"How should I put it… even putting everything else aside, this inn is just really nice…"
I muttered absentmindedly. My half-hearted remote work session had finally ended, and just as I was stretching out, a message arrived saying dinner was ready. But before that, I asked to take a quick dip. The place boasted three different types of hot springs fed directly from the source—just hearing that lifted my spirits unnecessarily.
First up was the Bijin-no-Yu, an alkaline spring known for its smooth, slightly slippery waters. It warmed me to the core, and before I knew it, I'd turned into a boiled octopus.
My eyes caught a "Mixed Bathing Area – Caution" sign, and for a moment, my heart skipped a beat. But then I remembered- Hisui-san , the one I had in mind, was out all day. So alas, it was just a regular women-only bath at the moment. A girl I didn't know happened to be in the bath too. She gave us a quick once-over before quickly averting her gaze—just your typical mixed bath moment.
After finishing up in the first bath, I returned to the room to find dinner already prepared.
At first glance, it looked like nothing fancy—just the usual mountain and sea fare you'd expect at a ryokan. But it was done just right.
Spring vegetables were in season—udo, bracken, taranome, koshiabura, bamboo shoots, and urui—served as tempura or ohitashi.
Then there was grilled mackerel marinated in Saikyo miso, a signal of spring's arrival, and a colorful assortment of sashimi.
To top it off, a mysterious yet delicious sansho-flavored miso soup that tasted just as good even after it cooled down.
It would've been rude not to drink, so I ordered some sake—and lo and behold, rows of award-winning local sake appeared before us.
Even better, they offered tasting sets, so you could sample a variety by the glass…
"Oh no, I totally underestimated this place…"
This town might be a bit of a ghost town these days, thanks to the absence of the sanuke (bath attendants), but this inn used to be the best in the region—and the name still held true. Before we knew it, we'd polished off the five servings of rice in the ohitsu, and drank four servings of sake between the two of us.
"But I mean, even the rice is just so good…"
Kiyora gently patted her full stomach with a satisfied smile. She doesn't drink much—alcohol isn't really her thing—but in exchange, she ate quite a lot of rice.
"This place seriously deserves a perfect score as a ryokan…"
"Apparently dinner tonight is going to be a meat hotpot. I'm really looking forward to it."
Even though we'd just finished lunch, Kiyora was already glowing at the evening menu, eyes sparkling with excitement. She's small, but she eats a surprising amount.
At the very least, this wasn't some overpriced scam disguised as hospitality.
It was pricey, sure—but the satisfaction we got from the full-course, three-meal-a-day sake-inclusive package made it totally worth it. Honestly, I wouldn't mind coming back even without all the extras.