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Partly cloudy. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. High 83F. Winds WNW at 10 to 20 mph..
Mostly clear. Low 62F. Winds W at 5 to 10 mph.
Co-owner Nick Yoshida stands with the newest spa experience in the Gorge, the Tenzen Cabins and Springs.
The minimalistic cabins that house two people and features a wrap around deck with a private soaking spa. There are six cabins available and they all share the same features.
The soaking spa with running water from the natural spring that looks out over the Columbia River Gorge.
The bright bathroom is the walkway to the soaking tub on the back deck. Also in the bathroom area is a shower outfitted with a sauna feature.
The kitchenette that offers a stove top, mini fridge, sink and coffee maker.
Views down the Columbia River Gorge from the Tenzen Cabins and Springs.
Co-owner Nick Yoshida stands with the newest spa experience in the Gorge, the Tenzen Cabins and Springs.
Nestled in the hills between White Salmon and Stevenson lies the newest Gorge getaway. The Tenzen Springs & Cabins sits on a wide open 100-acre property that is now open and reservations have been flowing in. But owners Nanae and Nick Yoshida’s priority isn’t to make money. They want to share their discovered gift where guests can experience the outdoors through a different lens — or soaking tub.
“We really wanted to embrace the Japanese traditional aesthetics, wabi-sabi design concept and combine that with Scandinavian hot springs culture,” Nick said. “There is a lot of synergy and similarity between those two frameworks.”
The minimalistic cabins that house two people and features a wrap around deck with a private soaking spa. There are six cabins available and they all share the same features.
Six cabins are available and each features a wrap-around deck, queen-sized beds on a bamboo frame, indoor steam-sauna shower and a geothermal spring water soaking tubs. The minimalist cabins have tall 14-foot ceilings with windows that lookout over the Columbia River Gorge. A small kitchenette is enough for guests to prepare breakfast. Leading out from the bathroom is the soaking tub area with complimentary sandals and towels to use after enjoying a warm soak. The tub area is outfitted with an outdoor shower and side-by-side doors that open to views over the Gorge.
The cabins have been decades in the making. The Yoshidas moved to Portland in the 1970s from Japan. When Nick’s mother, Toyo, developed rheumatoid arthritis, his late father Tak and she began visiting the Carson Hot Springs to try and alleviate some of her aches and pains.
“In Japan, hot springs are recommended for rheumatoid and other arthritis,” Nick said.
The soaking spa with running water from the natural spring that looks out over the Columbia River Gorge.
The frequent from-Portland commute convinced them to consider buying a cabin closer to the springs. So, in 1996 they bought a cabin, and purely out of curiosity they decided to see if their new property included an underground aquifer. Sure enough, 3,000 feet down there was an artesian hot spring that gushed 160-degree water 250 gallons per minute, and Tak and Toyo wanted to share their discovery with everyone. They began researching how they could integrate their Japanese hot springs culture to the Gorge.
“When people talk about vacation and traveling (in Japan), a main component is centered around the Onsen experience,” Nick explained. An “onsen” is the Japanese name for a hot spring, but it also refers to the bathing experience that is so prevalent on and around the islands of Japan.
The different Washington laws and regulations surrounding groundwater made it difficult to open their dream day spa. According to Nick, in accordance with the State’s Department of Ecology, the family had to drill an injection well which would replenish the water used in the original well.
The bright bathroom is the walkway to the soaking tub on the back deck. Also in the bathroom area is a shower outfitted with a sauna feature.
Fast forward to 2016 and they had finally found an injection well just a few days before Tak passed away. Originally, they planned to build a day spa where guests could come for a couple hours, enjoy the views and unwind. They had blueprints drawn up for a few small pools overlooking the valley below, secured permits from the local agencies and then COVID-19 swept across the country and totally put an end to their plans.
Fortunately, the Skamania Economic Development Council wanted to help.
“They liked our new idea of what it would be like if we actually built these socially distanced COVID appropriate cabins where you have more privacy and solitude and they offered us funding," Nick said.
In collaboration with Miyuki Yoshida, Nick’s sister, Derek Edwards of Develop Consulting LLC, and Troffer Contracting, they built the cabins. Finally, in June, Tenzen welcomed their first guests — with a couple prerequisites. The cabins have a two-night minimum, to make sure guests truly recharge their mental, social and physical batteries. Children and pets are not allowed in the cabins. Tenzen wants to give parents or mature couples an opportunity to escape their daily lives and use their stay to rest, relax and rejuvenate.
The kitchenette that offers a stove top, mini fridge, sink and coffee maker.
“We respect everybody, but we really do hope they can use this as an escape,” said Nick. “And really getting back to finding their core and finding — if you will — their goodness.”
Outside of the cabins and hot springs, Tenzen offers an option to rent out the property for weddings or other corporate events. Wedding ceremonies can be held at the arbor with the view of Columbia River and all six cabins will be booked for the wedding party.
Views down the Columbia River Gorge from the Tenzen Cabins and Springs.
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