山形温泉旅❄️雪深き山里の秘湯と上杉の城下町・米沢を巡る｜白布温泉｜湯滝の宿 西屋｜上杉神社

山形温泉旅❄️雪深き山里の秘湯と上杉の城下町・米沢を巡る｜白布温泉｜湯滝の宿 西屋｜上杉神社

Hello everyone! I’m Naru! I’ve come to Yonezawa and Shirabu Onsen in Yamagata Prefecture! Yamagata Prefecture is divided into four areas:
Murayama, Shonai, Okitama, and Mogami! We are visiting the Okitama area this time. It spreads to the south of the Murayama area, which has popular spots like the Zao Ice Monsters, the Taisho-romantic Ginzan Onsen, and the ancient temple Yamadera. But today we are in Okitama. This is the Okitama area we are visiting. The Okitama area is known for Yonezawa Beef (one of Japan’s top 3 wagyu) and as the castle town of the Uesugi clan! Famous spots include Uesugi Shrine, which enshrines the strongest warlord, Uesugi Kenshin, and the Toko Sake Brewery, which has over 400 years of history as the purveyor to the Uesugi family. For tonight’s accommodation, we are staying at Shirabu Onsen’s “Yutaki no Yado Nishiya”. It’s a historic hot spring opened in 1312. This is a long-established inn operating for over 700 years, and the only one in Shirabu preserving its thatched roof. The “Waterfall Bath” (Yutaki), falling from a height of 3m, is a historic bath loved by the Uesugi lords. Shirabu Onsen is connected to Tengendai Highlands by ropeway. It’s bustling as a base for trekking Mt. Nishi-Azuma in summer and for skiing in winter. So beautiful!! It’s a complete winter wonderland! Even the mountains are pure white! We’ve arrived at Uesugi Shrine! Speaking of Uesugi Shrine, it enshrines Uesugi Kenshin as a deity. Now, when you think of Uesugi Kenshin, what comes to mind? I have a strong image of him as the warlord who ruled Niigata! So why did the clan end up ruling this land of Yonezawa? Originally, the Uesugi family ruled the Aizu region with a wealth of 1.2 million koku. However, at the Battle of Sekigahara, they sided with the Western Army, and the Western Army lost. As punishment, their territory was reduced to 300,000 koku, and they came to rule Yonezawa instead! Because it was reduced to 300,000 koku, managing the Yonezawa domain was very difficult. The Uesugi family fell into financial difficulty… The person who rebuilt those finances and revived the domain was Lord Uesugi Yozan. There is a large statue of him here. Lord Uesugi Yozan implemented thorough [Thrift] and [Industrial Development]! It wasn’t during Lord Yozan’s time, but in a later era, they apparently even achieved a surplus. The shrine that enshrines Lord Yozan is this Matsugasaki Shrine. Uesugi Shrine enshrines Uesugi Kenshin, while Matsugasaki Shrine enshrines Lord Yozan. Founded in 1876, this shrine enshrines the famous Warring States general, Uesugi Kenshin. Yonezawa Castle used to stand here. It is known as the birthplace of Date Masamune and as the residence of the Uesugi clan during the Edo period. The words of Lord Uesugi Yozan. They still resonate today. Purifying body and mind at the Chozuya. Water is coming out of a tiger’s mouth!! Praying in the morning is bracing!! The pigeons are too used to people!! Established in 1902 as a subsidiary shrine of Uesugi Shrine, it enshrines the wise ruler Lord Uesugi Yozan, who revived the domain. Later, Lord Uesugi Kagekatsu, Naoe Kanetsugu, and other greats who contributed to Yonezawa were enshrined together! The shrine was nice, wasn’t it? It was. Did it have atmosphere? Yes, it did. It made me feel solemn. Because there was snow, it was even better. It felt very bracing! I realized again that the Uesugi family was truly amazing. I didn’t know at all! I didn’t know either. You knew, didn’t you? I knew because I looked it up, but before researching, I only really knew about Uesugi Kenshin. I didn’t know Uesugi Yozan was such an amazing person. It was a good learning experience. Near the parking lot, there is a souvenir shop, and I heard they sell croquettes there. Really! Nice! Apparently they’re delicious, so let’s have a snack. They weren’t selling croquettes yet,
so we’ll go to another shop first! They sell Awamanju (Millet buns)!! Anbin? In the Yonezawa dialect, it means “Daifuku Mochi” (Rice cake). We bought the Anbin (Daifuku mochi) and came back to Uesugi Shrine. This is apparently Habutae Mochi style. Is that so? I heard it’s incredibly soft. Actually, isn’t it big? It is big. For this size, 150 yen is cheap. Let’s eat. It’s so soft! Even like this. Soft! What is it like? Yum! The skin is super chewy and soft! I can tell! Just by looking. The sweetness of the smooth bean paste is delicious. Delicious! The Yonezawa Beef Bun looks good too!! Menchi-katsu looks tasty too!! But this time, I’ll go with the “Yonezawa Beef Croquette”! I got the Yonezawa Beef Croquette! It’s warm. Feels freshly fried. Let’s eat! I can taste the Yonezawa beef. Tasty! The potatoes are fluffy, and the beef is a great accent♪ Crispy. It’s delicious. Do you know Yonezawa’s “Taste ABC”? A = Apple (Tateyama Apple) A = Apple (Tateyama Apple)
B = Beef (Yonezawa Beef) A = Apple (Tateyama Apple)
B = Beef (Yonezawa Beef)
C = Carp (Koi) You just cleared “B”. Are we conquering the ABCs of Yonezawa? Hmm… Can you eat carp? Right! Eating carp is difficult! Apparently, that’s a thing here!! A long-established Yonezawa Ramen shop founded in 1972. With roots as a noodle factory, their thin, hand-crumpled curly noodles and light soy sauce soup are exquisite! I had ramen at Hirama! The noodles were super curly, and the soup was clear. It was very delicious♪ I bought some take-home noodles, so I’ll enjoy them again later. It gets quite crowded, so coming about 30 minutes early might be good on weekends. I went about 30 minutes early and was third in line. Yamagata ramen is truly delicious! I want to eat more Yamagata ramen, so please let me know your recommendations~🙏 Heading to the Sake Brewery Museum, “Toko no Sakagura”! This place has been making sake offered to the Uesugi family for a long time, so I’m looking forward to it♪ Let’s go. Soba Shop Hirama → Toko Sake Brewery
Car: Approx. 16 mins 🚗 As the official sake brewer for the Uesugi clan of Yonezawa, operated by Kojima Sohonten with over 400 years of history, this is one of the largest sake brewery museums in Tohoku. You can see the fermentation room lined with huge tanks and tools used for sake brewing! Big barrels are lined up!! Tools used in the old days are on display. Very educational! After the tour, to the shop. They sell sake you can only buy here! Want to taste some? Premium Coin
For ￥500, you can taste slightly high-end sake!! Regular Coin
For ￥300, you can taste sake!! I decided on the Regular, as it has sake I can afford to buy! (laughs) It smells so good! Smells like Japanese sake. But it might be soft. It hits at first, but then it’s mellow. Delicious! I’m not used to drinking… But, it’s tasty. I’m not used to it though… Delicious! Refreshing. What was that face at the start? The moment it goes down, it goes “Ku-!” Tasty! Easy to drink! Next, I’ll try the Gacha Gacha (Capsule toy)! It’s this one, right? You’re a gambler. Life is hard mode, so I’ll do this one. I forgot how many coins I put in… Maybe I’m a little drunk? 😇 You hand the whole capsule to the staff! What’s inside? Yay! So happy! Thank you! I won against hard life! (laughs) Yay! Happy. I got this sake from the Hard Mode Gacha. Amazing luck as always. 1,700 yen worth of sake for 500 yen. And it’s Toko! I got it. But it’s not 1st place. “Is 2nd place not good enough?” Is 2nd place not good enough!! It was a fun liquor shop with a playful spirit! 🙏 A cafe managed directly by an orchard. They pride themselves on sweets using home-grown fruit. Seasonal parfaits and impressive candy apples are popular, available for eat-in or takeout! I bought a candy apple. Wow. It looked cute and tasty, so I couldn’t resist. It’s coated in bright red candy, and it’s rock hard. The juiciness and the crispy sweetness are delicious. It’s not just apple sweetness, is it? What is it? There’s extra sweetness added. Tasty. But this apple itself is juicy and delicious too. Yum. Deliciousness multiplied by deliciousness!! Good! This is tasty. Yonezawa’s Taste ABC.
A and B are cleared!! Carp left? Did we eat B? The croquette! Delicious. This is addictive. From kids to adults, everyone can enjoy this flavor. It’s not too sweet, so adults can eat it too. Delicious!! Now that we’ve had dessert, we will go to Shirabu Onsen! It’s a hot spring area about 30 minutes from downtown Yonezawa. Among the options, today we are staying at “Yutaki no Yado Nishiya”! We’ve arrived at Nishiya! The exterior has so much character♪ A historic inn in Shirabu Onsen with a thatched main building built about 200 years ago in the Edo period. In a fire in 2000, two adjacent thatched inns were destroyed, but Nishiya miraculously survived. With its “Yutaki Bath” active for over 300 years, it conveys the atmosphere of an old therapeutic bathhouse to the present! Our room is on the 2nd floor! This is the “Seiryu” room! The room is huge. I’m surprised. There are beds, a kotatsu, and a terrace. You can relax anywhere. There are 3 relaxation zones. Relax anywhere. It has a great atmosphere. There is no toilet or sink in the room, they are shared. And no bath in the room either. A room right next to the thatched roof! Heading straight to the family bath! The hot spring is open 24 hours! 🙆‍♀️ Wow!! We’re at the family bath! There’s a tub that can fit about 6 people! There is no shower. You use the water from the tub to rinse yourself! The inside of the bathroom is covered in wood, giving it a great atmosphere! It feels like a bath from ancient times. The water… It’s not thick and slimy, but rather smooth. Smooth hot water. There are lots of “Yunohana” (mineral deposits) floating! You can really feel the hot spring components. It’s nice. Also, it is extremely hot. It might take some time to get used to it! (laughs) Wind comes in through the gaps in the window, making it feel nice and easier to bathe. It’s paradise. Dinner is in the large banquet hall! “Obanzai” (side dishes) are buffet style♪ Drinks on the left are free!! Highballs and Shochu are also free!! 😳 This time, we chose the Yonezawa Beef Shabu-Shabu Course! Let’s eat! There are so many side dishes! Choosing the Obanzai was fun! And drinks are free? Amazing! It’s all-you-can-drink! There are paid ones too, though. I’ll start with the Obanzai. The Landlady’s handmade “Chicken Ham with Plum Paste”. It’s moist and so delicious! All the Obanzai are tasty! They are good? They have a nice homemade feel. This tofu and chicken thick sauce dish is super yummy!! It feels gentle. Feels like I’m here for a health cure (Toji). Since you can choose the amount freely, it’s great. You can take as much as you like. How is Toko’s sake? It’s easy to drink. Very drinkable. I didn’t expect to encounter it here too. Truly! Hiyajiru (Cold Soup) is apparently a traditional Yonezawa dish. Never heard of it. Lots of… There are lots of vegetables in it. Looks good. There’s wasabi in it too. It’s cold! Just like the name says. Yup! Delicious! The veggies are crunchy, and the fried batter bits are crispy. Tasty. Yamagata has an image of “Imoni” (Potato soup), but they have Hiyajiru too! Is Hiyajiru a Yonezawa thing? Maybe so! Yonezawa Beef. It’s here! We had it in a croquette, but this is the first time eating it as meat. Looks delicious. The “B” of Yonezawa! Looks so good!! Soft!! Did it surpass Omi Beef? You shouldn’t compare. Isn’t it a light sweetness? It feels light. The fat is sweet. Delicious. I really love shabu-shabu. Yummy!! I feel like I could eat endless slices! It’s light! The fat is light and tasty!! Eh! It’s so delicious! You can add more meat for an extra fee♪ Going to eat breakfast! We pick the Obanzai freely! Onsen egg and Natto. The Tsuyahime rice is shining♪ Buffets get you excited, don’t they! They really do. I’m happy I can choose my own portions. I took too much. Is this tofu? Is this also the landlady’s handmade soy sauce? Ginger Tsukudani (boiled in soy sauce). Delicious! Contrary to how it looks, it’s sweet! This is good. The tofu is firm and tasty! We came to the front desk! There was a cute cat!! There is free coffee and tea at the front desk! The hot spring was really good. It was~! Truly! Was it Yutaki? The main bath is called Yutaki. It was amazing. The hot spring water flows like a waterfall from above, and that becomes the indoor bath water. It was flowing all the way outside. Flowing outside. The water must be abundant. It makes you feel the abundance. Really. Plus, over there, the ceiling and such… It was kind of open. How do I say it? It’s not airtight. Because of that, the wind comes in, making it not too hot, so it was incredibly good. I think it’s recommended for this season. It really is paradise. It was paradise. I also did waterfall training. It was heaven. At the times I went, there was really no one else, so I was all alone. Since it’s open 24 hours. You can go at night too. Right, right, right. You can go at night. Hot springs are best in winter. The building is old, but it’s well maintained, so it’s clean and not inconvenient at all. It’s a bit cold, because it’s an old building, but the hot spring is there for that reason. Makes you want to enter many times. It’s 24 hours. If you warm up and sleep, there is no problem. We checked out of the inn. We parked the car at the free parking lot in Shirabu Onsen and will look around the hot spring town a bit. There are souvenir shops, so we’ll go check them out. It looks like rain, but it should be fine. Let’s go. I also want to go to the day trip bath at “Nakaya Bekkan Fudokaku”! The souvenir shop wasn’t open… I’m curious about the Milk Cake… I really feel again that this is a region with heavy snow. Apparently, you can also enjoy tasting. There is a Shirabu Great Waterfall too, right? Seems like it. But you can’t go in winter. Would be nice to go in summer! Again. Beyond this hot spring town, there is a highland called Tengendai Highlands. You can use the ropeway to climb Mt. Nishi-Azuma. The weather looks bad, so we can’t go. I thought about just riding the ropeway, but since the weather is bad, I decided against it this time. Going in summer would be nice too! If we stay at this hot spring and go home, autumn seems good too! The autumn leaves were incredibly beautiful. The autumn foliage season might be good too. Due to a fire in 2000, Nakaya and Higashiya were destroyed.
However, Higashiya was rebuilt!! A water wheel (Yuguruma) stands on the former site of Nakaya. The water wheel was stopped. Shall we go eat lunch? There seems to be a soba shop, so let’s eat there before heading back. Delicious!! So yummy! The chicken stock is strong and super tasty. Specialty shop level deliciousness. Delicious. This makes me want to make rice porridge with the leftover soup. It’s super tasty. It was a gentle flavor and delicious♪ The “O-taka Poppo” (Carved wooden hawk) Blue Sign, also called the old Twitter bird. Thank you for watching!

冬の山形県、米沢を旅してきました！
まずは上杉神社へ！
凛とした空気の中、歴史を感じながら参拝しました！🙏
雪景色も風情があってとても素敵でした❄️

ランチはラーメン王国・山形ならではの一杯を！🍜
改めて山形ラーメンの美味しさを実感しました😋

そして宿泊は、開湯700年以上の歴史がある白布温泉へ！♨️
歴史ある茅葺き屋根の宿と、温かいお湯に心から癒されました☺️

皆さんの旅プランの参考になったら嬉しいです！🙏

📕 目次
00:00 オープニング
2:34 上杉神社
13:17 そばの店ひらま
15:05 酒造資料館 東光の酒蔵
22:21 湯滝の宿 西屋

📍訪れた場所
ーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーー
上杉神社
https://maps.app.goo.gl/1CScAvPFJamx4nkT7
大黒屋餅店
https://maps.app.goo.gl/tJtZuYc5ZMJXqejD6
デリカテッセン 米沢コロッケ
https://maps.app.goo.gl/PrHrizc2F1WW6n499
そばの店ひらま
https://maps.app.goo.gl/RUF3B2ATw8sHieEh7
酒造資料館 東光の酒蔵
https://maps.app.goo.gl/HfAMnWgHpYBBTLma9
よってってcaffe
https://maps.app.goo.gl/AVUeHpDizR4fCaQY7
湯滝の宿 西屋
https://maps.app.goo.gl/BfiajfBXvjBtSUFH9
そば処 吾妻軒
https://maps.app.goo.gl/FGdvSNEgQrkV55Rz6
ーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーー

🏨湯滝の宿 西屋
https://nishiya-shirabu.jp/

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📝撮影日
2025/12/6-7

#なるまさ #山形県 #白布温泉