Japanese police officers officially allowed to wear sunglasses, buy drinks at convenience stores in Shimane

Stay cool, Shimane cops.

In the U.S., sunglasses are almost an unofficial part of the police officer uniform. In Japan, though, you’re unlikely to see law enforcement officials sporting shades, but that’s going to be changing in Shimane Prefecture.

On Thursday, Shimane updated its conduct guidelines for on-duty police officers, which now explicitly state that officers are allowed to wear sunglasses when on patrol or otherwise at work outside.

▼ Officer Daiki Nanami, from the Shimane Prefectural Police’s Matsue regional division, shows off the officially-OK look.

In Japan, sunglasses have long been associated with criminals, so much so that stock illustrations and photos depicting a crime in progress often show the perpetrator wearing a pair of shades. That mental connection has kept sunglasses from becoming common attire among the general populace in Japan, and doubly so for civil servants and police officers, who, naturally, want to be seen as symbols of law and order

But while sunglasses do, to an extent, hide the wearer’s face, they also protect the eyes. The summertime weather in Japan is far from mild, with intense heat and harsh sunshine the norm for any days when it’s not raining. It’s in the public’s best interest to have police officers who are sharp-eyed and not blinded by solar glare, and so Shimane has now gone on record that it’s OK for police officers to wear sunglasses, and is encouraging them to do so.

Being sharp-eyed won’t do you much good if you’re too dehydrated to spring into action when the need arises, though. Because of that, the new guidelines also explicitly state that it’s OK for on-duty police officers, while dressed in uniform, to enter shops and purchase items, with the implication being that they’re officially allowed to go into convenience stores and buy drinks to rehydrate with. This also is something not commonly seen in Japan, out of concern that citizens seeing a police officer browsing through the racks of bottled green tea, Pocari Sweat and other beverages might be seen as slacking off when they’re supposed to be serving and protecting. However, in addition to helping prevent heatstroke, an additional hope is that the periodic presence of uniformed police inside of retail stores will discourage shoplifting.

Though neither shopping while in uniform nor wearing sunglasses were technically against regulations, there were considered to be unwritten rules discouraging the practices.

The guidelines do still recognize that a police officer wearing sunglasses might appear intimidating to some people, and so officers are encouraged to remove their sunglasses when speaking with others, and also when entering stores and other buildings, to make it clear that the sunglasses are protective equipment, not fashion accessories.

Source: FNN Prime Online, NHK News Web
Top image: Pakutaso
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Which Studio Ghibli anime has the most delicious-looking food? Fans sound off in survey

Cursed food doesn’t keep Spirited Away out of the top five, but can it claim the top spot?

Along with an atmosphere of whimsy and dynamically animated flight sequences, mouthwatering depictions of food have become one of the hallmarks of the anime of Studio Ghibli. But of all the theatrical features put out by the Hayao Miyazaki-co-founded studio, which one has the best-looking food?

That was the question put forth by Japanese marketing firm Nexer and restaurant supply company Hachimenroppi, who conducted an online survey, in which participants were asked give the name of the Ghibli anime that contains the Ghibli food they most want to eat. A total of 500 responses were collected, so let’s take a look at the top five.

5. Howl’s Moving Castle (47 votes)

When you’ve literally got a fire spirit living in your kitchen, it’s only natural that it’s going to produce some magical-looking meals. In particular, it’s the bacon-and-egg combo that got voters’ stomachs growling, perhaps in part because it’s something that many of us make for ourselves in the real world, driving home the difference in how much better the breakfast staples look on Howl’s table than when we try our hand at them. “The bacon and eggs look so good, but the ones I make end up so plain-looking,” said one Howl supporter. “With Calcifer doing the cooking, you know they must smell great too,” added another.

4. My Neighbor Totoro (51 votes)

It may not be fancy, but there’s a strong rustic appeal to Totoro’s countryside cuisine. “I want to eat Satsuki’s bento. Just thinking of a young girl working that hard to make them for her family brings tears to my eyes,” said one emotional female respondent. Others were captivated by the beautiful bucolic produce that appears in the anime, such as tomatoes chilling in the cool waters of a well on a hot summer day or corn mixed in with rice.

3. Kiki’s Deliver Service (65 votes)

Considering how many of its scenes take place inside a bakery, it’s no surprise to see Kiki finish high in the rankings. “The bread they bake and the coffee Osono pours for Kiki look so good,” gushed one respondent. “Watching the anime, I almost feel like I can smell them even.” Kiki’s chocolate cake is a dessert another voter would leave room for, while another said that they’d love to eat the herring pie because of the love and kindness baked into it by the warmhearted grandmother who appears in the film,

2. Spirited Away (116 votes)

Yeah, the entire plot gets started on account of cursed food, but that doesn’t mean fans don’t want a bite. “The meat that Chihiro’s parents eat right at the start of the movie looks so good,” admitted one respondent, with several others echoing the sentiment. Less dangerously, the onigiri rice ball that brought tears to Chihiro’s eyes is something that fans would like Haku to make for them too.

1. Castle in the Sky/Laputa (126 votes)

For a Ghibli film, Laputa is heavy on the action and adventure, but it’s got no fewer than three famous food scenes. There’s the stew that Sheeta whips up for the sky pirates, and also the thick hunk of meat that their leader, Dola, tears into with gusto. But the reason Laputa took the Ghibli food crown is clearly the scene in which Pazu puts fried eggs on top of thick slabs of toast for Sheeta and himself. Several survey participants cited this as the reason for their vote, and the scene is so memorable that it’s even become part of the Japanese lexicon – say “Laputa no pan” (“Laputa bread”) to someone in Japan, even if they’re not a hardcore anime fan, and there’s a pretty good chance they’ll know exactly what you’re talking about.

Now if you’ll excuse us, we suddenly find ourselves feeling very hungry, so we need to go check if the staff at Ghibli Park has the stove in the real-world Totoro house fired up.

Source: PR Times
Top image: Studio Ghibli
Insert images: Studio Ghibli (1, 2, 3, 4, 5)
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Secret unstaffed hot spring in Japan will make you feel like you’ve been spirited away

A mysterious outdoor onsen leaves a lifelong impression on two night-time visitors. 

In Japan, 26 June is Rotenburo Day (Open-air Bath Day), due to the double meanings in the syllables that make up the word “rotenburo”, with “ro” sounding like “roku” or “six”, “ten” being the word for a decimal point used between numbers, “bu” being an alternate reading of “fu”, or “two”, and “ro” being “six”, giving us the date “6.26“.

While most people would let this day pass them by without even knowing of its existence, onsen lovers use it as an excuse to get out there and take a soak in the great outdoors. Our reporter Seiji Nakazawa is one of those people, but as he was in the office working late and unable to sink into a rotenburo like he wanted, he decided to share a memorable rotenburo experience with us instead.

Having visited dozens, if not hundreds, of hot springs in his lifetime, Seiji is something of an onsen connoisseur, so for a bath to stand out for him, it has to be special. When he told us the hot spring was called Yudomari Onsen, in Yakushima — a World Heritage-listed island said to be one of the inspirations for the Studio Ghibli movie Princess Mononoke — we immediately added it to our bucket list.

▼ Yakushima is world-famous for its pristine forests.

According to Seiji, there are a couple of things that make this outdoor bath memorable, with one being the cost, because at 300 yen (US$1.87) per visit, he believes it’s one of the cheapest rotenburo in all of Japan. However, as with many special travel experiences, it’s the way he discovered the hot spring that makes it stick out in his mind, as well as the onsen itself, because it’s like nowhere else he’s ever visited.

The story begins when Seiji visited the island a couple of years back, and instead of staying in the large town of Miyanoura in the north, where most tourists tend to congregate, he stayed on the opposite side of the island, in a guesthouse in the middle of nowhere.

▼ When he arrived in the area without knowing anything about Yakushima, he found that there were no towns or private houses.

Truly in the middle of nowhere, Seiji found himself alone in the dorm until his third night there, when a guest, whom we’ll call Mr M, arrived. Seiji usually keeps to himself in shared accommodations, but his quiet surroundings made him long for company, so he found himself opening up to his dorm mate soon after meeting him. Mr M said he’d come to take photos of the starry skies, and he’d rented a car so they started talking about going somewhere together. However, the nights in Yakushima are dark and the stores close early, so by the time they got to talking about it, most of the stores had already closed.

Seiji used his phone to search for things to do nearby, and that’s when he discovered there was a really cheap hot spring in the vicinity…and it was open 24 hours a day. Seiji couldn’t believe there was a hot spring open at all hours of the day and night in such a remote location, and when he told Mr M about it, they immediately headed out to find it.

It was eerie driving along roads with no streetlights, and Seiji feared he might be spirited away by magical beings hiding in the darkness. However, sure enough, after a short drive, the two new friends arrived at their destination.

▼ Yudomari Onsen  (“湯泊温泉”)

After walking through the lit entrance, there were no other people around, and no other lights either, which made him wonder what type of onsen they were visiting. But then, as they walked further down the path, they soon found that this was no ordinary onsen — in fact, it looked more like an abandoned hot spring.

▼ Is…is it really okay to bathe here?

Feeling a flutter of excitement in his onsen-loving heart, Seiji examined the site more closely and found that it was absolutely fine to bathe here, with a box set aside for visitors to pay the bathing fee. Popping his coins in and stripping off his clothes, Seiji felt the nip of the night air and realised they were incredibly close to the shore, with the sound of crashing waves cutting through the quietness.

Slinging his clothes over a nearby rock, Seiji slid naked into the water, which felt slightly slimy and lukewarm. He could hear the sound of Mr M stripping off somewhere on the other side of the darkness, but he couldn’t see him at all, and after he heard his friend slide into the onsen, there was no other sound but the crashing of the waves in front of them.

“The stars have appeared,” Mr M eventually said after they’d been sitting in silence for a while. When Seiji looked up, he saw that the stars were indeed shining bright, although they were piercing through gaps in the clouds. “Just a little bit more,” Mr. M said, as if trying to coax them out from the cloud cover, and Seiji found himself replying, “Ah, what a shame.”

There was no real meaning in the exchange, but that was exactly what Seiji liked about it. They were just two men stopping to acknowledge the beauty of the universe around them, and though it made them feel small in their existence, there was real comfort in knowing they weren’t totally alone.

As they sat back and gazed at the stars, Seiji felt like he wanted to immerse himself in this extraordinary life forever. Before he knew it, the sound of the waves had turned into soothing background music, and he felt at one with nature and the universe.

▼ Judging by the site on Google Maps, it turns out Yudomari Onsen is really by the sea.

Two years have passed since that serendipitous night when Seiji met Mr M and struck up a friendship, and he often finds his thoughts drifting back to that blissful soak in the outdoor hot spring. It’s his way of de-stressing and remembering not to sweat the little things when busy city life gets the better of him in Tokyo, and for him, that’s the real power of this secret rotenburo.

Onsen information
Yudomari Onsen / 湯泊温泉
Address: Kagoshima-ken, Kumage-gun, Yakushima-cho Yudomari 1714-28
鹿児島県熊毛郡屋久島町湯泊1714-28
Open 24 hours
Website (Yakushima Tourist Association)

Photos ©SoraNews24
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Giant, paint-your-own Slimes appear as part of Dragon Quest public art event this summer in Yokohama

Many Slimes appear in Minato Mirai!

“A Slime appears!” is a common development in the video game realms of Dragon Quest, but it’s something that happens less often here in our world. But this summer Slimes are indeed going to be appearing in the city of Yokohama, about half an hour south of downtown Tokyo, as the city hosts the Dragon Quest Carnival in Yokohama Minato Mirai event.

Serving as venues will be Landmark Plaza and Mark Is, two neighboring entertainment complexes in Yokohama’s Minato Mirai harbor district. Both will have gigantic pubic art displays, with Landmark Plaza suspending a gigantic Slime, 5 meters (16.4-feet) in diameter in its central atrium…

…and Mark Is decorating its atrium with a “Slime Shower” above a King Slime positioned atop a Dragon Quest world map-style floor and background for immersive photos.

The festivities will include a Slime Painting Activity, where you can purchase an unglazed ceramic Slime, paint it in whatever colors you like, and take it home with you.

The 69th-floor observation lounge of Landmark Plaza, the skyscraper that rises from Landmark Plaza, will be having an exhibition to celebrate the upcoming 2D-HD remake of Dragon Quest III, with more photo spots featuring Slime and other iconic monsters from the Square Enix video game series. Landmark Plaza’s Cafe Fan Base is also cooking up some Dragon Quest monster-themed menu items, and a stamp rally, with a total of six stamp locations divided between Mark Is and Landmark Plaza, will reward those who fill out their stamp sheet with exclusive stickers showing Slime and its friends cavorting in and around famous Yokohama locations including the Cosmo Clock Ferris wheel, Akarenga Red Brick Warehouse, and Chinatown.

Dragon Quest Carnival in Yokohama Minato Mirai kicks off on July 20 and runs until August 18.

Source, images: PR Times
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McDonald’s Japan now using adorable Kiki’s Delivery Service wrappers for new burgers【Taste test】

New sandwiches look great even before you unwrap them.

In Japan, foodies don’t just want their food to taste good, they want it to look good too. Right now, though, McDonald’s Japan is adding an extra layer of visual appeal, literally, with the wrapping papers for its new Europe Burgers lineup.

What kind of visual appeal? Anime witch Kiki, from Kiki’s Delivery Service!

Though it’s most famous for its Studio Ghibli adaptation, Kiki’s Delivery Service isn’t a Ghibli original, and instead began as a series of children’s novels from author Eiko Kadano. The Kiki seen in McDonald’s short anime and ads for the Europe Burgers is a fresh design of the character from artist and animator Yoko Kuno.

All three Europe Burgers went on sale June 26, and each one comes with a different illustrated wrapper featuring Kiki and black cat Jiji mid-delivery.

Obviously, we had to have them all, so picked up a Bouillabaisse-Style Shrimp (470 yen [US$2.95])…

…a German Potato & Thick Beef (520 yen)…

…and a Peperone Juicy Hot Chicken (450 yen).

We started our taste test with the Bouillabaisse-Style Shrimp.

▼ Incidentally, the illustration’s background made us think of Marseille, the French seaside town where bouillabaisse originated.

Like all the Europe Burgers, the Bouillabaisse-Style Shrimp has a rustic-looking square bun.

Inside is a shrimp cutlet topped with lettuce. On top of the lettuce is black pepper aioli, and underneath the cutlet is a seafood sauce made from tomato, scallops, and clams. Despite all the different ingredients, though, all the flavors play surprisingly nicely together, with no harshness as they jockey for position on your taste buds, which all makes for a great sandwich.

Next up, the German Potato & Thick Beef, which comes in a farmland-scene wrapper.

As you can probably guess, this is the heaviest of the bunch. Not only do you have the beef patty, melted cheese, and grilled potatoes, there’s plenty of mustard too, so this is a great option if you’re feeling especially hungry.

And last, the Peperone Juicy Hot Chicken. The first flavor sensation here is the garlic and black pepper sauce, but while the red pepper spiciness takes a while to arrive, when it does it has a pretty strong kick.

So in the end, McDonald’s Japan’s Europe Burgers 3 for 3 in both cute packaging and great taste. Really, the only thing that would make them better is if we actually could get them delivered by Kiki.

Photos ©SoraNews24
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Three dead bodies found near summit of Mt. Fuji

Search and rescue team goes looking for missing hiker, brings back three bodies.

It’s easy to make the mistake of thinking of Mt. Fuji as some sort of safe, sterilized theme park attraction. Viewed from afar, the symmetrical slopes appear gentle and inviting, and in addition to being the symbol of Japan, it’s one of the country’s most-visited tourism destinations. Every year it attracts thousands of visitors, many of whom aren’t particularly avid outdoorsy types otherwise but who feel secure and confident making the hike to the top thanks to ample, easily available information online about the route and the mountain hut infrastructure along the way.

But make no mistake, the trek to the summit of Mt. Fuji, and then back down, is dangerous enough that it can be deadly, especially if you attempt to climb it outside of the official climbing season, and a somber reminder of that came this week when a search and rescue team went looking for a 53-year-old man from Tokyo. Last Friday, the man told his family he was heading out to climb Mt. Fuji, and he apparently accomplished that goal, sending a photo he took from the summit sometime before noon on Saturday. That was the last they heard from him, though, and when he failed to return home, the family reported him as missing.

The man had been carrying a GPD beacon with him on his hike, and the last signals it had sent had come from near Mt. Fuji’s summit crater. Using that as a starting point, search teams scoured the area, and found not one but three dead bodies.

No official statement has been made regarding the age or sex of the deceased, but with no update from the family of the 53-year-old Tokyo man saying that he’s come home, it appears likely that he is one of the three.

Morbidly, one might wonder if the three were connected by some sort of suicide pact, but the circumstances suggest that the deaths were neither intentional nor connected. All three were determined to have died from cardiac arrest and were found in separate locations, though all near the summit.

The exact chain of events that lead to the deaths is still being investigated, but it’s a certainty that climbing outside of the official climbing season significantly increased the risks the hikers were taking. As hot and humid as Japan’s low-lying regions are right now, there’s still snow on parts of Mt. Fuji, especially at higher elevations, which can make movement difficult and exhausting. More than anything else, though, hiking outside of climbing season means fewer other people, including support service personnel, are on and around the mountain. Hikers who do slip and fall, collapse from exhaustion, or encounter other problems are unlikely to be spotted by passersby, and medical help will take longer to arrive. Carrying a beacon likely gave the 53-year-old Tokyo man a false sense of security, but in the end it appears to have done nothing more than help searchers find his body after he’d already died.

Climbing Mt. Fuji outside of the official climbing season is not technically illegal. However, “not illegal” and “not dangerous” are two very different things, and anyone interested in summiting Japan’s tallest mountain is strongly encouraged to wait until the start of the climbing season, which this year comes on July 1 for trails on the Yamanashi Prefecture side of Mt. Fuji and July 10 for those on the Shizuoka Prefecture side.

Source: Teleasa News via Yahoo! Japan News
Top image: Pakutaso
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Is this 7-Eleven sign in Japan really 711 metres from the store?

Testing the integrity of the famous Japanese convenience store chain. 

When you’re driving around Japan, you’ll often spot signs by the side of the road advertising upcoming sites like supermarkets and restaurants. With drivers passing by in the blink of an eye, it often helps to have a sign that stands out, and that’s what happened to our reporter Ahiruneko when he was driving in a rural area of Tokyo’s neighbouring Saitama Prefecture.

The sign that caught his eye was one from popular convenience store chain 7-Eleven, and what made it so striking was the fact that it claimed to be 711 metres (0.4 miles) from the actual store.

The sign instantly made Ahiruneko smile, but then it got him thinking — how much truth was there to this claim? Stores have been known to gloss over the facts when it comes to promoting themselves, so after passing by the sign in February, Ahiruneko vowed to return to see if it really was 711 metres away from the store.

▼ His highly anticipated return finally took place this week, and he brought along a Measuring Wheel for verification purposes.

This handy tool has a counter inside that rotates as the wheel turns, with the distance displayed on a reader that shows the integers on the black section on the left, and the decimal points on the white section on the right.

▼ Although it’s an analogue system, it’s simple and easy to understand.

Starting from the sign, Ahiruneko headed in the direction of the 7-Eleven, trundling his wheel alongside him like a faithful puppy.

He thought he might be able to see the store from this distance, but when he looked up, it was nowhere to be seen. This made him wonder if he was actually on the right path, but trusting his instinct, he continued trundling.

Stopping to look at the display, he was dismayed to see he’d only travelled 128 metres so far, although it felt much further.

At this point, 711 metres seemed like a long way off, so he decided to look up from the display every now and then to take in the scenery around him and keep his spirits up.

▼ Ahiruneko passed by a local park…

▼…a few small businesses…

▼…and other roadside signs.

The path turned out to be scarily close to the road at points, with one hairy encounter occurring when a truck turned the corner at the same time he did.

Refusing to let the proximity to traffic deter him, Ahiruneko bravely continued on his journey, following the path by the road, seeing as that ought to be the 711-metre route indicated on the sign.

As he approached an intersection, Ahiruneko looked into the distance and finally saw…

▼ …the 7-Eleven!!!

His tired legs and parched throat had never been happier to see a 7-Eleven, and as he approached the store, he couldn’t help but let out a triumphant smile.

▼ Phew! That was quite the journey!

So…what was the distance, exactly? Looking closely at the wheel, Ahiruneko blinked in surprise to see his journey from the sign to the store actually came in at…

▼ …885.5 metres (0.5 miles)???

▼ “Whaaaa?!?”

Feeling slightly delirious from the muggy weather, Ahiruneko couldn’t help but laugh at the result. He’d actually snuck in a look at the display before arriving at his destination, so while he didn’t know what the final tally would be, he did know that he passed the 711-metre mark at…

▼…the corner where he had a close encounter with the massive truck.

Perhaps this brush with danger was an attempt by the 7-Eleven gods to stop him at that point, before he discovered the truth that the store was actually 174.5-metres further away than advertised.

▼ Shame on you, 7-Eleven.

In the end, though, Ahiruneko didn’t really mind. He figured that the store might not have the liberty of erecting signs wherever it likes, and the designated spot where the ad stands today isn’t too far off the mark, especially as the extra distance wouldn’t be that noticeable by car.

▼ Ahiruneko could feel those extra metres by foot, though, so when he rewarded himself with a bottle of 7-Eleven’s oolong tea, it tasted extra delicious.

It just goes to show that investigative reporting comes in many forms, and nothing passes by our roving reporters in Japan. Whether it’s distances advertised on signs or mysterious hand-dug tunnels in a bamboo forest, no story is too small or too obscure for our team!

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Life-size Gundam statue to appear in Osaka for first time ever

Full-scale anime mecha strikes a new pose in Kansai.

In recent years, Osaka has done a lot to establish itself as an otaku travel destination, largely thanks to Universal Studios Japan’s collaborations with major anime and video game franchises. But now comes word of Osaka’s biggest anime collaboration yet, as the city will, for its very first time, be getting a life-sized Gundam statue.

The 1:1-scale anime mecha will be appearing at Expo 2025, the upcoming word’s fair scheduled to open next year. Bandai Namco Holdings, the Gundam franchise’s rights holder, will be constructing an RX-78 Gundam, the model seen in the original Mobile Suit Gundam anime, next to its pavilion at the event.

▼ Teaser video for the Gundam Next Future Pavilion

Unlike previous life-size Gundams, the one at Expo 2025 will not be standing upright. Instead, it’ll be kneeling down with a hand outstretched towards the heavens, a pose chosen to evoke feelings of reaching for the future and outer space. The total height of the installation will be slightly over 16 meters (52.5 feet), and concept art suggests that a beacon of light will be shining behind Gundam after sundown.

Though this will be the life-size Gundam’s first trip to Japan’s central Kansai region, it won’t be the first time anyone’s laid eyes on it. The Gundam appearing at Expo 2025 is a reconfiguring of the one that, until this last spring, stood on the waterfront in the city of Yokohama, half an hour south of downtown Tokyo. A bittersweet farewell ceremony was held for the RX-78 in April before it was dismantled, but the full-size Gundam was obviously too awesome to scrap. While it won’t move at Expo 2025, the multi-jointed design is what’s allowing it to strike a new pose, making it seem even more like a gigantic Gundam figure.

Expo 2025 will take place from April 13 to October 13 of 2025, with Gundam present for the whole six months.

Source: Bandai Namco, Mantan Web via Yahoo! Japan News, NHK News Web
Images: Bandai Namco
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Netflix live-action One Piece reveals new cast members for Season 2【Photos】

Baroque Works squad members joining successful adaptation.

Netflix has pulled off a very impressive feat with its live-action One Piece. With the source material anime/manga’s over-the-top, unabashedly cartoony visual designs and fight choreography, it did not look like it was going to be an easy series to adapt, but Netflix’s One Piece is one of the rare examples of a series making the jump from anime to live-action and largely pleasing both existing fans and newcomers.

With the entire first batch of episodes releasing last August to widespread acclaim and high viewership numbers, Netflix quickly announced a second season, and while a release date is yet to be set, Netflix is providing a glimpse of what’s to come with the reveal of four new cast members for Season 2 of the live-action One Piece.

No fewer than four agents of the Baroque Works organization are slated to appear in Season 2, with Daniel Lasker as Mr. 9…

…Camrus Johnson as Mr. 5…

…Jazzara Jaslyn as Miss Valentine…

…and David Dastmalchian as Mr. 3.

▼ Mr. Dastmalchian is going to need to either grow his hair out or get a wig to become Mr. 3, we’re guessing.

Matt Owens, showrunner for Netflix’s One Piece, has also said that Dr. Kureha will appear in Season 2, though her actress has not been announced yet. Even more intriguing, One Piece creator Eiichiro Oda has promised that Kureha’s prized pupil, Tony Tony Chopper, will make his Netflix One Piece debut in Season 2, though it’s still a mystery as to whether the anthropomorphized reindeer will be represented by a costumed actor, practical effect props, or CG imagery.

Source, images: Netflix
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Onsen hot spring with Mt Fuji views has one of the best rotenburo in Japan

Bathing here is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity you don’t want to miss.

Back in 1987, June 26 was officially registered as “Rotenburo Day” (“Open-air Bath Day“) in Japan, due to a play on the syllables “ro” (which sounds like “roku” or “six”), “ten” (which is the word for a decimal point used between numbers), “bu” (which is an alternate reading of “fu”, or “two”), and “ro” (“six”)”.

In honour of this special occasion, our reporter Seiji Nakazawa has been searching high and low for the best rotenburo to introduce to our readers, and after hours of online research and lengthy discussions with friends and work contacts, the most popular recommendations all pointed to a hot spring in Shizuoka Prefecture with a glorious view of Mt Fuji.

▼ So Seiji packed a rucksack and headed out there.

The onsen hot spring is easy to get to on a day trip from Tokyo, by simply hopping on a train to Kanagawa Station and from there, taking the JR Gotemba Line to Ashigara Station in Shizuoka. The journey is incredibly relaxing, taking you out of the urban jungle and into rural fields and mountains, so that when you hop out at the station, you already feel as if time has slowed down.

Ashigara Station is unstaffed and in a quiet location, and from here it gets even quieter, as you need to follow a mountain path to get to the onsen, which is called Choumin Ikoi no Ie Ashigara Onsen (“Townspeople Relaxation House Ashigara Onsen“).

▼ Although the hot spring is generally known as “Ashigara Onsen”, the official name lets people know that this is a town-run onsen.

Just because it’s run by the town doesn’t mean it’s a cheap place in need of repair — in fact, it’s the complete opposite, because the building is clean, modern and sturdy, made of reinforced concrete. This is a town that clearly takes good care of its residents by providing them with such a fantastic-looking facility, and the modern vibe and relaxed atmosphere continues once you step through the doors.

This is where you’ll find a thoroughly modern ticket machine, where visitors pay the bathing fee (600 yen [US$3.76] for adults), and purchase any necessary extras, like razors, towels, cleansing sets and sauna hats. Bathing fees are cheaper for nearby residents, people who are members of the Shizuoka Prefecture Municipal Mutual Aid Association, and students from Koyama High School, which is right in front of the building.

The bathing fee gets you three hours in the building, which is great value for 600 yen.

That value turned out to be even better once Seiji actually set foot inside the bathing area. There was one large bath, and the sauna room was big enough to accommodate about 12 people. One entire wall of the onsen was made of glass, giving you a stunning view of Mt Fuji, and stepping out to the open-air rotenburo made Seiji gasp in delight, because the view of the mountain was absolutely breathtaking.

▼ Seiji wasn’t allowed to take photos from the rotenburo, but he says the view looked just like this photo he snapped from outside.

It’s common for sento (local public baths) around the country to have a painted mural of Mt Fuji on one wall, so to see the real thing while soaking in hot water was like a dream come true for Seiji. Making the view even more impressive is the fact that you can see the entire breadth of the mountain, right down to its base, and Seiji says it was nothing short of spellbinding.

In fact, he says this might be the first time he’s ever seen the shape of the mountain so beautifully, from end to end, and it’s a memory that will stay with him a lifetime. 

▼ Seiji, recording his feelings of awe at the hot spring location that will forever be etched in his brain.

Mt Fuji can be viewed from a lot of places, but seeing it from this distance, and with absolutely nothing obscuring the view, will make you really appreciate the true beauty of the mountain.

▼ It even looks great from the carpark.

Seiji says this is a once-in-a-lifetime experience that locals and visitors to Japan ought to treat themselves to at some point in their lives. So next time you’re looking for a jaw-dropping view of Mt Fuji, give the overcrowded Lawson a miss and head over here instead. Anyone can say they’ve taken a photo of themselves outside the Mt Fuji Lawson, but how many people can say they’ve bathed naked in front of the mountain? That’s the real Japanese experience everyone should be aiming for!

Hot spring information
Choumin Ikoi no Ie Ashigara Onsen / 町民いこいの家 あしがら温泉
Address: Shizuoka-ken, Sunto-gun, Oyama-cho, Takenoshita 456-1
静岡県駿東郡小山町竹之下456-1
Hours: 10:00 a.m.-9:00 p.m. (last entry 8:00 p.m.)
Closed Tuesdays (Open if Tuesday is a holiday, and then closed the next day)
Website

Photos ©SoraNews24
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