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Yamanami Hot Springs

For a town this close to Tokyo, Fujino may be considered lucky for the presence of two hot springs baths, and a third within 15 minutes' driving time. The Yamanami is a municipally operated springs, built at a cost equivalent to some U.S. $6 million. Some voices have asked why the town needed to spend that kind of money to dig down 1800 meters in order to build a new hot springs, when the privately owned Gokan no Sato resort springs was already in operation nearby. How was it possible to dole out so much money, particularly given the straitened condition of finances in the Fujino "art village" plan? Since the Yamanami was built as part of the overall Fujino art village promotion, I assume it was meant to have a positive economic impact, namely in drawing out-of-town tourists or new residents to the town, but how well is it advertised elsewhere? Oh, right! You're hearing about it here. Bureaucratic notions of "customer service" are also evident in the operating hours, since they're open only until 8:00 P.M. Doesn't anybody consider the convenience of real working people when they think up these boondoggles? Whatever, the water is pleasant enough. The men's and women's sides change each month so you can experience the different spa (dry/wet sauna) facilities which each has. Both sides have an open-air bath, which is lovely in the fall and snowy days in winter. Hours: 10:00 AM to 8:00 PM Closed: Each Wednesday Entrance Fees Adults 600 yen (up to 3 hours) Children 300 yen (up to 3 hours) Access: turn off Highway 20 at Hizure Iriguchi, cross the Hizure Ôhashi bridge and continue south on Highway 76 about five minutes past the Fujino Workshop for the Arts, following the signs. Shouldn't take more than ten minutes' drive from the station area. For more information, call (Japanese only): 0426-86-8073 To return to your previous location, use your browser's "BACK" button, or click your heels together three times while saying, "there's no place like home" . . .

Green Gables: A Contemplative Companion to Fujino Township
by Norman Havens nhavens@gol.com

URL: http://www2.gol.com/users/nhavens/