Virginia Trioli Instagram – Retracing our footsteps, continued. On one of our many trips over three years of Russell living in Japan, we took the train in November 1997 to this remote, strangely gloomy but spectacular onsen in the mountains. It started snowing as we arrived, and we bathed in the hot volcanic waters under the stars and snow, hardly able to believe it was real. The food was ok then – but is now much improved. Mixed naked bathing – which was always a bit of a challenge, to be honest – is now modestly covered – but everything else was untouched and exactly the same. The river roars by you as you soak. It’s a dream. Back then I could take photos in the outside pools – today that’s strictly forbidden. The beautiful manager was astonished to learn we’d been there so many years ago, and told us that Covid had been incredibly tough, and that life still was, but she said if people kept coming back like we had then they might survive. Our son has told us he’ll never forget it. #japan #onsen ##memories #virginiatrioli