The model for Ghibli! Genroku Hatago Aburaya, a hotel in Yubara Onsen that has been in business for over 330 years
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We introduce Genroku Hatago Aburaya, an inn located in Yubara Onsen Maniwa City City, Okayama Prefecture, which is said to have been the model for "Spirited Away."
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Okayama Prefecture is located in the Chuo of Western Japan, and is known as the "Land of Sunshine" due to its warm climate and little rain throughout the year. It is conveniently located halfway between famous tourist spots such as Kyoto, Osaka, and Hiroshima, and is also the gateway to Shikoku via the Great Seto Bridge. Okayama is also known as the "Fruit Kingdom," and the fruits that grow in the warm climate of the Seto Inland Sea and sunshine are of the highest quality in terms of sweetness, aroma, and flavor. You can enjoy seasonal fruits such as white peaches, Muscat grapes, and Pione grapes! Okayama is also home to world-famous tourist spots such as Okayama Castle, Okayama Korakuen Garden, one of Japan's three most famous gardens, and Kurashiki Bikan Historical Quarter, which are renowned for their history, culture, and art!
This long-established inn has been in business for over 330 years, and on June 30, 2024, it renovated its restaurant. The chef, who spent about eight years training at a high-end restaurant in Tokyo, is in charge of cooking. This time, we will introduce the charms of Aburaya, which provides new value as an "auberge" where you can enjoy both the restaurant and the accommodation. Okayama is buzzing with Ghibli, with the "Suzuki Toshio and Ghibli Exhibition" (Okayama Exhibition) being held at the Okayama Prefectural Museum of Art until September 1, 2024. Be sure to visit this inn where you can experience the world of Ghibli.
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Table of Contents
- What kind of place is Yubara Onsen?
- The inn was founded over 330 years ago during the Edo period.
- Enjoy authentic Italian and French cuisine
- An open-air bath right next to the hot spring source! Fresh water will make your skin smooth and silky
- Men's Bath
- Private family bath
- Day trip bathing information
- All rooms have hot springs
- Yakushido Hall, dedicated to the god of hot springs
- summary
What kind of place is Yubara Onsen?
It is about an hour's drive from Okayama IC on the Sanyo Expressway. This hot spring resort is located in Maniwa City City in the northern part of Okayama Prefecture. After passing through the long tunnel just before Yubara IC and exiting the interchange, you will arrive at Yubara Onsen. Surrounded by greenery and thanks to the clear waters of the Asahi River, it is relatively cool even in summer and is a popular summer resort. The open-air bath "Sunayu", ranked as the "yokozuna of the west" in the national open-air bath rankings, is a rare hot spring where you can enjoy the hot spring water directly from the riverbed, and you can bathe for free 24 hours a day. It is wonderful to bathe in the open-air bath while listening to the sound of the flowing river and looking at the magnificent view of the dam. (It is a mixed-gender bath, but bathing suits are available for rental for women.)
When I first visited Yubara Onsen, I didn't know it was a place related to Ghibli, but when I saw this bridge, my Ghibli-loving sensor reacted with a "Pikon!". I was instantly reminded of the scene in "Spirited Away" where Haku and Chihiro meet, and where Haku buys time for Chihiro. Of course, I held my breath when I crossed this bridge (so I wouldn't be found out to be human).
The red lantern in the photo was apparently a gift from the tourism industry in Yubara Onsen to the people of Jiufen as a sign of friendship when they went on a tour of Taiwan. I was so excited, but I found myself in the world of Spirited Away! Just beyond this red bridge is Genroku Hatago Aburaya.
The inn was founded over 330 years ago during the Edo period.
"Aburaya" opened in 1688 (the first year of the Genroku era) during the Edo period. Founded 336 years ago! It is one of the oldest inns in Okayama Prefecture. The current president, Mr. Takahashi, is the 15th generation owner. Yubara Onsen is located on the route to Sanin, so it was a place to stop off and provide oil for lamps to travelers.
There is a building for lodging called "Yumesui-an" and a dining and bathing facility called "Shokuyu-kan". This is the entrance to "Shokuyu-kan". This wooden building from the Meiji period is still being used with great care. It is said that the owner came here to sketch the film "Spirited Away" before it was released. Scenes such as the Rotten God passing through the Aburaya shop's noren and the scene where the ticket for the medicinal bath is smeared at the reception desk are sure to stir your imagination.
Yubara Onsen is close to the hometown of Ofuku, the mother of Ukita Hideie, who built Okayama Castle, and there is a story that she used to come to Yubara Onsen for a cure, so you can feel the history. The bathing rules of the time are written in a book that has been handed down at "Aburaya" for over 330 years since the Genroku period.
Enjoy authentic Italian and French cuisine
The restaurant, which was renovated on June 30, 2024, serves authentic Italian cuisine for lunch and a full course French cuisine for dinner. The chef is a talented chef who trained at the Hotel de Mikuni in Yotsuya, Tokyo. The restaurant is located in Shokuyukan, a Meiji-era building. You can enjoy refined and beautiful cuisine in a Japanese atmosphere. Children are welcome at lunch, so my wife and I were able to enjoy a luxurious time for the first time in a while.
The restaurant serves dishes using local ingredients as much as possible. The salad is dressed with whole grain mustard, olive oil, and white wine vinegar. It is colorfully decorated with edible flowers and radishes.
The lunch menu includes a salad, pasta, dessert and drink course (2,000 yen/tax included), and a course with a main meat dish (2,800 yen/tax included). You can choose from three types of pasta, and I had the "rich carbonara with pancetta." The chef's carefully selected tableware makes the food look more beautiful and delicious.
My husband chose the "Octopus and Olives in a Refreshing Tomato Sauce." The pasta dishes for lunch are designed to give you a sense of the season by changing the ingredients used depending on what's in season. Drinks include sparkling wine, organic wine, and soft drinks, so there's a lineup that can be enjoyed by both day trippers and overnight guests. Full bottles of wine are carefully selected by a sommelier who is an acquaintance of the chef. You're sure to find a wine that suits your mood at the time.
The photo shows the main dish, "skirt steak with balsamic vinegar sauce." Aburaya is probably the only place in Yubara Onsen where you can enjoy authentic Italian and French cuisine. Until now, it was mainly a place to stay, but after renovation, it became an "auberge" restaurant where you can stay overnight, so you can enjoy both meals and accommodation. You can also use it for just lunch or just dinner, so why not visit just for the delicious food?
【restaurant】
Business hours: Monday to Wednesday, Friday to Sunday, public holidays, and the day before public holidays 11:30 to 15:00
(Last order for food 14:00, last order for drinks 14:30) / 18:00-22:00 (Last order for food 20:00, last order for drinks 21:30)
Closed: Thursday
Children's chairs: Available *Dinner is available for junior high school students and above
An open-air bath right next to the hot spring source! Fresh water will make your skin smooth and silky
The hot springs of Yubara Onsen are mainly found in the Sunayu open-air bath, the basement of Yumoto Onsenkan, and the basement of Yumesui-an in Aburaya. At Aburaya, you can enjoy extremely fresh hot springs. The photo shows the women's open-air bath, Hanaeminoyu. This is an open-air bath where you can feel the rich nature of Yubara. I took this photo around 11:30 in early July, and at this time there was shade under the roof, so there was no need to worry about sunburn.
Men's Bath
In the men's bath, down the stairs from the changing room you will find the indoor bath "Rouro no Yu" and the cascading bath. If you continue down the stairs further you will find the semi-open-air bath "Isore no Yu". Behind the blinds is the mountain. You will be surrounded by the sound of the flowing water and feel very relaxed. Yubara no Yu is a colorless, transparent, tasteless and odorless hypotonic alkaline hot spring (simple alkaline hot spring). With a pH of over 9, it has a slippery texture even without soap.
Private family bath
The private family bath "Yakuo-yu" in the basement of the accommodation building Yumesui-an is a natural hot spring. In the summer, the water is used as it is, without adding water or heating. The source is 44.8 degrees. The large bath closest to the source is a little hotter, so it is recommended for those who want to warm up thoroughly. The baby, who is 1 year and 2 months old, was in the bath at the front. Once warmed up, he enjoyed soaking his feet in the foot bath.
Yakushi Nyorai is enshrined at the place where the hot spring springs out in the bathhouse. We were told that Yakushi Nyorai is the god of hot springs. We expressed our gratitude for today and enjoyed time with our family.
Day trip bathing information
[Day trip bathing]
Hours: 11:00-15:00 Adults: 1,100 yen Elementary school students and younger: 550 yen
[Private family bath]
Hours: 13:00-18:00 Overnight stay: 3,300 yen (50 minutes) Day trip: 5,500 yen (50 minutes)
All rooms have hot springs
From the Japanese-style room, you can see the beautiful scenery of Yubara throughout the four seasons. The bath in the room is supplied with fresh water that springs from underground, so you can enjoy the hot spring whenever you like. It's a luxurious time to be healed by the hot springs and nature of Yubara.
This is the view from the room. The river is very clear and you can see the fish swimming. It's also a popular spot for fly fishing, and anyone can enjoy fishing by purchasing a fishing license. The appeal of Aburaya is that you can stay here for whatever purpose you want, whether that be soothing nature, enjoying fly fishing, relieving the fatigue of everyday life in the hot springs, or enjoying delicious food.
Yakushido Hall, dedicated to the god of hot springs
Next to the Aburaya is the Yakushido Hall, which enshrines Yakushi Nyorai. The water basin where you wash your hands and mouth before worshiping is actually hot spring water. "Medicinal bath" is a word that often appears in "Spirited Away". You can feel the power of the hot springs to wash away the fatigue and impurities of everyday life.
summary
I was given the opportunity to cover Aburaya, which has been in business for over 330 years, and was able to experience its charm. I was particularly impressed by the friendly and helpful hospitality of the staff. After I had finished my bath, they cooled the lobby and waited for me, saying to me, "It's still hot outside, so please come and cool off." I was really impressed by their hospitality. Why not spend a wonderful time at Aburaya, a long-loved, long-established inn?
[Genroku Inn Aburaya]
Address: 27 Yubara Onsen, Maniwa City, Okayama Prefecture
TEL: 0867-62-2006
Parking: Available (4 spaces) *Free parking available at Yubara Onsen
Strollers: You can leave them at the entrance.
Genroku Hatago Aburaya Official Website
Okayama Prefecture is located in the Chuo of Western Japan, and is known as the "Land of Sunshine" due to its warm climate and little rain throughout the year. It is conveniently located halfway between famous tourist spots such as Kyoto, Osaka, and Hiroshima, and is also the gateway to Shikoku via the Great Seto Bridge. Okayama is also known as the "Fruit Kingdom," and the fruits that grow in the warm climate of the Seto Inland Sea and sunshine are of the highest quality in terms of sweetness, aroma, and flavor. You can enjoy seasonal fruits such as white peaches, Muscat grapes, and Pione grapes! Okayama is also home to world-famous tourist spots such as Okayama Castle, Okayama Korakuen Garden, one of Japan's three most famous gardens, and Kurashiki Bikan Historical Quarter, which are renowned for their history, culture, and art!
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