さこ・Sako
This hamlet is the hub of the village where most administrative centers are located. Everything here was constructed after the construction of the Otaki Dam and the Yoshino river was flooded. Consequentially, this new development feels a bit like a Potemkin Village. On the small stretch of road here you will find the town hall, a police station, a bank, a post office, the local health clinic, a barber, a rest area (道の駅）, a restaurant, and Kawakami’s Suginoyu Hotel and Hot Spring (杉の湯ホテル）。
This hot spring is one of the best in the village and has a very clean environment with an outdoor bath that overlooks a mountain on the far side of the river. It is open year-round and provides a great view of nature during any season. There are two separate outdoor baths with different styles and which one is given to men or women alternates daily.
If you’re looking for a snack or a gift to take home, there are gift shops at both the rest area and in the hotel lobby. The hotel has a restaurant and open seating were coffee and other drinks are served. In warm months, a vegetable market is set up in front of the Post Office every Sunday. When the Sunday market is open you can buy local produce and try charcoal-barbecued river fish, Amago. The taste is incredible. Note: This market is currently postponed due to COVID19.
There is a public restroom located at the rest area and food tickets are sold at a vending machine that can be redeemed at the food counter. Free public WiFi is available in this parking lot. If reception is low, try moving to the parking lot in front of the Post Office.
Be sure to try the local Nara specialty, Kakinohazushi 柿の葉寿司 (Persimmon-leaf sushi) and pick up a bottle of sake aged in local Yoshino Cedar barrels 樽酒 (Taruzake).