Hida-Furukawa
This is a pretty little town in Nagano prefecture about
200 miles directly north of where I live in Hamamatsu.
Lake Hamanako, Hamamatsu. Although this photo shows just a
sliver it's actually the third largest lake in Japan; it has an estuary
connecting it to the ocean and is a mixture of salt and fresh water. We often go hiking
up there. There are usually great views out over the lake and all the way to
Hamamatsu city and the ocean.
An old-fashioned Japanese "Sento" or public bath
just around the corner from my house. 350 yen for a bath.
The door to the left is for men the right women. The
big character in red ”ゆ” (yu) means "hot water" and the smaller
characters below on the flag on the right ”女湯” (on na yu)
literally means "women's hot water." The men's sign is there
but obscured by the fluttering flag. The changing areas and baths
are separated and there is a small common area. These small
neighborhood sento are kind of a dying breed as of course everyone has
baths in their homes now. Another big dent in their business has come
from the huge "super sento" with all kinds of different baths, sauna rooms,
massage areas and restaurants attached. If you saw the great
Japanese movie "Departures" （おくりびと）you may remember there
were a few scenes at a public bath very much like this one.
Hamamatsu Castle. Not a very impressive castle but in a
good location surrounded by a very a nice park.
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