🏨 Waka no Yado Wakatsumiya

The local poet Saito Mokichi (1882-1953), active during the Taisho to Showa periods, once praised the Zao Mountain Range, which was selected as one of the "One Hundred Famous Mountains of Japan," and is famous for its "Zao Juhyo" (frost-covered trees). Located at the foot of the mountain, Zao Onsen is well-known for "Waka no Yado Wakamatsuya," which has ties to Mokichi. Wakamatsuya's hot spring boasts an astonishing flow rate of 72 tons per minute from its own source. It features an outdoor bath carved from an 18-ton massive rock and family baths available for private use, allowing guests to enjoy the flowing spring water, which is beloved for its skin-beautifying properties. The dinner and breakfast meals use a large amount of seasonal Yamagata ingredients. In particular, the dinner featuring Yamagata beef and the kaiseki meal "Yamagata Shun Tsumugi Zen" are highly praised for their exquisite flavors. The inn is situated on a high plateau, offering breathtaking views of the Zao Mountain Range from the windows, making it an excellent location. Guests can enjoy leisurely moments in either traditional Japanese or modern Western-style rooms. In the room connected to Saito Mokichi, paper and pens are provided, and his poetic thoughts are displayed in the "Yukokuchi Galerie" and throughout the inn. Healing both body and mind in the hot springs and beautiful scenery, composing a poem as a memento of the trip is also a delightful idea.

A hot spring inn with a view of the Zao Mountain Range, one of Japan's 100 famous mountains. Enjoy the natural hot spring with a flowing source in the outdoor bath. Dine on dishes made with Yamagata beef and a variety of seasonal local ingredients. Stay in an inn connected to the poet Saito Mokichi, read a poem, and write it on a piece of paper in your guest room.