[DAY 2: Decorate Miyagi Traditional Handicrafts at the Zao Kokeshi Museum & Escape to the Health and Beauty Hot Spring Hotel “Yutomori Club”]

4. Zao Kokeshi Museum

For people who want to gain a deeper insight into the culture of the Tohoku region, we recommend a visit to Zao Kokeshi Museum, which is just a 4-minute drive from Daikon no Hana.

There are over 5,500 kokeshi at Zao Kokeshi Museum, with displays divided into the different regional styles and types of kokeshi. This is the largest such collection in Japan.

Kokeshi is a traditional handicraft of the Tohoku region. There are various theories on the origin of kokeshi, but they are commonly thought to have been created around the end of the Edo Period (1603 - 1867). It’s said that they originated when a woodworker living in a mountain village created them with local materials as toys for children. Kokeshi, which brought happiness to children as a toy friend to play with, have now become one of the most popular souvenirs of this hot spring region.

The wooden, hand-made kokeshi are unique for their simple, limbless torsos and large heads with line-drawn faces. The entire process is usually done by one woodworker, from cutting the raw materials at the workbench to painting the expressions on, so the expressions of the kokeshi can also reflect the maker’s imagination and style. Another interesting point is that the expressions differ slightly depending on the shape of the wood.

If you’re lucky, you may actually get to see a woodworker in the crafting process, or you can try your hand at painting your own kokeshi.

5. Health & Beauty Hot Spring Hotel “Yutomori Club”

The first day was spent at a peaceful Japanese-style inn, but the second day’s accommodation was a hot spring hotel overflowing with energy.

Yutomori Club, which stands in the 130,000 sq.m. forest that is the Zao Quasi-National Park, is anything but a simple hotel and restaurant. This is a comprehensive, sophisticated hot spring resort with a focus on health and beauty. Complete with open-air baths, accommodation, delicious food using local ingredients, tons of entertainment activities, and more, guests can spend the time here however they like.

It’s surrounded by a vast landscape of mountains and rivers, so when you open your window you’ll see nothing but nature. Yutomori Club is like a box seat for enjoying the views of the four seasons, from the cherry blossoms in spring and greenery in summer to the ginkgo trees and changing leaves in autumn and the stillness of winter.

Facilities Situated in the Vast Forest

・The Hearth Lounge

As soon as you enter the lounge, your eyes will be drawn to the hearth and large sofas in the center of the room. The sounds and smell of the crackling firewood and soft orange glow of the flames produce a supremely comforting space.

In the afternoon, coffee, tea, and draught beer are served in the Hearth Lounge, moving to liqueurs, whiskey, and brandy in the evening. You can also see live entertainment here. It doesn't get more luxurious than this!

・Bonfire Garden

In the center of the Hearth Lounge, restaurant, and guest rooms, wooden decks lead to the Bonfire Garden.

At the center is a bonfire, which is lit by the staff in the afternoon and where you can enjoy roasting marshmallows over the flames. The soft, melty marshmallows are great on their own, or you could add some chocolate chips and sandwich them between cookies to make s’mores. However you like them, this experience is a fun way to recharge.

At night when the weather is nice, you can gaze up at Zao's night sky with a warm drink and the heat of the fire.

・Yoga Forest, Yoga House

At the Yoga House with its big, glass windows, the natural light and surrounding scenery will give your body and soul a vitality boost. How about waking up early to partake in some Morning Forest Yoga? When the weather permits, the windows are opened wide so that you can feel the sounds of the mountains and streams with your whole body.

In addition to the Yoga House, there is also an outdoor Yoga Terrace. This is built along a mountain stream and can hold up to 20 people at a time. On the terrace you can read a book, sketch, or even lie down in the evening to do some stargazing.

There is also a stone contemplation space below the terrace large enough for one mat, called "Kawagarasu". You can look in the direction of the mountain stream’s flow and feel at one with nature. The presence of nature will liberate your body and soul and relieve all that built-up fatigue from daily life.

・Gift Shop “Yutomori Shop”

At Yutomori Shop, you will find things like original products from the club’s own restaurant, “Keyaki Dining Hall”, and items picked out by the staff who are Tohoku natives. Popular souvenirs include cookies, playful Japanese spinning tops, high-quality wooden tableware, and delicate glassware.

Incredibly Comfortable Rooms

There are two types of guest rooms. There is the “Komorebi Stand-Alone Villa” that has a faint scent of wood in the air and the “Sakura Villa” that commands a view of the base of Mount Zao.

Each guest room features two types of mattress for a quality night’s sleep. There is a Simmons brand mattress, which is comfortably firm and supports your body, and a cushy Sealy mattress for those who like to sleep snugly.

Each floor is also equipped with a pillow bar where you can choose from three different types of pillow (beaded cotton, feather, and folding pillows). Due to the warmth of the wooden furnishings and the great care put into the rooms, guests can spend a comfortable time in this peaceful space. Continue reading to learn about the two room types at the Komorebi Stand-Alone Villa.

・[Komorebi Stand-Alone Villa] Simmons Suite with Japanese-Style Tatami-Floored Room

If you prefer Japanese tatami-mat flooring, you should choose the Simmons suite. In addition to the approximately 13.5 sq.m. Japanese-style room and sleeping room, there is also a garden terrace and shower room (not all rooms include a shower room).

・[Komorebi Stand-Alone Villa] Deluxe 5-Bed Room

Most of the hotel room types are twin rooms, but there are also rooms for larger groups. In addition to 3-person and 4-person rooms, there is also an extravagant Deluxe 5-Bed Room that can accommodate 5 people. There are room dividers here, so even if you’re traveling with friends or family, you can still have your privacy.

Hot Springs

You can also enjoy bathing in the hot springs at Yutomori Club which draws hot spring water from the 400-year-old Togatta Onsen. There are six hot springs in total, including two large public baths and two private open-air baths, as well as the “Kawa no Yu” open-air baths beside the mountain stream. The water is gentle on the skin and helps maintain beautiful skin.

・Large Public Baths

If you choose a room without a shower room when making your reservation, try a bath at one of the large public baths instead. There is an overwhelming sense of spaciousness here, and there is a cold bath and open-air bath as well.

When in Rome, do as the Romans do. Experience the Japanese bathing culture at the public bath.

・Private Baths with Open-Air Baths

At the private baths, there are spacious indoor baths as well as open-air baths. Before getting in the water, don't forget to let other guests know on the notice board that you’re using it. Also please be aware that, for the sake of protecting the natural environment and its ecosystems, use of soaps and body washes is prohibited in these baths.

・Mountain Stream Open-Air Baths, “Kawa no Yu”

At the “Kawa no Yu” built along the mountain stream, you can experience nature surrounded by the Japanese chestnut and konara oak forest as you soak in the wide-open space of the hot spring. In the evening, you can enjoy the view of the stream as it’s illuminated by light.

The Kawa no Yu are separated into the “square” bath and “circle” bath. Each day, they rotate between male and female use at a determined time. In a corner of the square bath, you can take in the calm and refreshing fragrance of Japanese alder wood on the wooden terrace.

The unique round-tiled circle bathtub also features a low-temperature stone sauna called the “Kawa no Sauna.”

No matter which bath you visit, you can enjoy hot springs, forest therapy, and negative ions to your heart's content. However, please be aware that the use of soap and body wash is prohibited here.

Forest Activities

You may be wondering if the only thing you can do when you come to the resort is lounge around in your room. The biggest appeal of Yutomori Club is the diversity of outdoor leisure activities on offer. In addition to the morning Forest Yoga we mentioned earlier, there are also activities like horseback-riding picnics and hammocks for napping. There is a satisfying variety of activities to do out in nature.

・Afternoon Forest Stroll

This is an afternoon walk through the woods organized by the club staff. The length of the walking trail alongside the mountain stream is approximately 1.2km, and it takes about 30-45 minutes to complete one circuit.

As you walk, the staff will teach you about the natural environment and animals surrounding the club, such as the artistic stone chairs along the walking track and signs of mole burrows. If you’re lucky, you might even get to see some wild animals, like frogs, moles, squirrels, and Japanese serows.

Dining

・Afternoon Tea at the Bonfire Garden

Draught beer and handmade Zao gelato are provided here. The gelato has a sophisticated flavor and is created with the cooperation of a pastry chef and vegetable sommelier*, using seasonal fruits, vegetables, and fresh cow's milk from a Zao dairy farm.

*A vegetable sommelier is a specialist who possesses knowledge of vegetables and fruits and can impart that knowledge to consumers. They are recognized by the Japan Vegetable Sommelier Association through training and passing an exam.

We tried the strawberry milk flavor and the seasonal limited-edition mountain vegetable flavor.

・Keyaki Dining Hall

Keyaki Dining Hall is the highlight of any stay at Yutomori Club. This is the first Japanese restaurant to win the gold prize 4 years in a row of the Vegetable Sommelier Award Restaurant Class, chosen from more than 200 establishments across Japan by the Japan Vegetable Sommelier Association.

You can enjoy a diverse array of dishes, created around the idea of local production and local consumption and making use of the intrinsic flavor of each ingredient. Every day, the dishes here use over 60 different Zao vegetables and fruits, local seafood, and meat.

Forest Auberge Buffet: Dinner Buffet with a Vast Range of Options

All the necessities of a course meal are present here, including salad, ham, soup, seafood, bread, wine, sauces, grilled steak, and lamb chops. There are also desserts made on the spot. The array of dishes at the counter all look, smell, and taste fantastic and will have you stuck on where to start.

Furthermore, there are also more than 30 alcoholic and non-alcoholic drink options available. Don’t forget to try the Miyagi-made sake and farm-fresh bottled juices.

Fresh-Baked Bread Buffet: Extravagant Breakfast Buffet

A Western-style breakfast buffet welcomes you into the new day. It consists of a variety of soups, salads made with Zao-produced vegetables, fresh fruit and vegetable smoothies, freshly made omelets and scrambled eggs, popular Zao yogurt, cultured butter and cream cheese, jams, and bread. It’s almost too good to be true!