Hotto Puraza Asama, a 20 minute bus ride from Matsumoto station, has all you need for a relaxing afternoon soak: outdoor and indoor baths, a jet-bath and a sauna. Oh, and a vending machine stocked with milk. For some reason, onsen and milk go together like sport and Lucozade. The cow juice is a rare treat - but it makes you miss Weetabix even more.
Sceptical of the idea of afternoon bath, 11 members of my Spring Elegance tour group stayed around Matsumoto`s famous samurai-period castle today. Just 4 adventurous ladies joined me on the ride up into the hills. They cherished both the warm bath and the white beverage. ”So worth it,” one girl said. ”Now we just have to convince all the others,” chipped in another.
Filed under: Japanese Baths Tagged: | asama onsen, Matsumoto, milk onsen, nagano day trips
From Kobe cows to milk in the mountains. Nice link Tomointokyo. I love Matsumoto, but have never been to Arima Onsen myself. You can’t beat a soak in a hot spring and I think the others will appreciate it if they give it a go. I prefer cold beer after onsen, but I could do milk too.
Haha, love it! What about the choco milk, or the vanilla milk you sometimes get? And isn’t most vending machine milk as rich and creamy as gold top used to be? Now don’t say you are too young to remember gold top anyone…