, an onsen is just not any regular bath – bathing in an onsen has many health benefits, due to its many minerals. Many onsen (according to legend) were discovered when people saw wounded animals bathing in them to heal themselves, while samurai would use onsen to treat their battle scars. It has been scientifically proven that bathing in onsen can help maintain good health and remedy numerous aches, some injuries, high blood pressure, diseases, skin conditions, diabetes, and much more, according to the water's mineral composition.
So there you have it. Immerse your self in the Japanese culture and enjoy.

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