21 nights at Itoen Hotel in 2023. I want to
share my best memories.
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Why does the story of Itoen Hotel begin with a picture of a beloved dog?
1. Looking back on the 21 nights in reverse Normally,
I think it's common to write in chronological order, such as "I stayed
at Itoen Hotel for 21 nights in 2023♪". In
this article, I want to reverse that order and go back and accumulate
impressions. The
memories of those 21 nights are still strong in my heart. I
also have many memories of my stay before 2023. I want to weave them together.
A friend who is a hot spring fan comes to Kusatsu
for a chat, and also comes to my resort condominium. This
friend, who also works the night shift, often stays at hot spring resorts and
gives me gifts that he has received. He
is also a regular at Itoen Hotel, and he told me
that he received a commemorative gift.
---Mr. Ozawa, you've probably stayed 20 nights and received at least one free
night stamp, right?
There is a large hot spring bath in the apartment where you live. The
house in Izu Shuzenji
left to you by your parents has a house with one hot spring right. I've
stayed at hotels here and there, either to experience tourism or to support
Gunma Prefecture during the virus outbreak, but I've never had my stamp book
stamped, and I've been shocked by the death of my previous dog, so I've
stayed away from staying there.
---I'm a single person with a light load, so I'll try staying at Itoen hotels.
That's what I thought. I
was also caring for my parents, and was busy sorting and moving their
belongings, and my light truck broke down and needed repairs. It
was the winter of 2022. I had made a reservation at Itoen
Hotel Kanaya in Iizaka Onsen, Fukushima Prefecture, a
few days later. I'm
in Izu. I
called honestly. According
to the rules, it was the day when the cancellation fee would be incurred.
---I'm sorry. My
car broke down in Izu, so I can't go to Iizaka Onsen. I
made a reservation using the National Tourism Support System, but I can't go. A
cancellation fee will be charged from today, so I would like to transfer the
cancellation fee as per the rules.
That's what I said. Then,
in the midst of the spread of the virus, even though the tourism industry is
struggling, he said to me in kind words, --- Your
car breaking down must be tough. Since
I was able to hear your circumstances this time, there will be no
cancellation fee.
I was actually encouraged by this.
In fact, one of my 21 nights in 2023 was staying at a store in Fukushima
Prefecture as an apology. I
stayed at Mukaitaki in Bandai Atami Onsen from my mountain hut in Urabandai. The
chalk baths were so beautiful that I could hardly believe it, and I enjoyed
the riverside inn. I
walked to Bandai Atami Station and also took a day trip to Gensenso.
I had been staying at Suimeikan in Yudanaka Onsen, Nagano
Prefecture, even before 2023. I am a follower of Shinshu
Zenkoji Temple in Nagano City, and my ancestors are
buried in the Zenkoji Cemetery, Unjoden
Ossuary. From
Kusatsu Onsen, crossing Shibu Pass and descending through Shiga Highlands, we
ended up staying the night at Yudanaka Onsen, which was a truly pleasant experience. In
Gunma prefecture, we stayed at Itoen Hotel Kusatsu, Itoen Hotel Shima, Ikaho Grand Hotel, Itoen Hotel Ikaho Kintayu, and Yunojin in Yubiso Onsen, Minakami town. In
Izu, we stayed at Itoen
Hotel Matsuzaki in Nishiizu
and Itoen Hotel Toi, with
Shimoda Kaihin Hotel in Shimoda city becoming a great favorite.
And one store that holds fond memories is the Itoen
Hotel Okukuji in Hitachiota,
Ibaraki prefecture. The
reason is that after checking out, I went to say hello to a Chinese breeder,
who was very kind to me, and although I had planned to buy a puppy in the
spring when the snow melted, I ended up welcoming Eve III, who is now part of
my family.
By coincidence, on July 13th, as I was typing this, a travel program
featuring Okukuji was broadcast. The
program was Fuji TV's "Nariyuki Kaido Tabi: A Trip to Okukuji, a Summer Resort in Ibaraki, with Kiyozuka Shinya!"
I don't intend to write an article about the 21 nights in 21 chapters. I
also made good use of the "Second Night Half Price Special Week." Two
nights equals one accommodation. However,
I walked around the town on the middle day, learned about the local history,
and said hello to local acquaintances, which gave me the energy to live
positively.
So begins my "21 Dream Nights" at Itoen
Hotel. Here
we go. ２．Itoen Hotel Okukujikan. Stayed
on December 5, 2023. It was like a dream.
Let me explain why I remember this
date without looking at any documents. It
was on December 6, six years ago, that I bought the smallest resort
condominium with hot spring in Kusatsu Onsen and registered my residence. It
was on December 6, two years ago, that I welcomed a puppy into my family. From
late November 2023, I was working on snow protection for my mountain hut in
the Urabandai area in the northern part of Inawashiro Town, taking photos and videos to support Nakanosawa Numajiri Onsen, and enjoying Aizu
ingredients. I
left Urabandai early in the morning on December 5th
and headed for Itoen Hotel Okukujikan. I
headed south from Sukagawa City on the Tanagura Kaido road, visiting Hahabata Onsen on the way to
learn about the local area. Although
it was selected as one of the "100 Best Hot Springs in Japan" by
the Tourism Economics Newspaper Company, I had never visited it.
This area is rich in nature and I have enjoyed riding the Suigun
Line from my home town of Kashiwa City, Chiba Prefecture, using the Seishun 18 Ticket. When
I use the Seishun 18 Ticket, I usually take the Suigun Line to Koriyama Station, the Ban'etsu
East Line to Iwaki Station, and the Joban Line home. However,
I have never stayed anywhere along this line, which I regret.
Itoen Hotel has many attractions, but its
distinctive features are the all-you-can-drink alcohol and free karaoke. The
"local sake fair" varies depending on the location and size of the
store. Since
I moved from Fukushima Prefecture, a sake-producing region, to Ibaraki
Prefecture, I actually didn't have high expectations. However,
I was surprised by how fulfilling the experience was, and it was a truly
memorable stay.
３． Friendliness at check-in I thought that I might buy a puppy the
next day, so I loaded my dog's cage and other dog goods that I had stored in
the attic of my mountain hut in Urabandai into the
bed of my light truck. Since
it was winter, I had an electric heating mat for the puppy, dog dishes, dog
toys, etc. In
addition, I would like to move some furniture such as shelves to my house in Izu via Kashiwa City. I
am an amateur packer and put a blue tarp over the car. It
was raining. I
was involved in a rear-end collision six years ago without braking, and I have
whiplash. Even
moving my computer, large files, and clothes to the room where I am staying
can hurt my neck. When
I told them this, the staff at Itoen Hotel Okukuji moved one of their business vehicles to make
space near the entrance.
Check-in was smooth and very kind. As
a reward for staying 20 nights, I presented my free accommodation rights and
paid only the 150 yen hot spring tax. I
feel a bit sorry. And
when I entered the room, it had a calm atmosphere. From
the terrace window, I could see the Hitachi-Daigo
townscape between the trees.
４． Amazing. Amazing. A
wide selection of local sake. I
underestimated Ibaraki Prefecture. I'm
sorry!
When I stay at the Itoen
Hotel, I check in advance what the fair is about. However, I had to do things
like snow-covering the mountain huts at Urabandai
and filming a support video for Nakanosawa Numajiri Onsen, so I thought I
would just stay one night before checking out the puppies, and I didn't do
any research. I was surprised by how extravagant the "Yellowtail Sashimi
and Sushi Fair" was. There were five types of local sake. On top of
that, there was plum wine made with plums from Mito Kairakuen.
Of course, there was all-you-can-drink beer, shochu,
and whiskey. In fact, there were close-up shots of each type of local sake.
They were all excellent sakes. I was driving safely with my late mother's
ashes in the passenger seat after caring for my father and mother, when I was
rear-ended at a changing light without braking. My diabetic doctor had instructed
me to refrain from drinking alcohol, but I drank two cups of five types of
sake and two cups of plum wine. They were mellow, deep, and delicious. ５．. A very
satisfying hot spring bath When I use a large hot spring bath, the most
important thing to me is the atmosphere of the bath. Even if you ask me,
"What? Isn't it the quality of the spring?",
I place importance on the unique bath structure, history, air of the open-air
bath, sky, etc. of the establishment. I like the hot spring baths at Yudanaka Onsen Suimeikan, Shimoda Kaihin Hotel, Itoen Hotel Kusatsu, Itoen Hotel Shima, which you arrive at by going down the stairs, and the white Bandai Atami Itoen
Hotel Mukaitaki...I like them all. Itoen Hotel Kusatsu, which is a
short drive from the resort condominium where I live, has stayed in various
seasons and enjoyed the indoor and outdoor baths in various seasons. I am
happy that the sky, wind, forest, snow, and icicles invite me to freshness in
different forms.
This was my first time staying at this hot
spring bathhouse, so it was my first time seeing it. However, I immediately
understood that the architectural style is consistent with the bathhouse's
aesthetic. When you think of Ibaraki Prefecture, you think of the Ibaraki
Prefectural Tenshin Memorial Museum of Art and its
hexagonal hall. I have visited the museum before, and the bathhouse's
architectural style reflects that aesthetic. Furthermore, at the outlet of
the open-air bath, crystals of hot spring ingredients called “HAKKA” have
formed. This is a sign that the water has been warming and healing people for
a long time. Luckily, I was bathing alone, so I stretched my limbs to my
heart's content and enjoyed the aesthetics. I thought about the bathhouse's accumulated
history and wondered what kind of people have enjoyed this hot spring. ６． The fun of Itoen Hotels. This is a spoiler, but at Itoen Hotel, even if you naturally chat with other guests within the bounds of social convention, the staff will often keep an eye on you. One time, I stayed alone at Itoen Hotel Suimeikan in Yudanaka Onsen, Nagano Prefecture. Because alcohol is all-you-can-drink, guests naturally share their wine or sake when pouring themselves, and communicate with each other by saying things like, "This wine is delicious, isn't it?" Each guest has a favorite Itoen Hotel store. Four male guests gathered at one table and started talking about the local sake fair. It was a source of real information about Itoen Hotel, even though we had not stayed there yet, and it was very useful. I told the other three, "If you soak the mini roll cake here in red wine, it becomes a dessert that is like a high-end product in Ginza." Then everyone tried it. "It's delicious! How did you know?" The youngest man of the four said, "The food here is the best in the Itoen Hotel." The three of us, including myself, said, "The other dishes are all delicious because the recipes are the same." But he stubbornly said, "This one is the best!" The staff looked on with smiles. I somehow understand why this young man said, "This one is the best." The lobby is spacious and luxurious. The sofas are relaxing. The dining room has a chandelier. The atmosphere created by its history has a unique charm. For me, Yudanaka Shibu Onsenkyo is a hot spring resort where I stayed from the age of 2 to 13. After the Bon Festival memorial service at Shinshu Zenkoji Temple, I stayed there for a long time with my grandmother who had a chronic illness instead of returning to Tokyo in the scorching heat. So I have a certain number of acquaintances. I often enjoy walking around the city and visiting outdoor baths. I invite my fellow guests to take a bath at Yudanaka Oyu. It was Dr. Matsumoto Jun, the Inspector General of the Army, who invited Dr. Baelz to the government to formulate the Pharmaceutical Affairs Law. He was a senior of Mori Ogai. Yudanaka Oyu is the "East Yokozuna" of the National Public Baths Ranking, and it is written that the bathing method was established by Army Inspector General Matsumoto Jun. Yudanaka Oyu still has the "time bath". This is limited to two three-minute baths at 48 degrees Celsius or more. After bathing there, we returned to Itoen Hotel Suimeikan and took a bath in the unique hot spring called Ruri no Yu. Breakfast buffet. If you lightly toast the toast, put in some coarsely ground sausage and lettuce, spread some ketchup on it and fold it up, it becomes "foldable hot dog-style toast". It's very delicious. If you add salad corn to the corn soup, it becomes "corn soup with granulated corn". I highly appreciate the common sense of the guests being able to talk to each other about such things. After breakfast, guests who can do it themselves go to the return area to clear the dishes, sort them by tableware, throw away the trash, and return the tray. When I say "Thank you for the meal. It was delicious," the staff will smile and bow to me. The staff will take away the dishes for the elderly. It's a very good balance. I want inbound tourists to know more and more about Itoen Hotel. I write down the explanations of the sake at the local sake fair in multiple languages, and gradually drink more mellow sakes. Japan's sake culture has been recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. I want people to enjoy it. And as a former Japanese language teacher, I have a wish. I have stayed at the Kyomachiya Guesthouse in Shimonishijin, Kyoto City many times and interacted with young foreigners. They want to talk to Japanese people. They want to know about literature. They want to know about music. They have come all the way to Japan, so they want to interact with ordinary Japanese people, even in English or simple Japanese. Going to the free karaoke room together and teaching them Japanese songs is also a good way to interact internationally. When we Japanese go on group trips abroad, we often end up not being able to have everyday conversations with the local people. If foreign tourists who want to interact with Japanese people stay at the hotel, I would like them to put a message on the table saying, "We are from XX. We want to interact with Japanese people," and have a simple exchange. The place where the foreign tourists live may actually be a place that Japanese people have visited on their overseas trips.７．. From the Itoen Hotel Okukuji to the
breeder, and then to the tenement house in Kashiwa City
After checking out of the Itoen Hotel Okukujikan, we
visited a breeder in Ibaraki Prefecture. We had initially planned to buy a
puppy when spring came and we moved to Kusatsu. The
breeder, his wife, and his children were so friendly that we ended up buying
a female Welsh Corgi. 3.5 months old. Weight 2.1kg. A puppy that eats solid
food. When we bought our previous Corgi at a pet shop, it was 1.4kg at 4
months old. It was growing at a rate that required milk. This puppy's ears
were flat at first, but they stood up after a few days. When we went for a
walk in the neighborhood, the elementary school students who often played
with our previous dog were now high school students. On the first day, she
was frightened because "a strange man became her owner," but she
quickly showed her own pace and grew into a wild girl. Eve III will soon be 2
years old. When my diabetes numbers improve, I'd like to book a hotel at an Itoen Hotel, have Eve III sleep soundly under a blanket
in the passenger seat of a light truck, and enjoy sightseeing. It's probably
not possible in midsummer, but I'm thinking about going in the cooler months
of autumn. The evening
view of Shimoda Tokyu
Hotel from in front of Itoen Hotel Shimoda Kaihin Hotel.
I'm searching back through a huge amount of
data, looking back at data from 21 nights. I stayed at Shimoda
Tokyu Hotel on December 23, 2021. It was at Shimoda Tokyu Hotel that Yasunari Kawabata, who hadn't visited Izu
since his actual trip for "The Izu
Dancer," stayed. I was able to take some incredible photos, and I'm
currently searching for those data in a large-scale data storage device. Stay
tuned! |
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