Hometown Stories

Season 7, Episode 23

Episode Title: Soaking Up a Hot Spring Dream

Air Date: 2018-08-05

Overview:

A barbecue near a babbling stream and a relaxing soak in a hot spring – what a blissful way to spend the day. Saki Mizushina and Tao Toyoshima run a hot spring facility offering guests such a getaway in a small settlement deep in the mountains of Tochigi Prefecture. Mizushina is a hot spring fanatic-turned-owner, and Toyoshima quit his job to help her operate the place. The couple stylishly renovated a hot spring that closed down and have spent a year making their "ideal hot spring" a reality. While their business has attracted a growing number of visitors, running it by themselves during the busy summer months has been utterly exhausting. Is it time to rethink their strategy?