​Megumi no Yuis located in Kakamigahara City, Gifu Prefecture. It is loved by many people as a public bath with an extraordinary commitment to herbs, such as using herbs grown in-house in the baths, saunas, and restaurants.

In October 2022, “Yuyu Soso GARDEN & FACTORY” will open on the premises. We also interviewed them about their thoughts behind the opening of the new facility.

Surrounded by the scent of herbs
Relax in "Nemuriyu"

Established in 1996, Megumi no Yu benefits from the natural water ”Gozensui” from Kakamigahara, which was praised by Princess Kazunomiya during the Edo period.

This natural water is composed of natural water soaked in mineral-rich Kuroboku soil and subsoil water from Mt. Ontake. The ceiling in the bathroom is high, and the indoor bath is very open.

"Medicinal herb baths", in which herbs harvested from the foothills of Mt. Ibuki are floated in the bath, have been appearing irregularly for some time, and have been well-received. In 2018, the company began growing its own herbs and began offering herbal baths at all times. At this time, "herbs" became a full-fledged identity of Megumi no Yu.

"We rebranded the store to be more widely used by a wider range of people, while still respecting the local residents who have been using the store for a long time," says general manager Motoyuki Namikawa.

Nemuri-yu, a men's bath

Nemuri-yu, a women's bath

The place where you can feel the healing effects of herbs the most is "Nemuri-yu" in the open-air bath area.

The medicinal herb bag is placed on the side of the head, so you can feel the scent more. The mugwort used on this day was “Mugwort”. The water temperature is lukewarm, so you can relax and enjoy the bath.

Admire “Megumi no Yu” from the perspective of a sauna lover

The sauna is one of the largest in the prefecture for both men and women, and the auto loyly every 30 minutes between 8:30 and 21:30 allows visitors to enjoy the aroma of hot steam and aromatic water.

In addition, the "Fresh Herb Loyly" held on Wednesdays, Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays is attracting particular attention due to the sauna boom. Fresh herbs collected in the fields and at the Green House are introduced, and the sauna room is enveloped in a fresh aroma.

The herb used on this day is "Apricot Geranium". It can be expected to have effects such as improving blood flow, and is said to be good for relieving swelling and sensitivity to cold.

When water is splashed on the sauna stones, a pleasant sizzling sound is heard, and the subtle aroma of steam and herbs rises up, creating a very peaceful feeling. The herbs to be used that day are displayed in the refrigerator next to the entrance and in the fresh herb storage room in front of the bathroom, raising expectations for the "Fresh Herb Loyly" before bathing.

In addition to the relaxing effects of the herbs, the sauna room is also very hot, and in addition to the hourly auto-loyly, a small amount of water is automatically applied to the stones every 10 minutes or so to adjust the balance of temperature and humidity (this is called "intermittent loyly").

After all, you want to sweat a lot and feel refreshed in the sauna, right? I can understand why it is supported by many sauna lovers.

As mentioned above, the water bath using the high-quality natural water "Gozensui" from Kakamigahara was of course the best.

The well water is around 16 degrees Celsius, so you can stay in as long as you like. The water is naturally flowing from the well, and after you have sufficiently washed off your sweat, you can dive in head first (men only).

The author's personal recommendation as a resting space after the sauna or cold bath is the space under the roof where the Nemuri-yu, which I introduced earlier, is located.

“Nemuri-yu” has a structure that traps the scent of herbs, so you can fully enjoy the scent even where the chair is placed.

The gentle breeze and the scent of herbs will invite you to the best "revitalization".

After taking a bath, head to “Megumi no Shokudo”, which has a cafe-like atmosphere.

Our recommendation is the chicken curry (from 880 yen)! This authentic dish uses about six kinds of spices to gently warm the body from the inside after it has been warmed by bathing.

The seasonal vegetable curry (1,050 yen) is also recommended. In winter, sweet potatoes, potatoes, lotus root, broccoli, etc. were topped.

Baby leaves and dill grown at GREEN HOUSE are sometimes used in the salad that accompanies the curry.

At Megumi no Yu you can say that "even tasting the curry is part of the enjoying the sauna".

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