Four Stories High, Up a 13m Cliff
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Hiroshi Ebisawa Architect & Associates
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Yudokoro NOBORIGUMO in Yokosuka
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Bathhouse on the hill top, reception, and restaurant |
The Onsen project started in 2001 when Japan had faced to economic stagnation in 10 years after the collapse of Japan’s overheated stock and real estate markets. Our economy was at the beginning of deflationary spiral and was in struggle with acceleration of worldwide depression caused by successive disasters around the world, such as the September 11 attacks in the US, The War in Afghanistan, and Bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), commonly known as mad-cow disease.
Amid of struggle, new openings of Onsen facilities ware not slowed down. A large scale Onsen theme park construction “Oedo Onsen Monogatari” （大江戸温泉物語）in Tokyo Odaiba was in progress.
On the contrary to Tokyo, Sano is a small town on the Miura Peninsula and there were no competitive Onsen facilities, even though the business condition of the market was not bad for Onsen. There is more than 400,000 people lived within the first categorized market zone, 1km radius from the location. Including the first market, there is close to 1.3 million of total population within 60-minute radius of driving time.
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Inner public bath and outdoor bath |
This is only one Onsen facility among many other Ebisawa’s works that existing in the center of urban area. Although, it is located in an urban area, there are many ups and downs with greenery hills surrounding it.
The hot spring was discovered accidentally, while boring for fresh water well, on a rugged hillside, just off a major traffic road.
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Outdoor bath and Resting area |
Architect, Mr. Ebisawa designed to take maximum advantage of the hill. The entrance is located at the hill’s bottom. The 4-story structure rises up on the hillside. The outdoor onsen is located on the rooftop, with a panorama view, and infinite sky above.
The owner’s family comes from a traditional samurai linage and wanted to add a historical touch of an old fortress.
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Old Nagayamon Gate and Outlook of the building |
A more than 100 years “Nagayamon Gate” （長屋門） was brought from original site and relocated on the façade of the Onsen facilty as a memory of the land.
The bathhouse is located on the 4th floor observed from the street, but it is actually a flat house on the hill top. Free from eyes outside, an environment of outdoor bath is completely reserved.
■General Information
| Name: | Sano Tennen Onsen Yudokoro Noborigumo |
| Address: | 4-5 Sano-cho, Yokosuka, Kanagawa, Japan |
| Phone: | 046-851-2617 |
| Fax: | 046-851-2644 |
| Homepage: | http://www.noborigumo.jp/index2.shtml |
| Entrance Fee: | 1,000 yen |
| Day of close: | Not specified day once in a week. |
View Yudokoro Noborigumo in a larger map
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