japaneses | Blue Lapis Road

DAY 7 – RYOKAN ADUMAYA, Yunomine Onsen, Kumano Kodo (熊野古道) 1 of 4, Japan

Founded by a shrine priest in the mid or late Edo Period, Ryokan Adumaya is a very traditional hotspring inn in Yunomine, the oldest onsen town in Japan. With 22 rooms all finished in traditional Japanese style, the interior of Adumaya is dominated by timber and bamboo. As an onsen ryokan, Adumaya has its own indoor and outdoor hotspring bathing facilities, which can be visited during the day even for visitors who are not staying the night. As hotel guests, we were able to enjoy the hotspring facilities at Adumaya 24 hours round the clock. Despite the short stay, we enjoyed the baths and delicious meals. Signage of Ryokan Adumaya was erected in a naturalistic setting in front of the inn. Situated in the middle of Yunomine Onse across the street from the public bathhouse, Ryokan Adumaya is one of the most prominent building in the village. Beyond the neatly trimmed trees and bushes lies the drop off and main entrance of Ryokan Adumaya. Entering the ryokan through the wooden overhang was liking going back an times of Edo Japan. Beside the main entrance mounted a board with names of hotel guests written on it. Traditional timber finish dominates the lobby and reception area. We had to take off our shoes during our stay. We could choose to put on either a pair of indoor slippers when staying indoor, or a pair of outdoor shoes for venturing out into Yunomine. The sitting area in the lobby was quite atmospheric. The door on the left led to the bathing facilities and souvenir shop. Upstairs on the second level, the entrance into our room was right at the corner next the the main stair. The wooden door then led into a vestibule and then into an anteroom before reaching the main living space of our room. The vestibule also connected to our private toilet. Beyond the sliding doors of the anteroom is main living space where we dined and slept on the tatami. At the far end of the room there was another set of sliding door leading out to the sun room where a tea table stood. The sun room was well lit with natural light. At the far end of the sun room was the vanity counter. From the window we could see the main street and creek that bisected Yunomine. Beyond that stood the village shrine on the left, and the public bathhouse at further back.