“Kasuien Minami” at Tamatsukuri Onsen hot spring – a gorgeous yet relaxing onsen resort in Matsue, Shimane (Part 1)

My grandparents live in Matsue, a city in Shimane Prefecture in western part of Japan, and I pay them a visit at least once a year. I’ve always known about a famous onsen town nearby, called Tamatsukuri Onsen — but haven’t actually had the chance to stop by and see for myself what it’s like. So, you can easily imagine how excited I was when I found out I’ll get to spend a night at one of the finest ryokan (Japanese-style inn) in this historical hot spring town.

“Kasuien Minami” at Tamatsukuri Onsen hot spring in Shimane Prefecture

Tamatsukuri Onsen is known as one of the oldest onsen in Japan, and is said to have been established over 1,300 years ago during the Nara Period (A.D. 710–794). In “Izumonokuni Fudoki,” compiled back in 733 A.D., there’s a part that describes the onsen like this: if you bathe once, your skin becomes younger; if you bathe twice, it fixes any health issues you may have. Hence why it has come to be called the “onsen of the gods.” Today, its outstanding beautifying effects are widely known and attract many visitors – especially women – from across the country.

The townscape of Tamatsukuri Onsen in Matsue, Shimane Prefecture

It was toward the end of June when I visited Tamatsukuri Onsen. I spent a night at “Kasuien Minami,” one of the most popular ryokan in this onsen town.

From the moment I got off the bus, I loved what I saw — everything was traditional, yet not too much. In other words, it was at a comfortable level of “traditionalness.”

A lantern at the entrance of Kasuien Minami
The entrance of Kasuien Minami, with a “tourou” stone lantern

The lobby was spacious and surprisingly cozy, with large, comfy sofas, and just the right amount of sunlight coming in.

From where we sat down, we could see part of the famous garden. I have to admit, I actually didn’t know that the garden at Kasuien Minami consistently ranks among the top gardens in a ranking conducted by the “Journal of Japanese Gardening,” a bi-monthly journal published in the United States. That is actually quite amazing, considering this garden is merely a part of a ryokan — not a park.

Unfortunately, though, we arrived at Kasuien Minami in the evening and left early the next day — meaning, I didn’t have time to stroll in the garden. Apparently, this is how it looks like in the twilight hours… So, if you’re interested in Japanese gardens, be sure to check it out!

At the lobby, we were served a welcome dessert — ginger-flavored gelee — and a soothing cup of tea. Such a wonderful treat after walking around in the heat and moisture of the rainy season for almost the entire day.

After receiving our key, we walked toward our room, passing by a souvenir shop selling many food, sweets and goods from all across Shimane.

We took the elevator up to the fifth floor, where our room was located. The hallway was quiet and giving off a relaxing feeling.

The room was spacious, with “hiroen,” or a broad indoor veranda, overlooking the onsen town.

We were a group of three, and I have to admit, it did feel a little tight when three futons were spread out at night. At other times, though, the room didn’t feel small at all.

At night, the table and chairs were moved to one side of the room, and futons were laid out
Big comfy chairs in “hiroen,” or a broad indoor veranda

There were baskets to put towels in and take to the public bath, one for each guest. They were very pretty, I wished I could take one home.

Hotel amenities were classy as well. I liked how toothbrushes were neatly placed in a chic basket. They were all of different colors too, making it easy to distinguish which one is whose.

And of course, one of the fun things about staying in a ryokan is savoring welcome sweets placed in the room with some hot tea. Here at Kasuien Minami, there were several types of sweets. The one in upper left corner (square-shaped sweets wrapped in a white sheet of paper with red lettering) called “En” was a specialty of the ryokan — “gyuhi,” or soft mochi, wrapped in red beans, which in turn are covered with matcha-flavored dough. It was just the right level of sweetness.

The coffee was Lafcadio Coffee, from the local Nakamura Chaho.

I was going to take a bath after dinner — which I’ll tell all about in my next entry — at one of many types of onsen (Japanese site) available throughout the ryokan, but sadly I didn’t have enough time. They close rather early — 23:00 or 24:00 at the latest.

The entrance to public baths on the first floor

So, instead, I opted for some nice hand and foot baths in a courtyard.

The day I stayed at Kasuien Minami, I walked at least 15,000 steps — you can easily guess how my legs were feeling at the end of the day. The foot bath was exactly what I needed at that moment.

You can also put your forearms into the stone bowl for a soothing hand bath.

Looking up, I saw the night sky and some stars above me. I was all by myself, in silence — which I found is a perfect way to enjoy a night in the “onsen of the gods.”

— — — — — — — — — — — — — —
Kasuien Minami at Tamatsukuri Onsen
Address: 1218–8 Tamayucho Tamatsukuri, Matsue, Shimane Prefecture
TEL: 0852–62–0331
Website:
https://www.kasuien-minami.jp/english/

For access info and map, please see here.

*** I participated in a press tour organized by Shimane-ken Kankou Shinkou-ka (Shimane Prefecture Tourism Promotion Division) from June 21–23, and am writing about my experiences while on the tour.

Aya Satoh Hoshina (ほしなあや)

Written by

Japanese-English food/travel/lifestyle writer & translator. Lived 11 years in U.S., 5 years in Thailand. 海外居住歴16年の日英バイリンガル翻訳者/ライター。元記者/編集者。Loves 食/住/旅/写真/宝塚歌劇/猫

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