Onsen, Sightseeing

JP Kyushu onsen 2020 Jan (Part 3)

Gallery 1 Comment

After checkout on the next morning I drove eastward to Yufuin, about 160km away – D1 of using the KEP. Dropped by Hida town for breaks and lunch along the way. It was raining and probably snowing on the expressway. Snow was on mountains/trees but not on roads.

Went for Unagi and ordered Hitsumabushi-style – our fav on a cold day.

Strolled around the small town after lunch but not for long as it was cold around 2C and drizzling.

 

Returned to Yufuin (5th time) and had coffee in Snoopy Cafe again before checkin.

 

Checked into an onsen hotel in Yufuin – in a small mountainous area where onsen is in slight bluish colour (2nd stay) and also smooth for skin complexion !  Elsewhere in Yufuin onsen is transparent.

Booked an Italian dinner course for a break. The restaurant was in the onsen town so had to meander slowly downhill via narrow road allowing 1+ car to pass thru’.

Dinner was delicious using local and Italian sources. Apart from us it seemed there were other customers though seated in a separate room. Had more than enough privacy and good service.

 

checked out on the next morning with clear views of Mt Yufuin and head to Kunisaki Peninsula.

 

 

 

====>   Part  4    =====>

 

 

 

Onsen, Sightseeing

JP Kyushu onsen 2020 Jan (Part 2)

Gallery 3 Comments

Before leaving Takeo onsen, we dropped by the Takeo gate (Chinese style).

 

 

Headed north to Okawachiyama (大川内山) in Imari (伊万里) – a famous porcelain town less than 1 hour by national road.

While we visited Arita – another porcelain town in Saga more than 2 years ago, this porcelain village is tucked inside mountains. At the entrance is the Nabeshima-Hanyobashi (Clan Kiln Bridge)  decorated with porcelain. There are pottery workshops and store-fronts inside the village, easily visited on foot.

The small Nabeshima Oniwayakikan displayed some precious and beautiful wares, where the abdicated Heisei emperor and other Japanese royal family have visited.

 

 

Next we headed further north to coastal town Karatsu for lunch, also dropped by the renovated Karatsu Castle.

 

Ureshino onsen  (嬉野温泉)

Finally we returned to our next onsen ryokan in Ureshino where we stayed 2 years ago. One of its annexed ryokan (15 min drive) has a large rotenburo by a mountain stream. We soaked in it before having dinner. The onsen was also smooth and good for skin complexion.

 

 

Dinner was sumptuous as expected. The ryokan is famous of its in-house “yu-tofu” (tofu in soup). The pot of yellow Ume (plum) on my back was fragrant. 

 

 

 

====>    Part  3    =====>

 

 

Onsen, Sightseeing

JP Kyushu onsen 2020 Jan

Gallery Leave a comment

Visited northern Kyushu for 1 week to enjoy onsens in winter and sightseeing (6th visit). Picked up rental car upon landing at Fukuoka airport.

Overall itin – Fukuoka > Takeo onsen (1n) > Imari > Ureshino onsen (1n) > Yufuin onsen > Kunisaki Peninsula > Beppu onsen (2n), Bungo-ono > Dazaifu > Fukuoka/Hakata (2n)

 

In my planning, have budgeted to buy a 6-day KEP @JPY7.6k for the entire car rental period. However during car pick-up, the car rental staff advised that it’s possible to activate the KEP at a later date, thus saving 2 days and paid JPY5.6K for the last 4 days. On the first two days (national holidays), toll fees were charged at 30% less using ETC card. 

Takeo onsen town (武雄温泉)

Arrived at Takeo onsen town about 85km away in 1 hour+, expressway was less busy after passing by Tosu IC. Before checkin we dropped by a cosy coffee house. Apart from us, another local couple were chatting while locals were buying cakes/bread.

 

Stay in Mifune-Rakuen Hotel (御船山楽園ホテル)

When we first stepped into the lobby, we took a step back – we thought we went to the wrong place. It was dark though decorated by lightings akin to teamLab.

Nice, renovated rotenburo and onsen was nice to skin complexion. Selected dinner course serving Saga A5 beef and seafood.  Room and onsen areas where refurbished with a tint of modern design. Overall it was a nice stay. Service was meticulous and sincere.

 

 

After check out on next morning, we visited the Mifune-Rakuen (with free entrance as overnight guests). It was built over 150 years ago by the 28th Nabeshima Lord in Saga. It has an area of 50 thousand square metres below a cliff.

Though it was in winter, we walked around the garden in about 1 hour. Some red Tsubaki (Camelia) was in full bloom.

 

 

 

====>     Part  2     ====>  

 

 

Onsen

Chikurinin Gunpoen

Gallery Leave a comment

Stayed in this historical ryokan in Naka Senbon of Yoshinoyama. Toyotomi Hideyoshi (豊臣 秀吉) had stayed more than 400 years ago for sakura in its landscape garden. The utensil that he used – cha bento was on display.

Later when we were staying in another onsen hotel in Nara/Tenri, a documentary by a local Nara TV mentioned that the recent three generations of Japanese emperors had also stayed.  The room that they had stayed with views of the landscape garden, historical artifacts were shown in that program.

 

 

Note that the onsen served in that ryokan is not sourced locally but transported from nearby onsen.

 

 

Koyo

JP 2019 Nov Koyo Kyoto (Part 4)

Gallery Leave a comment

Visited World Heritage Daigo-ji (醍醐寺) on a fairly cold day (below 10C). Have visited twice for sakura but this is the first time for koyo there.

Passed by Karamon and Niomon, reached the Shimo-Daigo (Lower Daigo) where Hondo (Main Hall) and the 5-storey Pagoda (1000+ years old) are located. Headed further up to Bentendo (featured photo) in gorgeous koyo.

 

Daigo-ji (醍醐寺)

 

Benten-ike with reflections

 

 

Treasures in Sanboin and landscape garden

 

 

Also visited the Reihokan, a fairly large museum keeping a significant collection of historical artifacts including documents, scriptures, paintings and sculptures. No photo is allowed inside.

 

On the next morning, strolled around our hotel overlooking Kamogawa near San-jo. Took JR Haruka express train to Osaka/KIX as usual, though this was our first time riding on a Hello Kitty Haruka.

 

 

 

~~~~~~~~    T H E    E N D   ~~~~~~~~

 

 

Koyo

JP 2019 Nov Koyo Kyoto (Part 2)

Gallery Leave a comment

On next morning we visited Konkaikomyo-ji (金戒光明寺). Apart from koyo, a special opening was held to exhibit its treasures not opened to public normally.

We entered the Miedo (Main Hall) where the treasures were exhibited (no photo is allowed). On the back side, we entered a beautiful landscape garden. Stayed for about 1.5 hours.

 

Konkaikomyo-ji (金戒光明寺) – special openings

 

Rock gardens depicting the live stages of Genku – founder of Kokaikomyo-ji

 

 

Shimo-kamo Jinja (下鴨神社)

After lunch we visited this World Heritage, also famous for love/marriage. Bumped into local family posing for wedding photos. Exited the Jinja to the south through Tadasu-no-Mori – a preserved forest.

 

 

 

 

====>   Kyoto (Part 3)   ====>

 

 

 

Koyo

JP 2019 Nov Koyo Kyoto (Part 1)

Gallery Leave a comment

Arrived at Kyoto station by limo bus from Arima onsen town around noon. Dashed to our fav Kaiten-sushi shop, serving seasonal fresh seafood from Hokuriku.

 

 

After dropping our luggage in Kyoto hotel, we headed to Tenju-an – a subtemple in Nanzen-ji. While the latter is filled with loads of tourists, there were relatively less visitors in that afternoon when we visited.

 

Tenju-an (天授庵)

 

 

Apart from landscape gardens, it also has a small pond with reflections of peak koyo.

 

Left after an hour – on the way out with different perspectives.

 

 

 

Dinner in our favourite izakaya in Kyoto

 

 

====>    Kyoto  (Part 2)   =====>

 

 

 

 

 

 

Onsen

Koroukan Gekkoen

Gallery 1 Comment

Stayed in Koroukan (鴻朧館) – an annex hotel of Gekkoen (月光園) in Arima onsen for the second time (3rd time for my wife).  Having stayed in plenty of traditional ryokans, we prefer to stay in modern onsen hotels/ryokans from time to time.

Picked a Semi-suite room of 31 sqm with dinner serving Kuroge-wagyu. Turned out it was a right call.  Apart from being spacious and on high floor, peak koyo was right outside the window. 

 

 

Before dinner, we soaked in public onsen (as usual) in both ryokans. Views from the rotenburo in Koroukan was nice, though it was less gorgeous (on lower floor) than from our suite. On the other hand, the rotenburo in the main ryokan was on the other side of the valley, accessible by a short bridge.  This is akin to Kurokawa onsen in Kyushu.

Kaiseki dinner with meticulous service

 

 

After breakfast, we strolled around both ryokans and the onsen town again before checking out. Took express bus to Kyoto station direct in 1+ hour.

 

 

====>    Kyoto   =====>

 

 

 

Koyo

JP 2019 Nov Koyo Katsuo-ji

Gallery Leave a comment

After checking out from onsen hotel in Nara/Tenri in early morning, drove to Katsuo-ji in Minoh town – in the northern outskirts of Osaka Prefecture. While the original plan was to drop by the Minoh falls nearby, the mountain road was pretty congested outside the car park of Katsuo-ji (on Sunday). Thus, we decided to visit Katsuo-ji (勝尾寺) first.  Turned out it was a right call in the end.

There were many visitors. Apart from the locals, we noticed many Thai-speaking visitors –  surprise.

Katsuo-ji (勝尾寺)

 

Hondo (Main Hall)

 

Kachi-daruma (winning Daruma)

There are numerous daruma dolls (large and small) inscribed with the character Katsu (winning)  in the temple area.  People pray for winning-luck in all aspects including success in academic tests, business, sports etc.

 

After staying for 1+ hour, we decided to leave for the Minoh Falls. Unfortunately, the road leading to it was blocked (on weekends in peak koyo season). Though there is another road approaching from the Minoh downhill, we decided to drop it as we had to catch an express bus (whose tickets had been booked) to Arima onsen in early afternoon.

Returned car in nearby Senri new town and had brief lunch.  Arrived at Arima onsen town at around 3:30pm. It was flooded with visitors around the bus station on narrow mountainous roads. As this was our 3rd visit, we went to the onsen hotel for check-in right away. 

====>  Stay in Koroukan Gekkoen

 

On the next morning, we strolled around the onsen town again before checkout. Good that there were much less visitors.

 

Arima onsen in peak koyo

 

 

After checkout we took express bus to Kyoto direct.

 

=====>    Kyoto   =====>

 

 

Over 90+ visits to Japan since 1999