Published date: October 4, 2024
Healing Time at a Traditional Japanese Inn in a Rice-Producing Area
Room Type Stayed
Some info has been automatically translated by AI.
Experience of the stay
We visited a renovated traditional house at the foot of Sakado Mountain in the rural landscape of Minami Uonuma as a couple.
As we passed through the gate facing the road, the left side featured a building with a café, dirt kitchen, and bicycle rental space, while the right side was the accommodation building. The hotel was designed with a depth you could hardly imagine from the entrance, and the 16 buildings, as we heard, had slightly different angles, giving a spacious feeling.
Additionally, the area was surrounded by ponds, and walking to the room while enjoying the view of the pond provided a sense of elegance.
Check-in was conducted in a room next to the dirt entrance with a large round sofa, and once check-in was complete, a staff member guided us to our room.
On the way to the room, there was a lounge where we could enjoy drinks such as coffee, tea, and lemon water, as well as hot spring buns and snacks, which we utilized many times during our stay.
The items varied depending on the time of day,
particularly between 5 PM and 7 PM when umeshu (plum wine) and local sake were offered as aperitifs, which we thoroughly enjoyed.
The room we stayed in was a villa suite with an open-air hot spring bath, creating a very relaxing atmosphere. In addition to the open-air bath, there was also a Japanese-style bath (which was not a hot spring).
Moreover, there was a TV in a raised area with a bean bag, making it cozy to relax.
Amenities were well-equipped, and skincare products provided were in pouches (collaboration goods with the hotel and sake maker 'Hakkaisan'), so it would have been fine to come empty-handed.
The refrigerator had free drinks, including Ebisu beer and soft drinks.
In addition, there were fair-trade coffee beans and a grinder, and having freshly ground coffee on the terrace while overlooking the pond was a blissful moment.
The HafH plan did not include meals, but we made a reservation for dining via a message in the app.
For dinner, we chose a course with wagyu and nodoguro, but it might be a bit insufficient for younger people.
For us, a couple in our late 50s, the portion size was just right.
And! They informed us that the rice had changed to new rice from the previous week, and the special rice from the region was nothing short of delicious!
The rice cooked in an earthen pot was entirely consumed. Haha.
Breakfast was also served in the same place as dinner.
My husband had Japanese food, while I chose Western food, but given that this is a rice-producing area, I definitely preferred the Japanese meal.
I regretted choosing Western food.
The staff's service was also very good, allowing us to spend our time comfortably.
Experiences during the trip
Before heading to the hotel, we stopped by the Instagram-worthy spot 'Kiyotsu Gorge Tunnel' located on the way.
We had information that reservations were required on weekends, so we purchased tickets on our way. At the site, we were asked if we had tickets to enter the parking lot, and there were no tickets available for purchase on the day, so it was just in time, but we were glad we made the reservation.
Kiyotsu Gorge was a place that lovers of columnar joints would find irresistible. Haha.
The day after our stay, we climbed 'Sakado Mountain' behind the hotel.
It's a relatively low mountain, but I underestimated it.
The steep ascent continued from the beginning to the summit, and it was exhausting. Haha.
Even so, we managed to complete it in about three hours round trip, which was a good workout after breakfast.
Checkout was at noon, so after descending, we were able to freshen up in our room, which was comfortable.
This hotel offers a variety of activities, so I think it would be fun to take advantage of those as well.