Wednesday, Sept. 13
Takeo Onsen
We decided that before going to the train station, we should
check out Takeo Onsen, the ancient hot springs for which the city is known.
A reference to this spring is made in a 1,200-year-old document. Legend
has it that Empress Jingu took a rest here on her return from a military
expedition to Korea.
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The narrow city streets, paved with tile and inlaid with mosaics,
were charming. An old lady pointed us in the right direction.
The Ryugumon (Dragon Gate) in the town center is the entrance
to the spa area and symbol of the hot springs. At the ticket booth, a woman
showed us tiny pictures of the various baths and we picked one. It was
an indoor, tiled pool, a little too hot for my liking. I could only stay
in the water for a minute or two at a time.
At the bike parking area there was a cool poster for keirin,
Japanese track bike races that people bet on like horse races.
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