#onsen ryokan

[dndsettingsinfo]

Hidden Onsen Ryokan by DryDary

[ezariumi]

The full autumn themed illustration I made for Morning Sun: An Asahi Seasons Zine @/MorningSun_Zine (TWT/IG). I wanted to convey both the warmth and coolness of fall at once with Asahi at the center of it all. 

[thefourthrabbit]

Bar and lobby

[foxestacado]

I absolutely adored my experience at the ryokan I booked in Japan on the Izu peninsula. There were 4 private outdoor baths. All looked absolutely beautiful. There's an app that allows you to check if they're occupied and you lock the door behind you when you enter. Then you stay as long as you want. The temps of all of them varied. My favorite was 1. The outdoor garden was just so beautiful, even at night, and the temp of the water was just right.

[redsamuraiii]

Yunoshimakan, Gifu Prefecture by kyoko1903

[balancefrost]

May 2019 - Shimoda

[runawaycarouselhorse]

[seniouesbabes]

Lily Maymac 🌸🍒💋🌸 😇☺️

[aishiteru-kenshin]

Onsen in Sendai, Japan

[luxurytravelcurator]

How about a stay at an iconic #Ryokan in #Izu #Shizuoka #Japan for an authentic and sophisticated #Onsen and #Kaiseki experience. Traditional “noh” theatre performed by the riverside. All these my clients will enjoy during their upcoming stay at ASABA Ryokan. Of course paired with unique and authentic experiences and tours, curated personally by Luxury Travel Curator in collaboration with our expert and trusted on-site partners. Stay tuned to my upcoming trips 2023: Tampa ( January 2023 ). Punta Mita & Jalisco, Mexico ( January 2023 ). Buenos Aires, Argentina ( April 2023 ). Paris, France for Roland Garros ( May 2023 ). Subscribe to my IG Chanel, for full access to exclusive content, curated tips and recommendations, unique experiences, vip amenities and benefits, plus much more. My mission is to transform Tourists into Travelers by experiencing unique travel experiences, moments and destinations worldwide. Luxury Travel Curator, Concierge, Blogger & Lifestyle Consultant. Over 28 years curating the world of Authentic and Sophisticated Travel, Hospitality & Lifestyle, one destination at the time. Member of the exclusive @VirtuosoLTD Luxury Network, #AmericanExpress Membership Rewards, Fine Hotels & Resorts and Pay with Points Programs. Luxury #TravelAdvisor. #Jetsetter #Globetrotter #BonVivant. Founder of @LGTNetwork Luxury #GayTravel Curator, member of @IGLTA. #Travel #Hotel #Restaurant & #Airline reviews. Follow, read and share my travel experiences worldwide. #TravelAgent, #TravelBlogger, #WeddingPlanner #TravelBlog #LuxuryTravel #Luxury #Lifestyle #LuxuryTravelCurator #Concierge #Blogger #VirtuosoTravel #ASABARyokan #relaischateaux @relaischateaux Luxury Travel Curator & Co Mobile & WhatsApp +1 (917) 754-5515 / Email info@carlosmelia.com / www.luxurytravelcuratorco.com (at Izu, Japan) https://www.instagram.com/p/CnPVu8MutkY/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[gingerontheside]

Ryokan: The Inn and Onsen experience

While studying abroad, TUJ so kindly (sarcasm) does not give us any spring break. However, we have 2 4 day weekends in the semester, the first of which just passed. Many people decided to travel around Japan for this weekend, and Ash and I were no different. Of the many places our classmates adventured to (Kyoto, and Hokkaido, to name a few), we decided to travel west from Tokyo into the mountains, staying in a little rural town called Shimo-Suwa in Nagano. But why there? Easy! Shimo-Suwa is known as a Hot Spring town, and we wanted to get in on that action.

After searching the internet for a while, we settled in staying in a Ryokan (a traditional Japanese Inn) which also sported an Onsen (hot spring bath). The Inn was called Gingetsu, which literally translates to Golden Moon. We also elected to stay in a traditional Japanese eastern-style room.

This was the sight we were greeted with upon entering our Inn room. We were upgraded to a larger space than we originally booked (probably due to the fact that the Inn staff saw that all three of us were adults, two of which were very tall by their standards) which was a delightful surprise. The futons were set up in a row on the ground and would serve as our beds for the weekend, complete with a thick warm blanket and a rather hard bead pillow. Right past the beds was a little sunroom area, where the bathroom and a little table were set out.

The view from the balcony helped solidify just how much we were in a valley, surrounded on all sides by large mountains. As much as I enjoyed this little side room, it was unfortunately VERY drafty, which led to our entire room being quite cold for the duration of our stay. Also, the bathroom window had to stay open for a wire to be plugged in outside, making the bathroom that much more freezing. Honestly, this was my only complaint for the entire stay.

One of the compelling reasons we had chosen this Ryokan over others is that the room we rented included a traditional Japanese breakfast, hand prepared by these lovely Oba-Chans (grandmas) every morning. Much to our general dismay, the latest we could get breakfast was 8:30 AM, but we knew it would be well worth it. And it was definitely an experience I was thrilled to have.

Each morning of our three-day stay, we woke up bright and early to see what had been prepared for us. And each time, we were stunned by the quantity and quality of the food we were presented with. Generally, the breakfast is composed of: Green Tea, Fresh Juice, Rice, Miso soup, Salad, Egg, Salmon, Peach & Yogurt Compote, and various different pickled vegetables. Our first breakfast was presented like this:

Upon entering the little dining area, you removed your slippers (all of the rooms in the inn were floored with Tatami, which is a soft flooring that is easily dented and ruined) and were directed to a little table where the food for you and your roommates was already set up and waiting for you. The Oba-Chans would stick around the room a little, filling your tea, giving you rice and miso soup, and explaining any food you may be staring at quizzically as best they could. (There was very limited English, so thank goodness for Ash and Jared who could mostly catch what they were saying!) Every morning I would feel bad for not finishing all of the food that was prepared just for me, but it was very difficult considering the quantity and the Oba-Chans never seemed to mind. '

Speaking of the Oba-Chans, one of the days at the Inn I was feeling quite gross after accidentally ingesting some pork from my dinner Friday night (I haven't had pork since high school so my body was NOT pleased), and the Inn ladies caught word from Ash that I was feeling rather crummy. To all of our surprise, about a half hour after they had been told of my condition, the Oba-Chans appeared at the door of our room with a tray of tea, soup, and rice for me, as well as a hot water bottle for my stomach. They were so genuinely concerned for my help, continuing to check in on me over and over, even into the next morning where at breakfast they expressed their relief that I was doing better and encouraged me to drink lots of tea to help my stomach. It was above and beyond the call of duty, and I was so touched.

Now, onto what we were waiting with SO much anticipation for; The Onsen! Every morning, while we were at breakfast, a wicker basket filled with towels and Yukatas (a traditional bathing robe) was dropped outside of our room to prepare us for the day in the hot spring. You can see Ash and me looking adorable in our Yukatas below;

Now, an Onsen is unlike anything I had ever experienced in the US. After donning our yukata over just your undergarments, we would make our way to the first floor of the Inn, where the Onsens were located, the first of which was indoors and the second was outdoors (but still quite private). They were both separated by sex. When we entered the first onsen, we would first be greeted with a locker room of sorts, where we would disrobe completely and stack our things in a little basket, only bringing into the onsen with us any bathing essentials that we specifically require and small 'modesty towel'. Quickly we realized that the modesty towel was more for quickly drying off after bathing than anything else. Being naked around strangers was the name of the game.

We would sit on a little stool inside the main onsen room, and we had to make sure to fully cleanse our bodies and rinse off fully. This explained why none of the hotel rooms had any bathing amenitities; the Onsen WAS our bath. After thoroughly washing, we stepped into the first onsen, which looked like this;

And BOY WAS IT HOT INDEED. Our toes and legs would burn a lot when we first stepped inside. It turns out no, we were not just weak foreigners, the water was actually QUITE hot. A nice lady who was in the Onsen with us confirmed that this onsen was even too hot for her, which made Ash and I feel a lot better about ourselves. The hot water did start to feel good after a few seconds, but generally, the indoor bath was a LOT of heat and the steam of the room was pretty stuffy, so we would shift to the outdoor onsen after not too long.

The outdoor Onsen was a much better experience for both Ash and me. The cool air of the outside contrasted so pleasantly with the hot water and allowed us to not feel as suffocated. It was quiet and serene in the outdoors, where you could listen to the birds flying around and feel the breeze on your skin as you bathed. As a cute little addition, there were little fortune blocks that you could submerge in the water with you that would reveal luck for your love life once it hit the water. We experienced the outdoor onsen in all different lightings, from midday/morning to late evening. Floating in the dark in the hot water is not an experience I will soon forget.

Since the water was coming directly from a Hot Spring, it had several minerals within it that made your skin feel very nice. I swear my body has never felt as soft and clean as it has when exiting the Onsen. Further, the Onsen provided a long time each day where you had no choice but to disconnect from the world and simply exist within yourself. It was much appreciated.

Overall, the experience at the Gingetsu Ryokan was amazing and relaxing, exactly what we needed after being so burnt out from constant classwork.

[cheeriochat]

I finally got to go into an onsen at the Ryokan im staying at but here's me in a Yukata!

I most likely didnt put it on fully correct but I tried my best following the instructions I had. This is the Yukata provided to go into the onsen with while our ones to sleep in got taken away

[themightyandre]

Hotel room with privat onsen is seriously the best. If you have ever the chance to, just go for it.

[customnecofilms]

Dorogawa Onsen Nara Japan

The springs at Dorogawa originate at the foot of sacred Mt. Omine , a major center of worship for practitioners of Shugendo, an esoteric religion blending Buddhism, Shinto, and mountain worship that originated in the eighth century.The town's high elevation and mild hot springs, with a temperature of 26 degrees Celcius, make it the perfect summer retreat. The quaint, well-preserved townscape lined with inns, restaurants, and souvenir shops harkens back to its heyday as a popular onsen destination in the post-war era.

place:https://goo.gl/maps/bsu5iTFZiftniDSU6

[foxestacado]

I can't get over how perfect this morning is. I got up early to use the onsen and it was so pretty and felt amazing on a cold morning in Izu. Then I got dressed to have a delicious and beautiful breakfast right next to the river. It was so peaceful and perfect.

[lets-go-kyoto]

Hotel Review (Or: My Experience With the Japanese Shining)

If you follow me on my other socials, you may recall I stayed at a ryokan last week in Gero Onsen that bore far too many similarities to Stanley Kubrick’s “The Shining”. I thought I’d write out a play-by-play for posterity. Let’s jump into it.

Similarity number one: Getting to this hotel required a long, winding ride through the mountains past many scenic gorges. Luckily, this was done by train. Please see the sample scenery image below:

Without a doubt, this was stunning. The entrance to the hotel was quite scenic, too:

But, let me tell you. Just like the Overlook Hotel, this thing absolutely SPRAWLED up and down the mountainside. Originally built in the 1930′s, this complex has a main building (which was already ungainly to begin with). But THEN, there are two additions--some sort of weird euro-style pavilion, and an annex built in the 1980′s that has not been updated since. A map (SANS-ANNEX! Look how crazy this is even without the annex!) is below:

You can also see the architecture mismatch here--original building on the right, european...thing... on the left. Footbath in the center, that was pretty neat.

So we check in. Immediately, my boyfriend, who has never been to Japan, is thrown when the front desk staff abscond with our shoes and provide slippers to wear throughout the facility, which has plush red carpet in many of the common areas, including this c.1988 coffee room just past the lobby:

Please also note that this room is in A TRADITIONAL JAPANESE building, literally the same building as is visible in this photo.

So, the staff show us to our room. It’s in the annex, which requires us to go down one sprawling hallway, take an elevator to the fourth floor, walk down ANOTHER sprawling hallway, take A DIFFERENT ELEVATOR to the ninth floor, and find our room from there. The room itself hasn’t been updated since the annex was built. It includes strange brown carpeting and furniture in the engawa, plus an open-air bath that feels very...80′s. Despite this, the view was breathtaking.

Here’s where it starts to get a little...Shining-like. The staff give us a very complicated map showing us the location of the public baths, the restaurant, the bar(?) (I had no idea the property contained dining and drinking establishments), the breakfast pavilion, the footbath, etc. Things are only open at very specific hours. At eight o’clock, I suggest to my boyfriend we go to the bar, as it’s finally open. 

On the way there, we don’t pass a single soul. In fact, we’ve seen very few people since we arrived. And when we get to the bar, located in the euro-style addition to the complex, we find nobody but the bartender. The bar itself is a very grand, elaborate room. Smooth jazz plays in the background. And it reminds us of something...

This shot does not include the stage with the grand piano and the karaoke stand, behind a barrier of plexiglass due to covid.

The bartender (dressed formally) is a kind Japanese lady who speaks no English. However, she provides us with an English menu, which had some truly unique selections. Please see:

Call me crazy, but I almost wanted to see the private karaoke room. The bartender made sure to remind me we could sing one song for just 300 yen. 

So, we have a drink. The bar remains empty. The music continues to play. It’s Friday night. At some point, the bartender DOES manage to loop an unsuspecting Chinese couple inside. They’re some of the few people we’ve seen here. They don’t stay long.

After that, we start getting the sense that this place really...Shines. If you know what I mean. And, once we leave the bar, we can’t help but notice the similarities. I mean, just LOOK at the decor of this place. There are even creepy black and white photos of Emperor Hirohito’s visit here in the lobby:

And then, the crown jewel: We get back to the fourth floor elevator bank.

Seem familiar?

Anyway, this was an unforgettable experience. Can’t say we’ll stay again, but if you’d like to see it for yourself, the property is called Yunoshimakan, located in Gero Onsen, Japan.

Bonus pic: this absolutely unhinged sign on the door to the 9th floor patio: