月岡温泉の清風苑 2-1
Kitty-chian and Pikachu in Tsukioka Onsen, Niigata
Can we be in any doubt as to the identity of two of Japan’s most famous figures……Hello Kitty and Pikachu warm the hearts of young fans around the world. In Tsukioka Onsen, using my smiling face to make friends, I found a Kitty-chian and Pikachu to warm mine!
Tsukioka Onsen, located in Niigata Prefecture is rumored to be the number one sulfur hydrogen spring in the region, not an easy reputation to earn in a country where hot springs dot the landscape and are viewed as one of the nation’s oldest and finest institutions! The composition of this hot spring, the elements it contains within, are rumored to be very special indeed! Tradition holds that Tsukioka Onsen produces beauty of such an exquisite nature that people will travel from far and wide to catch a glimpse of it. The combination of sulfur, sodium and other mysterious natural substances are claimed to turn a woman’s skin dazzling white and make it glow with a remarkable brilliance.
Tsukioka Onsen went unnoticed for hundreds of years and was only discovered when profit seekers went in search of another precious fluid. When drilling for oil, the local inhabitants made a discovery that would bring the region fortune but not in the way they expected. After drilling three hundred meters below the surface, they almost gave up when they still had not found oil but then they struck gold or a substance perhaps even more valuable. They had untapped the source of rich sulfur infused water that was to become as beneficial to health and beauty as oil would have been to the drilling company.
According to local folklore and legend a lone heron, wounded and unable to fly happened upon the spring and limped over to find some comfort from the warmth of the warm waters. It bathed its injured limbs in the spring, drank its cloudy fluid and was cured. It flew away and told all who would listen, of the healing properties of the water in Tsukioka. From that day on, local residents and visitors from all over Japan have traveled to bathe in this ‘Magic’ onsen. Whether afflicted by bee stings, mosquito bites or other uncomfortable ailments, as long as they bathe in the waters, the itch and discomfort will disappear.
Interested in the rumors about this spring and eager to test this sulfurous water himself, a learned doctor tested the water drawn from the spring and concluded that it did indeed contain many beneficial properties. He suggested that not only could the water whiten and soften skin, it could warm the body and soul in the water and help to keep cool in the summer. He also believed that the combination of elements could aid mankind in the quest for longevity. Bathe in the waters from time to time, he suggested, and you will live a long and healthy life.
With such an endorsement, I was intrigued and vowed to travel to Tsukioka myself to see if the waters could slow down Spa Lady Windy’s aging process! This beautiful hot spring became one of the locations of my now infamous training. In 1999, through diligent searching and the recommendation of my kind friends, my application was accepted at four hot spring resorts. Tsukioka Onsen was one and that is where my story begins today. Hotel Seifuen, where I was lucky enough to begin my nakai-san (waitress) training is one of the top 50 hot spring resorts out of a selection of over 80,000 excellent properties in Japan. It was an excellent place to begin my training in this profession that is almost an art form.
My first evening in those beautiful surroundings was spent as a warmly welcomed VIP guest. I slept in the most luxurious room, feasted on the finest foods and sipped the best sake with the president little knowing how great was the transition to come! The second night found me in the waitress dormitory with girls more than half my age. It wasn’t quite like being sent from the protection of heaven to the fiery depths of hell but it certainly felt like I was a princess who had been doomed to become a common man, like Cinderella who has found her prince only to have him cruelly snatched away. I was miserable. I cried all night as I wondered why I was doing this. I was not naïve, I was a travel writer with over twenty years' experience, I could do this! Yet I had never lived in Japan, I had never had to spend twelve hours a day toiling next to local Japanese girls that had no conception of the life I normally led. I WAS scared.
