[Access] About 10 minutes by car from Komono IC on Shin Meishin Expressway
[Webpage] Hotel de Marronnier Yunoyama Onsen (Japanese)
Ene-1 is held at Suzuka Circuit early on Sunday morning. One option was to leave Hamamatsu in the very early hours of the day to cheer on the participating teams, but since this was a good opportunity, I decided to arrive the day before. The plan was to hike Mt. Gozaisho, which I had long been curious about for its unusual rock formations, stay overnight at Yunoyama Onsen at the foot of the mountain, and then head to Suzuka. Unfortunately, the weekend weather was rainy and I had to give up on the hike, but I went ahead with my stay in Yunoyama Onsen as planned.
Since I ended up taking a short trip to Nara instead of hiking, it was already pitch-dark by the time I arrived at Yunoyama Onsen. With its long history, Yunoyama Onsen is a hot spring town where inns line a narrow, steep road along the Mitaki River. If I had more time, it would have been nice to stroll around and explore at a leisurely pace. However, I had to leave again before 6 a.m. the next morning—also in the dark—so the hot spring itself became the main highlight of the stay.
The water at Yunoyama Onsen is classified as a mildly radioactive alkaline simple hot spring, with a total dissolved mineral content of 170 mg/kg. While it doesn’t feel particularly mineral-rich, it has a pH of 9.0 and contains radon. With radioactive springs, individual reactions vary, but in my case, soaking slowly tends to bring on a deep sense of fatigue and intense drowsiness—and I experienced the same reaction here.
One slight disappointment was that a circulation and filtration system was in use, and the water had a noticeable chlorine smell for hygiene purposes. That said, it’s understandable, as there probably aren’t many hot spring inns where you can stay alone as a single guest.
Yunoyama Onsen gives the impression of being deep in the mountains as the gateway to Mt. Gozaisho, but in reality it’s quite convenient—only about an hour and a half from Nagoya. From Nagoya, you can take a Kintetsu Limited Express to Yokkaichi, transfer to the Kintetsu Yunoyama Line to Yunoyama-Onsen Station, and then it’s about a 10-minute taxi ride. Next time, I’d like to combine a hike up Mt. Gozaisho with a more relaxed stay here.