Yurara Muikaichi Onsen

Another rural onsen with impressive value for money

Yurara Muikaichi Onsen (むいかいち温泉ゆ・ら・ら) is down in the furthest south part of Shimane (Yoshikacho) on the border with both Yamaguchi and Hiroshima prefectures. As with Kaze no Kuni, which I recently wrote about, this is not an onsen that is particularly famous, historic or in a glamorous location. Perhaps as a result it offers the onsen experience at a considerable discount to that available at better known locations.

Why Visit?

Unlike Kaze no Kuni, Yurara is very much in a place that is worth stopping at as you go from one place to another. It’s directly on the path from Iwakuni to Tsuwano and then potentially Hagi and other historical parts of Yamaguchi. So if you are doing a tour of Hiroshima and Yamaguchi then this is a good place to stop off as it is almost certainly cheaper than hotels/ryokans in Iwakuni or Tsuwano

It is also not far from a lot of very spectacular scenery and I particularly recommend visiting during when the leaves are changing in late October/November. We visit to go hiking and/or cycling regularly to enjoy this scenery

Oidani Rice Terraces (大井谷棚田)

You can drive to see Nagasekyo (長瀬峡) and adjacent Fukatanikyo (深谷峡) gorges and in a different direction the Oidani Rice Terraces (大井谷棚田) and the accidental geyser behind Kibedani Onsen¹. Not much further away are the various Hikimikyo (匹見峡) gorges which you can drive to/through - although be aware that Rt 488 between Hikimi and Yoshiwa/Hatsukaichi is, as far as I know, firmly shut for part of the route in Urahikimi (裏匹見峡) gorge, despite google and other mapping services claiming that it can be driven. If they do reopen it I still don’t recommend driving it because google streetview shows an extremely narrow windy unused road! The Prefectural Rt 42 between Yoshika and Hikimi is also narrow and windy, but it is used and has some spectacular views at the right time of year.

Sandankyo (三段峡)

A little further away there is Sandankyo (三段峡) gorge (which you can drive to and then walk), and Mount Shinnyuzan (深入山). Both of these, and Hikimi, are well worth visiting when the leaves are changing.

One of the wterfalls in Jakuchikyo

If you are willing to hike then Jakuchisan (寂地山) and related mountains (Yoshiwa Kanzan, Kogorozan) and gorges (e.g. Jakuchikyo - 寂地峡) is well worth it. I’ve hiked most of them at different times and recommend them - they aren’t particularly technical but I strongly recommend using Yamap or similar to help with route finding and navigation. There’s also Azojisan (安蔵寺山) the highest mountain in Shimane at all of 1263m - if you do hike this I recommend starting from the Prefectural Rt 42 entrance, although it does involve more of a climb than the other one.

Access

Again, as with Kaze no Kuni, you have to drive to get here. Yurara is about a kilometer from the Muikaichi exit on the Chugoku expressway (E2A), just follow the signs to pass under the expressway and then right at the traffic light and you’re there. If you come from Iwakuni just drive along the scenic Rt 187 by the side of the Nishikigawa river. If you come from Tsuwano you can either drive up over the pass (mostly via Prefectural Rt 226 signed Yoshika and Chugoku Expressway but turn right off 226 when the signs say to because while 226 will get you there it gets very tight and windy, while the other road goes through a tunnel to avoid that section) or driving north to Nichihara on Rt 9 and then turning right on Rt 187. If you come from Masuda just take Rt 9 to Nichihara and then 187. There’s also the attractive Rt 186/Rt 434 drive more or less paralleling the expressway from Akiota/Hatsukaichi, but probably only do that if you are planning to do some hiking such as climbing one of the mountains on the way (e.g. Jakuchisan - 寂地山 - or Yoshiwa Kansan - 吉和冠山)

Facilities

In addition to the obvious baths and restaurant there’s not a great deal. There is an adjacent Michi-no-Eki which will sell you local vegetables (do consider the wasabi if they have it, otherwise probably pass) and the like. There’s also a small souvenir shop inside the onsen which you can also probably avoid. The rooms are quite nice, though not as modern as the ones at Kaze no Kuni. In winter the tatami rooms (washitsu 和室) have a kotatsu that you can enjoy putting your legs in to stay toasty warm. We stayed on a snowy evening and the kotatsu was great

Washitsu room with Futons and Kotatsu

Baths

The baths have various bathing pools and a steam room inside and one rotemburo outside.

source

The highlight, IMO, is the outdoor rotemburo which I have sampled various times throughout the year. Very pleasant at all times even when (see below) there’s snow around and it’s roughly freezing

Restaurant

When you book a room you can choose one of the course menus or you can simply show up and eat. We’ve always chosen the course because it is amazing value for money.

Compared to Kaze no Kuni this is simpler fare; there’s generally less attempt at gourmet flourishes and the service seems to be pile it all on the table at once no matter that there’s barely room. But there is generally a lot of it, and it tastes good too.

not pictured - deep fried oysters and desert

Breakfast is also on the generous side. The only negative is that sometimes the breakfast coffee is very cooked.

Breakfast

All in all a good value for money place to stay, and an excellent place if you like nature and want to experience the real “Inaka Japan”

1. Not totally clear on the story here, but I think they were trying to enlarge the flow of water for the onsen and things went wrong. Anyway the result is a free tourist attraction