ANOTHER TOURIST SPOT IS GENBIKEI GORGE ON THE IWAI RIVER. THIS QUIET WATER DOES NOT GET THE ATTENTION THE DOWNSTREAM....

...NARROWER AREA GETS.

THE BEDROOMS OF THE  RIVERSIDE HOTEL, ITSUKUSHI-EN, HAVE NICE VIEWS OF IT. AND THE ROOM SIZE IS A TYPICAL 8-MAT ONE, WITH A NARROW ENGAWA BETWEEN THE WOOD AND PAPER DOORS AND THE EXTERIOR GLASS ONES. A TEA SET, IN ITS ROUND BOX, WITH HOT WATER POT NEAR-BY, AND, OH YES, A TV ARE ALSO QUITE TYPICAL.

THE INTERIOR HOT SPRINGS TUB IS RATHER TYPICAL AS WELL...THOUGH THE LACK OF GUESTS MADE ME WONDER HOW THE HOTEL IS DOING.

HOT SPRINGS HOTEL ARE KNOWN FOR THEIR MULTI-DISH MEALS...HOW MANY THINGS CAN YOU IDENTIFY?

THE GIFT SHOP HAD A DISPLAY OF CAST IRON POTS ("TETSUBIN") USED TO HEAT WATER, AND THEN THE WATER IS POURED INTO A CERAMIC TEA POT OR BOW TO MAKE TEA. A LOCAL VERSION, THE NANBU TETSUBIN, IS WIDELY USED IN "WAY OF TEA".

LIKE MUCH OF RURAL JAPAN, TOHOKU IS SUFFERING FROM VARIOUS ECONOMIC ILLS: LOSS OF JOBS, LOSS OF POPULATION TO LARGER MORE VIBRANT CITIES, LOSS OF GOVERNMENT PATRONAGE. THIS HAS LED TO CLOSED RETAIL ESTABLISHMENTS IN DOWNTOWNS AND THE TERM "SHUTTER STREET" HAS ENTERED THE JAPANESE LEXICON. 

SO IF YOU HAVE EVER WANTED TO TRY YOUR HAND AT RUNNING A SOBA NOODLE RESTAURANT, HERE IS ONE FOR SALE!