Japanese May 2, 2005: Nagayu spa
	It is a mid-day of the large scale consecutive holidays today. I wanted to go out to view the fresh green. After taking lunch in home, I headed to Nagayu spa in Naoiri town of Taketa city. The spa is famous for its concentration of sodium carbonate, the highest in Japan.
The spa is located along Serikawa river in the foot of Kuju mountain range. In the riverbed is an open hot spring bath tab called Ganiyu. It was unusual that I could see two males were actually bathing in the rock tab.
	Nagayu spa has a long history over 1,000 years,In a feudal domain, a special spa tab was constructed for the feudal lord use. Today, everybody can enjoy spa here newly constructed site. Lime rock grows like this where spa flows into the river.
"A praying mantis followed me until I arrived the inn."	"The hot spring warms me only in the dawn."
Nagayu spa has long been a resort of famous writers and artists. Many literary monuments are here and there in the street. Above two monuments are of Santouka Taneda, a poet, in 1930 May.
A Haiku monument by Ken Kaikou was embedded on the wall of an old inn. Other many famous poets like Tekkan & Akiko Yosano,Ujou Noguchi,Katai Tayama, and Hekigodou Kawahigashi.
	"Your Excellency Spa" stands along Serikawa river. The green was very beautiful around the spa.
The welling up amount and content of sodium carbonate are two major reasons that Nagayu was nominated as the top class spa. Nagayu has established a relationship with some spa cities in Germany. People can drink spa water just like European spas do.
	At the entrance of Your Excellency Spa are some monument plates in commemoration with the friendship with German spa towns.
Barden Barden monument plate in 1994. I will guide Mr. Klaus and his friend from Germany to here without fail when he visits Japan next time.
Happy ducks in the river.
	Azalea still blooms here beautifully.
Wild wisteria in the green bush. Ebine orchid under the eaves.
	Long staying type spa was restored last year as "Tempu-Ann." The design is of early Shouwa era. Guest rooms are on the second floor.
Souvenir shops.
	We were served with tea and just boiled wild vegetable snack. It was very good.
Thank you very much for your courtesy. Rice paddies nearby were ready for rice-planting.
	Beautiful wild flowers.
Dandelion fluff started their long journey.
	A new spa building was under construction as a part of Daimaru Inn for the first time in 40 years. The name of "Ramune", soda drink, came from a travel record by Jirou Osaragi in 1934. He introduced the spa like that because small bubbles attached on the skin when bathing. The temperature of Nagayu soda spa is above 40 degrees C, rare in the world.
Rojin Furnace nearby attracted me. Mr. Tanaka, the owner, kindly explained about his works. Beautiful ceramic plates on the entrance were his works as well.
	In the end, we drank soda spa.
Naoiri Town homepage	Nagayu spa homepage