RATING THE RYOKANS – PART TWO

On 29th Jun 202329th Jun 2023 By LikeTheHikeBlogIn Hiking, Kumano Kodo, Onsen, Ryokans, UncategorizedLeave a comment

Hello and welcome to my LIKETHEHIKE blog.

I’m PJ and I write about the hikes I take, giving you insights, photos, commentary, tips and tools so you can enjoy hiking and embrace the experience.

We’re back for the second instalment of “Rating the Ryokans” – with my very mathematical (!) approach that measures ambience, quality, cleanliness, onsen, dining and whether the establishment is Kumano and hiker friendly. In my last blog, TB and I had just departed the fantastic Manseiro in Kii-Katsuura which had a lovely onsen and a truly magical evening dining extravaganza.

TAKATA GREEN LAND (KUMOTORI ONSEN) – SORTA RYOKAN EXPERIENCE…

Our next stop was after our longest and most challenging day on Kumano. We did over 20km on some serious trails, finishing at a little village called Koguchi. We found a dinky corner store where we devoured drinks and snacks while waiting for our hotel shuttle.

*Only just noticed that the label is mirrored!*

We arrived at Takata Green Land – and were perplexed. It looked like a sports complex, or perhaps a school camp destination. There were a number of interconnected buildings and the reception area gave off a very backpacker vibe, complete with worn industrial carpet, vinyl seating, pingpong table and 27,000 vending machines.

Happily our suitcases were waiting for us at reception. Unhappily we had a second floor tatami room and no lift. I almost killed me lifting cases up two flights of stairs after a 20km hike….

The room was very average. Clean, but sadly, much worse for wear with stained, damaged tatami matting, dings and dents in the walls. Such a shame as I suspect that it must have been quite lovely at one point in time. We had shared toilet and sink facilities right outside our room, and as it was very quiet, we pretty much had those to ourselves.

The onsen, however, was first rate. Takata Green Land had an outside onsen which we could access via a private walkway. I am not the most graceful gazelle as my family will confirm, so add the complexity of full nudity, cold misty weather, a wet wooden walkway , and speed – and you can imagine the rest. I skidded into the outside hot pool very disgracefully but to the great amusement of my sister and the other onsen users, who were far too polite to show their mirth.

Unfortunately the onsen experience was the singular highlight of our stay. Post onsen we had high hopes for our evening meal. We were ushered into what looked like a school dining hall, which was doubling as a storage facility. Along two sides of the room were an array of plastic storage containers and boxes stacked ceiling high, and stored against wall was an outdoor canteen arrangement. We were two of the three guests dining that evening, three lonely place settings on a table about 20m long.

The food was fair, with a number of courses including salad, rice, miso, fish and a shabushabu with vegetables. I have to admit, we gave up before dessert and fled to our room.

TB decided that we were staying at the local Hi-De-Hic camp off season and I reckon she was right.

We departed early the next morning to get a bus connection to Hongu and then onto other hiking adventures. We were given a very substantial bento box, which was nice for lunch, well, more like a snack on the bus 🙂

HOTEL SUBARU – ROYKAN/HOT SPRINGS EXPERIENCE

After our Hi-De-Hi experience at Takata Green Land, I hit up Google to see what awaited us at Hotel Subaru. It looked OK – thank goodness.

Our instructions were to finish the hike, take the local bus, alight at the relevant stop and then walk down the road for 1.4km. Righto. There was a bit of excitement as the last half of the walk to the hotel was through a long road tunnel! We scurried through on a narrow pedestrian platform, and I didn’t realise how noisy a car tunnel was – deafening!

As we exited the tunnel – there was Hotel Subaru. It unfolded in front of us with a gigantic outdoor sound shell and fields to the right, and a sweeping driveway which led to the reception area.

Can I say – BEST WELCOME EVER!!!!!!

Omotenashi was in full swing at Hotel Subaru. The front desk was attentive and very helpful. The hotel lobby was immaculate and had a very well stocked (and modestly priced) convenience store where we could purchase some sake ‘friend cups’.

We had been assigned our only western room for our whole Kumano experience. The staff were very insistent on showing us every feature of the room itself, which took some time – mostly via mime as our Japanese, I’m embarrassed to say, was limited to yes, no, hello, goodbye and thank you! But we had a very enthusiastic delivery of our Japanese phrases…

Our room was very clean and tidy – AND – we had a sink and a loo – happy days!

It was, however, frozen in 1989. Complete with bed ruffles, English tea sets and matching curtains. Which provoked a fit of the giggles from TB as the earnest Assistant Manager was pointing out the room features….endlessly. I think the friend cups had a bit to do with it.

Hotel Subaru is renowned for its onsen, and wowser – hello fantastic onsen! It was a remarkable setup, indoor and out. And again, we pretty much had it to ourselves and by now TB and I regarded ourselves as onsen aficionados! Off came the hiking gear, out came the wash bag and the onsen basket and pfffft – who needs a modesty towel?!

The outside onsen was tranquil, and soothing, and we had the place to ourselves (which meant I could sneak some photos!) We emerged squeaky clean and very relaxed.

This is where we both now did a happy dance. You know dinner is going to be great when you are shown to your own little dining enclave, complete with privacy curtain and a table set for a king (actually, two majestic queens).

We were treated to some incredible dishes including a whole cooked fish, a shabushabu which was a meal in itself and some beautiful sake. The atmosphere really made it a treat and the attendants were impeccable in their service and attention to detail.

I can see why omotenashi is such a part of the overall Japanese hospitality experience. I felt like visiting royalty, but in a way that showed immense respect to all parties. Well done Hotel Subaru.

NAN-IN TEMPLE – SHUKUBO EXPERIENCE

Our final destination before returning to Tokyo wasn’t on the Kumano trail, but falls within the prefecture of Wakayama, the spiritual centre of Kumano. Koyasan (Mount Koya) is the mountain of temples, comprised of 117 Buddhist temples founded over 1,200 years ago. Located high in the forest covered mountains, it won’t be a spoiler alert for me to say this was one of the most magical and spiritually affirming destinations I’ve ever had the privilege of going to.

Please put Koyasan on your list when hiking Kumano, you won’t be disappointed. And you will certainly get your walking distances in. TB and I walked 10km on our first day in Koyasan – so much to see!

Nan-In is one of the many temples which has been partially modified to allow for overnight experiences. They offer a simple, traditional glimpse into the Buddhist life and rituals. We were very impressed with the entrance to Nan-In, which was rather ornate to honour the gods. The temple is to the left, and the accommodation on the right of the compound.

We were greeted (as we were used to now) with outstanding omotenashi. Our boots had little homes to live in outside the front door and our raincoats and packs were dried and delivered to our room. Koyasan is quite high, and it was about 6 degrees and misty rain when we arrived…brrrrrrr.

We were looked after by a young monk who spoke English, he was very patient and helpful. He seemed to be on call 24/7 for guests as whenever we popped our heads into the office door, the monks waved us out and the young monk appeared soon after. That’s omotenashi!

We were shown to our room, past the communal sinks and toilet facilities. Everything was immaculate and I am not exaggerating when I say you could have eaten off the floor. The attention to detail was incredible and could be seen in every nook and cranny as we walked through the building.

Our room was superb and had a lovely courtyard view. It consisted of an entrance space where suitcases lived, and then the main tatami space, with a sunroom out to the courtyard. We were the only guests in the wing…there’s something to be said for travelling in shoulder season… 😉

Our dinner slot was 6pm. Because we had been exploring Koyasan until quite late, we flipped things around and had dinner before the onsen. We presented ourselves at the main entry, and were ushered into a very ornate and opulent private dining room. There was a shrine in one corner, beautifully decorated sliding panels and a low dining table set for two. The only indication that we weren’t alone in the temple were the twanging American voices of a group across the hallway as they a) struggled to sit down on the floor, b) figure out the eating utensils and c) make sense of the communal bathroom facilities 🙂

Our dining experience was a wonderful treat. Koyasan is a mountain village and was quite cold, even in late March. To counter that, we had UNDER TABLE HEATING!! Our meal was simple, but perfect. I am now an expert in how many ways tofu can be cooked and still taste lovely. All the temples are strictly vegetarian and based on what we were served, possibly plant based. We had (again) modestly priced sake and enjoyed every sip.

After our wonderful meal we went for a soak. The onsen, was very small and indoor only. It did the trick however and we were able to cleanse, bathe and soak solo. It’s not a prerequisite, but still nice to have the onsen to yourself.

TIP
Most onsens are only open during the evening, not in the morning. Plan to bathe on your arrival, or after dinner. If you’re a morning bather, be prepared to adjust…or sponge bath in the loos! at Nan-In, the onsen was open from 4pm to 10pm. Look for the coloured curtains which denote gendered bathing areas – they also do swap around so always check the colours. I have no easy answer for my non-gendered readers except to follow you authentic self and enjoy your onsen experience.

Overnight, no complaints. We were warm and comfy. Except our pillows were beans. Yep, dried beans. Quite firm and small, maybe A4 size? I was clever, I ditched the pillow and went for a bundle of clothes. Worked a treat. TB persevered with her bean torture, and ended up doing emails for most of the night. Not me!

We had an invitation to attend morning prayers before breakfast. No way we were going to miss that! We almost didn’t get in as TB and I were trying to ‘pull’ a ‘slide’ door but we made it. The ceremony was very calming and beautiful to witness. I love the fact that Buddhism just assumes you’re good people, no threshold, no test, just come on in. I’m not a religious person but I appreciate anything that encourages me to stop – breathe – and centre myself.

Breakfast was a cut down version of dinner, again in our own dining paradise with fabulous service and food. Lots of vegetables and tofu. I was very happy 🙂

TB and I left with our souls and tummies replenished and looking forward to our final leg in Japan.

So there you have it. my list of Rating the Ryokans. There are places I wouldn’t stay at again, but I wouldn’t change a thing.

TB and I had the trip of our lives and that included all the experiences. Ichie Cafe, the hairy snoring neighbour but wonderful chiffon cake, the Hi-De-Hi camp with a magical misty outside onsen…every less than ideal stay was also a travel moment to be treasured, embraced and remembered.

Take my rankings with a grain of salt and rather than put you off, I hope these two blogs enrich your decision making process. Not one of our nights on the trail was unpleasant. Every night was an experience – with maybe a couple I don’t need to repeat!

That’s all for now, see you out on the trails

PJ 🙂

RATING THE RYOKANS – PART ONE

On 8th Jun 20236th Jun 2023 By LikeTheHikeBlogIn Hiking, Kumano Kodo, mental health, Onsen, Outdoors, Ryokans, UncategorizedLeave a comment

Hello and welcome to my LIKETHEHIKE blog.

I’m PJ and I write about the hikes I take, giving you insights, photos, commentary, tips and tools so you can enjoy hiking and embrace the experience.

I’ve just returned from an amazing hiking experience on the Kumano Kodo and what better way to help you plan your Kumano adventure than for me to share my experiences on ryokans 🙂

One big consideration when planning your Kumano kike is accommodation and deciding where to stay. Modern? Traditional? Backpacker? Five Star?

There are many options available to the discerning hiker (you’re welcome) and it’s both fun and frantic navigating the plethora of options.

These two blogs pull back the curtain on what you can expect from your overnights. I will cover off the good, the bad and the ugly as I rate the ryokans! Note – our accommodation was booked via our Kumano travel company, Raw Travel.

WHAT IS A RYOKAN?

First, lets talk specifics. There are a few names used when discussing accommodation in Japan. It’s important to know the difference before you start making your bookings or confirming with your travel company.

RYOKAN – traditional style inn, usually adjacent to a hot spring area or resort. Private room, sometimes with bathroom.

MINSHUKU – traditional bed and breakfast house, usually family operated. Private or shared rooms, shared bathroom.

MINPAKU – older houses converted into accommodation. Usually unattended. Basic facilities.

SHUKUBO – Buddhist temples converted to tourist accommodation. Private room, shared bathroom.

WESTERN HOTEL – as it sounds, larger chain hotels with western rooms and bathrooms.

CAPSULE HOTEL – also known as pod hotels, rows of compact, self contained capsules with shared bathroom.

ONSEN – the natural hot springs, bathing facilities and resort areas surrounding the hot springs.

For ease of reference (and my love of alliteration), I have titled these blogs Rating the Ryokans, but I did stay in a range of accommodation experiences beyond ryokans during my time on Kumano Kodo.

ICHIE CAFE & GUESTHOUSE – MINPAKU EXPERIENCE

Our first night on our Kumano hike was in Kii-Tanabe. We travelled down from Tokyo via Osaka which took most of the day, and were booked to stay at Kii-Tanabe, and leave early the next morning. Kii-Tanabe is the jump point for most hikers to start Kumano, which is located about 20 minutes away at Takijiri.

We were a little perplexed about our first night’s accommodation. Ichie Cafe is exactly that – a cafe which specialised in chiffon cake. It was expansively described as “authentic“. I would describe it as “bare bones backpacker“.

We stayed in one of two guest rooms adjacent to the cafe area, set up in traditional tatami style with futons on the floor. The walls were paper, and our host provided ear plugs, which gives you an indication of what to expect. And sure enough, we scored not only a snoring neighbour, but his partner who felt the need to use a hairdryer at 1.17am. For quite some time….

Access after 3pm was via a key lockbox as the host was not on site after hours. We shared a grubby shower area which was liberally festooned with very long black hairs, and a kitchenette. We didn’t use any of the facilities beyond the toilet and the sink for teeth brushing. The shower was just too much for me to tackle 😦

Breakfast was packaged chiffon cake in the fridge. Not ideal fuel for tackling a 14km steep hike. Chiffon cake is usually a delightful afternoon snack, but holds zero nutritional value for any exercise.

Our host was very pleasant and familiar with Kumano hikers so was used to the suitcase transfer arrangement.

CHIKATSUYU – MINSHUKU EXPERIENCE

After our first night on the Kumano, were were very unsure about what to expect for our second lodgings. We had walked about 15km from Takijiri all the way to Chikatsuyu and arrived at the village on dusk – very tired.

WOW – what a fabulous experience! A family owned and run establishment with separate tatami and shared facilities which were immaculate. It also had a hot spring onsen which was divine after our hiking day.

The room we had was large with crisp, clean bedding (see above) and lovely yukata to wear after onsen. Our suitcases arrived before us and were in the room, thoughtfully placed on a plastic sheet so as not to damage the tatami mats. We then used that same mat to dump and sort our dirty gear.

Dinner (kaiseki ryori) was a lovely shared dining experience and we had the ability to purchase very modestly priced drinks. Our room was equipped with fluffy doonas, additional blankets and had heating as well as windows you could open for fresh air. The building itself appeared quite new and everything was in tip top condition and exceptionally clean.

Not only did we have a wonderful dinner, but then did it all again at breakfast before we left – along with our lunch bento box.

Our hosts could not do enough for us. They were responsive, extremely welcoming and very proud of their lodgings – as they should be. Everything was sparkling clean, the bathroom facilities were spotless and I was very happy to enjoy their riverside onsen!

KAWAYU MIDORIYA – RYOKAN EXPERIENCE

This was our first exposure to a ryokan – albeit a rather large one! Kawayu Modoriya is located about 4km outside of Hongu, in a cluster of onsen villages scattered in the mountains.

It has a fantastic indoor and outdoor onsen located on the River Oto, which is one of the reasons it’s a very popular destination with tourists and locals. The building itself is seven stories and very much a traditional hotel, but the experience within is driven by the Japanese practice of omotenashi, which I can best describe as mindful, authentic hospitality. Omotenashi extended from the front desk staff, to the restaurant staff, to the lovely room attendant refreshing the ikebana arrangements on our floor.

Our room was a tatami style on level six overlooking the river and outdoor onsen. This was the first time we had a full amenities bathroom – so pretty exciting. Everything was immaculately clean and staff laid out your bedding when you were at dinner, no need to wrestle the futons onto the floor.

The onsen was outstanding. Not only did we have full indoor facilities, but there were two mixed outdoor pools (see above). No nudity outside though (whew), we had yukata that we could wear in the pool – all very decent.

Dinner at Kawayu Midoriya was an experience all of its own. It was a combination of shabushabu at the table, and then a sumptuous buffet to choose from. We cooked up a storm and then proceeded to try everything on offer. We were stylishly dressed in our lovely hotel yukata, slippers and jacket – very fancy!

The location of this hotel is simply stunning. It sits next to the River Oto and our room not only was riverside, but facing a beautiful forest. We stayed here twice on non-consecutive nights as we were hiking different sections of Kumano, and watching the river gently bubble past with rain mist hovering and the twinkling village lights in the distance was very special.

Our farewell gift from Kawayu Midoriya was a bento box for our hiking lunch – packed full of goodies. A fitting goodbye from a fabulous place to stay.

*The banana leaf package had lovely nigiri and rice balls… 🙂*

MANSEIRO – RYOKAN EXPERIENCE

Our next stop was the seaside town of Kii-Katsuura, about 30 minutes south of Shingu. We had travelled down the Kumano River by traditional boat and spent some time at the Shingu Kumano Shrine, and our overnight stay was at the lovely Manseiro.

Manseiro is a small boutique hotel on the Kii-Katsuura waterfront, facing the fishing harbour. Kii-Katsuura is a working town, so expect a very authentic fishing vibe. If you’re vegan or don’t enjoy fish – give this overnight a miss…if not, then read on!

Fun fact, the tuna market in town boasts the largest haul of fresh tuna in Japan and holds daily tuna auctions, much like the Tokyo fish market, but to scale. TB is a sashimi fan so we had a LOT of fun in the market food hall.

Back to Manseiro. A small hotel, perhaps 20 rooms, but very tidy and well presented. Less multilingual staff than we had encountered so far, one front desk staff member spoke English and he was very excited to talk to us. We were the only ‘western’ tourists there – so we felt quite special. Google Translate got a good workout.

Our room was actually two rooms and a bathroom, tatami style. Very spacious. We used one room for our bags and gear, and the other for sleeping. Immaculately clean and well presented – which we realised was the norm, and Ichie Cafe was the exception. We weren’t harbourside, but overlooked the back street which was quite entertaining. It was a very traditional town so our view was very old Japanese architecture – fine by me.

Our next treat was the onsen, with both indoor and outdoor facilities – and we had it to ourselves so I could take some photos! It’s very bad form to take photos in the onsen when other people are present, understandable as I wouldn’t want to be in someone’s background in all my birthday glory…

After our onsen it was time for dinner. OH MY. I thought we had experienced some great kaiseki ryori and omotenashi – we were in for an 11 course delight at Manseiro. We were ushered to our sectioned off table – the dining area is made up of little private dining spaces where guests can enjoy the company and the food.

It was a seafood extravaganza, delectable finery served by highly professional staff. TB and I dined on (in no particular order) salmon, scallop, tofu, rice, white fish, octopus, mushrooms, beef, tuna and….wait for it……white abalone! (or for those from Aotearoa, paua). It was tabled raw and we simmered it in our shabushabu with butter for about 10 minutes, and finished it with a squeeze of lemon.

We had the loveliest server who was our immediate adopted nana. She sorted us out, checked our abalone cooking skills were up to scratch, said yes and now, and gave us big smiles when we got it right. All without a shared language except a love of food. I felt appreciated as a guest, and I deeply appreciated the omotenashi extended to me.

I don’t recall eating the dessert, by then I think I had fallen into a happy food coma. This was a dining experience I won’t forget in a hurry.

TB and I departed Manseiro with a deep respect for a fishing town full of quality, culture, experiences and tuna 🙂

SUMMARY (for now)

Given that I have sooooooo much to share with you about the places TB and I stayed on our Kumano Kodo trip, I’ve split this blog into part one and part two. Next time I’ll tell you all about a very odd ryokan/training camp setup, a western style hotel in the middle of nowhere and to round out our magical experience, our stay in a Koyasan shukubo!!!!

See you out on the trails.

PB.

Like The Hike

Category: Onsen

RATING THE RYOKANS – PART TWO

TAKATA GREEN LAND (KUMOTORI ONSEN) – SORTA RYOKAN EXPERIENCE…

HOTEL SUBARU – ROYKAN/HOT SPRINGS EXPERIENCE

NAN-IN TEMPLE – SHUKUBO EXPERIENCE