A Japanese onsen, or hot spring resort, near Tokyo is offering a unique experience: a traditional hot spring as yet undiscovered by tourists and paired with an onsite restaurant offering 99 types of soy sauce.
Located in Saitama Prefecture, Ofuro Cafe Hajuju no Yu, which has the highest concentration of natural hot springs in its area, focuses on two0 things—the hot spring itself and the attached cafe, where you can nourish yourself with fermented foods after nourishing your skin with the healing waters.
The highlight of the restaurant, though, is its soy sauce bar, where 99 varieties are on hand to try. The cafe is called Restaurant Tawaraya, but the idea for the variety of soy sauce comes from the name of the spring itself: Hakuju no yu. Haku signifies ’99 years of age.’ and ‘yu’ can mean either hot water or oil, as in ‘shoyu,’ the word for soy sauce.
And, if you haven’t the time or taste to try them all, a shop on premises sells all the sauces in 100ml bottles for take home.
