Hasunuma Onsen!
No, I didn't go on an impromptu onsen trip... This awesome onsen is only 7 kilometers away from my house!
Story time!
A while after the Natsume Yuujinchou movie (Utsusemi ni Musubu) came out, I found out that all the paper art that's featured in a movie was created by a somewhat famous paper-cutting artist, Ohashi Shinobu. Up until the movie, I had no idea that "kiri-e" was even a thing, but I started following her on Twitter and really enjoy the art that she posts. So what does that have to do with Hasunuma Onsen? A month or so ago, she posted this artwork that's apparently inspired by the interior of Hasunuma Onsen, and apparently it can be seen in the lobby. When I looked up where it was, I found out that it's only one station away from Kamata, only a couple of stations (or a short bike ride) away. So I resolved to go there some time to go and see it, and last Saturday, when it was rainy and dreary, seemed like the perfect day to do that.
This artwork... It's okay to take photos of it ^o^
When I walked in, I was met with a huge TV camera pointed at the entrance inside... O_O But the person operating it beckoned to ignore him, so I just presented my bathhouse ticket to the owner at the counter, and he asked if it was my first time visiting. So I told him why I was visiting - that I'd seen Ohashi Shinobu's artwork on Twitter, and based on that, it looks like an amazing onsen, and since it's close to where I live I thought I'd visit. The owner was really happy to hear that - apparently they're big fans of the artist, and their daughter is a Natsume Yuujinchou fan. =D They were almost so enthusiastic to talk to me and show me other art (they had a coffee-table type book of the same artist, and a little manga corner) that they forgot that I was there to take a bath first and foremost xD I was freezing though, so after a while I excused myself and went to the baths.
The interior really is just like the picture! The windows have colorful stained glass in them, and in one of the baths, there's a big koi carp sculpture from which the water flows. There's also really pretty artwork of mountains, rivers, and various other scenes on the tiles on the walls all around the bathroom ^o^ They market themselves as "taisho-era style", and though I can't comment on the accuracy of that, the atmosphere inside was pretty magical (especially since it was cold out, so the whole room was shrouded in mysterious fog, lol)
I stayed in for about an hour, and when I came out, the cameraman introduced himself as being from NHK and making a feature on notable bathhouses in Tokyo. He asked if I wanted to give some comments in front of the camera, but I wasn't sure what I should talk about besides what he'd already filmed me saying to the owner, and I had a runny nose and a red face and damp hair after my bath, so I ended up refusing. (And I don't want whatever I say to be dubbed over in a racist accent and spun into an "OMG look everyone, even foreigners take baths when they're in Japan! Foreigners love Japan so much!! Isn't our country just amazing!?" type of story, lol) ...He started packing up his gear immediately after that though, and then I felt kinda bad because it seemed like he was waiting for me to finish my bath just so he could interview me ^^;;;;;; (And I'd taken such a long time in the bath, too ^^;;) If he'd just told me so, I might've been willing to say a few words for the camera, but... It was kinda late for that when I realized. They might still use the footage of me walking in though, who knows xD
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Speaking of Natsume-related stuff...
I got the Lala calendar again this year! I don't like it as much as last year's, since you can't really "flip" through the months. Instead, you have to remove the papers one by one from the cardboard case that they're in. I'll still use it for my desk at work though.
And I finally got an ink pad for the Nyanko stamp that I bought at Comiket! I kinda wish I'd bought more differnent types, it's so cute! I'm gonna stamp it on everything! 8D
Story time!
A while after the Natsume Yuujinchou movie (Utsusemi ni Musubu) came out, I found out that all the paper art that's featured in a movie was created by a somewhat famous paper-cutting artist, Ohashi Shinobu. Up until the movie, I had no idea that "kiri-e" was even a thing, but I started following her on Twitter and really enjoy the art that she posts. So what does that have to do with Hasunuma Onsen? A month or so ago, she posted this artwork that's apparently inspired by the interior of Hasunuma Onsen, and apparently it can be seen in the lobby. When I looked up where it was, I found out that it's only one station away from Kamata, only a couple of stations (or a short bike ride) away. So I resolved to go there some time to go and see it, and last Saturday, when it was rainy and dreary, seemed like the perfect day to do that.
This artwork... It's okay to take photos of it ^o^
When I walked in, I was met with a huge TV camera pointed at the entrance inside... O_O But the person operating it beckoned to ignore him, so I just presented my bathhouse ticket to the owner at the counter, and he asked if it was my first time visiting. So I told him why I was visiting - that I'd seen Ohashi Shinobu's artwork on Twitter, and based on that, it looks like an amazing onsen, and since it's close to where I live I thought I'd visit. The owner was really happy to hear that - apparently they're big fans of the artist, and their daughter is a Natsume Yuujinchou fan. =D They were almost so enthusiastic to talk to me and show me other art (they had a coffee-table type book of the same artist, and a little manga corner) that they forgot that I was there to take a bath first and foremost xD I was freezing though, so after a while I excused myself and went to the baths.
The interior really is just like the picture! The windows have colorful stained glass in them, and in one of the baths, there's a big koi carp sculpture from which the water flows. There's also really pretty artwork of mountains, rivers, and various other scenes on the tiles on the walls all around the bathroom ^o^ They market themselves as "taisho-era style", and though I can't comment on the accuracy of that, the atmosphere inside was pretty magical (especially since it was cold out, so the whole room was shrouded in mysterious fog, lol)
I stayed in for about an hour, and when I came out, the cameraman introduced himself as being from NHK and making a feature on notable bathhouses in Tokyo. He asked if I wanted to give some comments in front of the camera, but I wasn't sure what I should talk about besides what he'd already filmed me saying to the owner, and I had a runny nose and a red face and damp hair after my bath, so I ended up refusing. (And I don't want whatever I say to be dubbed over in a racist accent and spun into an "OMG look everyone, even foreigners take baths when they're in Japan! Foreigners love Japan so much!! Isn't our country just amazing!?" type of story, lol) ...He started packing up his gear immediately after that though, and then I felt kinda bad because it seemed like he was waiting for me to finish my bath just so he could interview me ^^;;;;;; (And I'd taken such a long time in the bath, too ^^;;) If he'd just told me so, I might've been willing to say a few words for the camera, but... It was kinda late for that when I realized. They might still use the footage of me walking in though, who knows xD
-------------------------------------------------------------
Speaking of Natsume-related stuff...
I got the Lala calendar again this year! I don't like it as much as last year's, since you can't really "flip" through the months. Instead, you have to remove the papers one by one from the cardboard case that they're in. I'll still use it for my desk at work though.
And I finally got an ink pad for the Nyanko stamp that I bought at Comiket! I kinda wish I'd bought more differnent types, it's so cute! I'm gonna stamp it on everything! 8D