Crossing Yanagisawa Pass to Sakeishi Hot Spring

A day before yesterday Brompton and I went to Taba, a village of Tokyo's most important water source area, to go over Yanagisawa Pass, with an elevation of 1,472 meters, in order to dip myself into one of old and the best secluded hot springs in the foot of Mt. Daibosatsu at the end of the day.

[data]
total distance: 35.3 km (hillclimb part 16.8 km)
max. difference of elevation: 1,078 m
average %: total -0.6% ascend:6.2% descend：6.2%
acquired elevation ascend：896 m descend：1,114 m

https://www.google.com/maps/d/edit?authuser=0&authuser=0&hl=en&hl=en&mid=zVh_vanqLQwc.kDa1A4kcdmp0

Use JR Chuo Line from Shinjuku Station to Okutama Station. Do you imagine this is still a part of Tokyo.

When I arrived at Okutama Station, the last station, then changed to a bus bound for Taba, one of the hidden villages near Tokyo. A lot of people were all climbers waiting a bus to get to the trail gate of popular Mt. Kumotori, one of the hundred famous mountains in Japan.

I got off and unfolded my Brompton when the bus arrived in Taba, the last bus stop. The elevation was 627 meters here.

The route had about 16.8 kilo meter long and about 900 meter elevation to climb up to the pass.

Going along with an upriver stream of the Tama River.

Looking down the tunnel where I passed through 3 minutes ago.

Tokyo is already far beyond those mountains.

Any road even in very very country side is constructed with quality in Japan. Good for a Brompton ride but this is a part of fiscal problems of Japanese government.

Finally I was reaching the peak of the route. Then I took a rest to supply water and Udon noodle at the peak cafeteria.

Let's restart to go downhill.

Just in 10 minutes, I arrived at the entrance of Sakeishi Onsen Unposo. Sakeishi Onsen is located at the back door of Unpoji Buddist Temple which started its history about 1260 years ago. "Sakeishi" means a rip of the rock. The legend tells that a thunder hit the huge rock and suddenly hot spring started to come out from a chasm.

 http://unpoji.ko-shu.jp/

I checked in and hurried to the bath.

What a lovely open-air bath it is!

A long‐nosed goblin is traditionally a symbol of secret hot springs in Japan.

After a snap of kakeyu, I dived into this most secluded hot spring, gushing out from the crevice, in the rock bath under the big rock roof.

On the way to nearby JR Enzan Station, I dropped by at a cherry farm to purchase some boxes of fresh cherry and went back home by train.