A hotel in the midst of snow country
Nishiwagi town in Waga ward is located between Kitagami City, Iwate and Yokote City, Akita Prefecture. It is located in the high basin embraced by the Ou Mountains. It is a place surrounded by rich nature covered by wild beech forests and the source of Waga River. It is a genuine ”snow country” that is officially designated by the government for its heavy snowfall, with the average annual snowfall exceeding 10 meters. Due to these severe climatic conditions and the grace of snow, forests, water and living things flourish in the natural state.
Yukawa Onsen which is famous for the abundance of hot spring water, has been cherished by the people of both Akita and Iwate prefectures since the old days, as a retreat for people to gather. ”Yamado” is tucked away in the mountains a little away from this Onsen area, and is a healing resort with the concept of ”retreat” and ”LOHAS (Lifestyles Of Health and Sustainability)” suited for people who want to escape from the hustle and bustle of the day to day life, embrace yourself, or spend time with a loved one.
Hospitality of Yamado
Yamado places importance on providing a space that satisfies all of the 6 senses defined in Buddhism. They present everything that can be experienced ”seeing, hearing, smelling, tasting, touching, and consciousness”. The interior of the building expresses ”retreat” and ”LOHAS”, extending a modern space that is in harmony with the surrounding nature where you can feel the warmth of wood. The guestrooms are equipped with semi-outdoor private baths with free-flowing hot springs, and guests may bath whenever they want. Guests can spend time on the terrace or enjoy music in their room.
You can also enjoy select cuisine at the restaurant ”Fukuzenbo”. The signature mountain vegetable and mushroom that the head chef himself picked from the mountain, vegetables that are grown in their own farm, ”Yamado Farm”, and chicken that they raised themselves. They are all cooked to prepare an astonishing cuisine using Platinum pork and Iwate beef.
”There are plenty of delicious ingredients that are at its peak, and ingredients that you can only get at a certain season. We prepare food using traditional techniques, and also techniques that we developed and accumulated over the years, using the natural resources and local ingredients that have been here from the old times.” (Yoshie Kotaka, Yamado)
There are countless ingredients that they recommend but in particular ”nishi warabi”, which is a specialty of Nishi Waga-cho, and other mountain vegetables that melt in your mouth and captivate people.
Enjoying Iwate
”Iwate is a prefecture about the same size as Shikoku which includes 4 prefectures. There are many places to visit such as the coast, south and inland. It is too large to visit in a day. So we recommend taking the time and spending a few days .” (Yoshie Kotaka, Yamado)
When you visit during the winter, you will feel both the quiet world covered in snow and the warmth of the life you live, while in the spring when the snow thaws, you will see the mountain filled with flowers and hear the lively chirping of birds. This is a hotel where you can thoroughly enjoy your visit to Iwate, a place that offers the vast nature and hospitality that will fulfill your 6 senses. You will never tire of the experience, no matter how often you visit.
