I love the goodness of the freshness of the rainy season. The smell of fresh cool rain evokes a sense of beauty called ‘nature bathing’ in Japan. A new trend has been evolving with older tourist where they go out and spend time in nature all day, hence the term " nature bathing."
In my case, it is enjoying nature in a soba shop right in the middle of nature surrounding by thick lush ferns and shrubs.
The huge bottle you see is a jug full of thermal hot spring water you can drink. It is said to have curative effects for stomach issues. It smells of sulfur actually, and does not make for good drinking, but could be used in cooking.
The soba in this photo was made by the spring water here and is really good. I also enjoy having a nice hot soak in a natural spring, then having this cold beer afterwards.