Iiwase Yumoto Onsen's 'Thatched Roof' Inn

[The steam of Heian, memories of 1200 years] The history told by Iwase Yumoto Onsen 'Thatched Roof Inn'

Nestled in the mountains of Tenei Village, Iwase Yumoto Onsen boasts a history of over 1200 years, believed to have originated in the early Heian period during the reign of Emperors Tenji and Tenmu, or perhaps discovered by Kobo Daishi (Kukai). The inn with its symbolic thatched roof is not just a lodging facility but a living time capsule that conveys the 'history of prayer and healing' from the medieval to modern times.

■ Did Yoshitsune also find healing? A post town where legends live on

This area is etched with numerous footprints of historical heroes.

• The legend of Yoshitsune and Benkei: At the end of the Heian period, there is a legend that Minamoto no Yoshitsune and his group, fleeing to Oshu Hiraizumi from his brother Yoritomo, healed their travel fatigue at this hot spring. The mountain ridges they must have gazed upon during their arduous mountain crossing still welcome travelers today in their unchanged form.
• The prosperity of the Edo post town 'Yumoto': During the Edo period, it flourished as a hidden hot spring of the Aizu domain and as a vital transportation hub connecting Niki, Iwase, and Aizu. Many of the current thatched buildings inherit the style of that time, quietly conveying the fervor of the past when samurai and merchants passed through.

■ Experience 'Eternal tranquility' under the thatched roof

The blackened beams and pillars, smoked by the irori hearth, have supported the lives of generations.

• A living cultural heritage: The thatched roof is a crystallization of wisdom that the local people have preserved with the spirit of 'Yui' (unity). When you immerse yourself in the flowing spring water beneath it, you feel as if you are blending into the torrent of time that has continued since the Heian period.

The 'soul of Japan' lost in exchange for convenience still breathes here. The sacred spring of Heian, cherished by heroes and protected by farmers. Why not embark on a journey to unravel a thousand years of history under the golden roof?