Hot Spring of Nobel Prize!

I congratulate two Japanese Nobel laureates this year, Mr. Omura and Mr. Kajita. I suppose that one of the beauties of Japanese society is that quite average people can receive a nobel prize as long as one works very hard and achieves something for the society and human being.  

Last week I visited Nabeyama village of Nirasaki city where Mr. Omura was born and grown up. Mr. Omura was born in a poor farmer family of Nabeyama. The place was very very country. Because Mr. Omura loved his home village and wanted to contribute to the local community after his success by somehow. He thought of digging hot spring to offer a good spa for local people. He did it and then stroke hot spring. In addition to hot spring house, he built a museum to offer culture for local.

I really wanted to visit that hot spring because I very much sympathize his way of thinking about how to contribute to the world, Japan and also his community. The name of the spa is "Takeda no sato Hakusan Hot Spting". The hot spring is not so far from JR Nirasaki Station. 

[data]
distance　3.1km 
max. difference of elevation　82m
ave. % of slope total 2.6% ascend 4%　descend 1%
gained elevation　ascend 66m　descend 1m

I arrived at Nirasaki Station with Brompton.

When I went down the stair, I found a bill saying "Congratulation Dr. Satoshi Omura for Nobel Prize".

Just outside the station there was another bill board congratulating Dr. Omura.

There was a bigger poster of congratulation on the wall of the building.

Every street lamp hangs a poster congratulating a nobel laureate Dr. Omura. Nirasaki-city was really excited with Dr. Omura's award winning.

Even a Sushi restaurant celebrated Dr. Omura's honor. Dr. Omura is the hero of the town.

Brompton and I continued to climb the slope toward Nabeyama village at the foot of the mountain where Dr. Omura was born and the hot spring was located.

We were approaching.

Arrived. Dr. Omura's smiling photo welcomed us.

What a beautiful color the hot spring water is! Let's dip myself into the hot spring. 

This is KAKENAGASHI, meaning free-flowing hot spring. This is a strong preference of Dr. Omura.

There is an open-air bath with fresh hot spring.

Next to the spa, Dr. Omura's museum collecting modern pictures of Japanese woman painters was open to the public. 

Between the museum and spa, there is a restaurant which offers Dr. Omura's favorite dish, Udon noodle. As the restaurant was full of people due to Dr. Omura's popularity after his Nobel prize winning,  I gave up eating here today and decided to visit next time.