A lot of foreigners are now gathering at a secluded hot spring inn in Aomori Prefecture, which is seven hours away by train or bus from Tokyo. Why is this inconvenient hot spring inn, where electricity and mobile phones are not available, so popular? ■ A fantastic view spreads...Lake Towada, Oirase Gorge At 7:30 a.m., a long line forms at the bus stop in front of Aomori Station. From what I can hear, most of them seem to be foreign tourists. Their destination is about two hours by bus. Lake Towada, which straddles Aomori and Akita prefectures. Bordered by deep virgin forests, the divine view of the cobalt blue light is also known as the "mysterious lake." The clear water flowing from the lake creates the Oirase Gorge. On the approximately 14-kilometer promenade that runs parallel to the stream, large trees create a green tunnel, and sunlight filters through the trees, creating a fantastic view. The autumn leaves will be at their best in the latter half of this month, and the red and yellow leaves will reflect in the clear stream, creating a charming view that is just like a Japanese garden. A tourist from Australia: "The river and lake here are unbelievably beautiful and untouched." A tourist from Hong Kong: "It's so, so beautiful. You'll never see anything like this in Hong Kong." The famous spot of Oirase Gorge is "Ashura no Nagare." It was named after the way the water flows violently through the dense trees. Its majestic and mysterious beauty attracts many people. The waterfall that roars down is the Choshi Otaki waterfall, the largest waterfall in the main stream of Oirase Gorge. It is about 7 meters high and 20 meters wide. Many tourists were attracted to the waterfall because they could get very close to it. A tourist from America: "It's wonderful to be alive. You can see such a view." "Everyone goes to Tokyo, Kyoto, and Osaka, but you should definitely go to a small town. A place like this." ■ Accommodations with no electricity or internet are popular The destination for foreign tourists is even deeper in the mountains. It takes about 7 hours from Tokyo by bullet train, conventional train, and bus. Lamp no Yado Aoni Onsen is a hot spring inn located near the Aoni Valley, almost in the center of Aomori Prefecture. There are no famous places or tourist attractions nearby, and it is a lone inn surrounded by mountains on all sides, making it a truly "secret inn." In winter, the snow piles up to 2 meters, and the only road leading to the inn is closed to general vehicles. It can only be reached by a special bus. As the name Lamp no Yado suggests, the only light in the inn is from kerosene lamps. 95 years after the inn's establishment, the gentle light of over 100 lamps continues to illuminate the inn. There is no electricity in the guest rooms, so there are no TVs or air conditioners. The only light is from a single lamp. Furthermore, the biggest reason why this place is called a secret place is that there is no cell phone or Internet connection at all. A guest from Tokyo said, "It would be a lie to say there are no problems, but I think it's good. I haven't had any contact from work either." Despite this inconvenient inn, it has been selected 17 times out of 25 times as one of the "250 Most Popular Hot Spring Inns" selected by travel professionals such as travel agency employees. Approximately 13,000 guests visit the inn every year, but recently the number of foreign guests has been increasing. A guest from Taiwan said, "The walls, the paintings, the lamps. It's so beautiful and wonderful." A guest from Monaco said, "It's so sophisticated, it's cool!" A guest from the United States said, "Not only the light (from the lamps), but the smell of the oil creates a good atmosphere. It's the best!" ■ "Adventure" The traditional inn style... On this day, there were 7 Japanese guests, but there were 21 foreign guests, which is three times as many as the Japanese. Why have so many foreigners come to visit this inn in a remote area? Lamp no Yado Aoni Onsen Manager Isurugi Hisashi: "I don't know the exact reason at all. To be honest. I don't use social media, or rather I can't because I don't have an internet connection. I think it's mostly because the guests who came thought it was a good experience and spread the word." On social media, foreigners who visited the inn commented, "It's one of the most unique experiences you can find anywhere in the world," "The 48 hours at this inn were a perfect escape from everyday life," and "If you visit Tohoku in Japan, you should definitely experience this." A couple from Belgium was using AI to plan their trip to Japan, and Aoni Onsen was suggested as a recommended inn. A couple from Belgium: "(Q: There's no electricity, TV, or internet