Enjoy Onsen, the hot spring in Ryokan (Kansui-rou / 環翠楼, Hakone / 箱根)

I think most of Japanese people likes hot spring.
I'm also the one!! We say hot spring "Onsen (温泉)" in Japanese.

For travelers from other countries, it maybe little difficult to take a bath with strangers without swimming wears. But if once you can get used to it, I think your world will be little get wider.




At Kansui-rou, there were three kinds of Onsen.

One kind is ordinary type, and you can rock the door.
You can get in only with your acquaintance, so it may be easier to try for first time.

Other two are inside and outside of the building.

First, I went outside type of hot spring.
Walking through the typical Japanese style garden, I reached there.

There are small building for taking the cloth off.
The hot spring was placed next to the river and I could see the stream.

Don't worry, there are wall so that people out side can't see.

I really got relaxed and enjoyed taking a bath in the nature.

I get back inside to get in other type of hot spring.
The stained glass were there.

As I was alone for just few minutes, I only could take few pictures.

The hot spring inside of building was nostalgic style.
As Hakone was a resort spot from more than 100 years ago, western culture merged to old Japanese hotel.

The western style was seen on the light's design, too.

After I got out, I had dinner at my room.
To be exact, I had beer before the dinner.

On the beer's label, there were text "Hakone (箱根)".

The beer after the hot spring was very very tasty.

If you visit Japan, please try hot spring!
I really recommend them.

Thank you for reading!
Have a nice day!

箱根, 旅館, 環翠楼, 温泉, 露天風呂,

Staying in a Ryokan, relaxing way having dinner at own room (Kansui-rou / 環翠楼, Hakone / 箱根)

Today, I will show the dinner of Kansui-rou.
As Hakone placed in the mountain near the sea, we can eat both sea and mountain foods.
The course named Hazuki (葉月/ Ancient way of calling August in Japan) was served.

Appetizer were like this.

* Sashimi (刺身)

They were Maguro (鮪/tuna), Tai (鯛/sea bream), and Ika(烏賊/squid).
The flower and leaf is Shiso (しそ), the Japanese basil and you can eat them. It's scent add spice to sashimi. Really tasty!



* Tounyu-mushi (豆乳蒸し/Steamed soy milk), with Uni (雲丹/Sea urchin)

The green grass is called Mitsuba (三つ葉). This is also like Japanese basil which smells good but doesn't interrupt sea urchin.

* Arare Yamaimo (あられ山芋/ fried yam)

<Right side>
* Salmon Kabu-maki (サーモン蕪巻き/ Salmon rolled with turnip)
* Tamago-cheese (卵チーズ/ Rolled egg with cheese )
* Moro-Kyuri (もろ胡瓜/ Japanese pickle cucumber)

<Left side>
* Tomato Mitsu-ni (トマト密煮/ Boiled tomato)
* Eda-mame (枝豆/ Boiled Green Soy bean)

We eats green soy beans with beer. I saw on TV program that some Japanese restaurant in New York started to serve green soy beans, eda-mame. American people seemed enjoying it, but is it ture?

The soup came next.

* Osui-mono (お吸い物/ Japanese soup) with Kani-shinjyo (かに真丈/ fried crab), Matsutake （松茸/ pine mushroom）

The tied glass is Mitsuba again. This glass matches to several Japanese foods.

Baked dishes came next.

* Suzuki Nanbu-Yaki (鱸 南部焼き/ Baked sea perch), Karashi-Konjac (辛子こんにゃく/ Konjac food with mustard), and Yanaka－syouga （谷中生姜/ Stick Ginger）

The sauce was made from Edamame.

* Hito-kuchi stake (一口ステーキ/ small stake)

The sauce were made of dried laver seaweed.

The boiled vegetable came for interval.

* Tougan to Nasu no Holland ni (冬瓜と茄子のオランダ煮/ Boiled winter melon and eggplant western style)

At the end of Edo era, nearly 200 years ago, Japan learned a lot of things from Holland.
This dish used cooking style which came from abroad, so placed word "Holland" which means "cooking style came from western".

After baked dishes, Tempra came.

* Ebi-shinjyo (海老真丈/ Fried shrimp)
* Shiitake (椎茸/ Shiitake mushroom)
* Shishi-tou (ししとう/ Green chili)

Green chili is not hot at all. Maybe they are picked up before it gets hot.
(Some we hits so hot green chili, so be careful.)

At last, rice and miso-soup had served.

I like to have rice and miso-soup with other foods usually, but they are served at last in traditional way.

If you need relaxing time, I recommend staying at Ryokan.

I will write about hot spring at this Ryokan.
Onsen, the hot spring in Japan was also written in lonley planet, too.

Thank you for reading!
Good night!

箱根, 旅館, 環翠楼, 夕食, 葉月

Staying in a Ryokan and relaxing with hot springs (Kansui-rou / 環翠楼, Hakone / 箱根)

I have read lonley planet Japan and knew that staying Ryokan (旅館), the traditional Japanese inns, was placed No.5 in Japan's TOP 25.

At Ryokan, we Japanese wear Yukata (浴衣), Japanese robe, and spend relaxing time.
You can spend time any way you like. Just staying at room is fine. Maybe good idea to get in hot spring.

This summer, I stayed Ryokan named "Kansui-rou".

This Ryokan's has long history, opened 400 years ago.
Lot's of famous people visited here, even the family of Japanese emperor stayed long time.



This is the entrance.

When checking in, I saw an old register.
The staff told me that they aren't using it know, but left as ornament.

I like these antique goods.

At the lobby, they served cold sake, rice wine.
As it was hot day, the cold sake was really tasty.

These are the bottle filled with sake, and cool down with ice water.

These are the cups.
As sake is little strong, drinking a little at a time is good way.

After I enjoyed welcome drink, I went to my room.
The name of my room was Hayakawa (早川).
Hayakawa is the river's name which runs next to this Ryokan.

First step in the room.

Completely Japanese room, the floor was tatami (畳), Japanese straw mat.
I forgot to tell first, but we have to take off shoes at the entrance of Ryokan.

As there are lot's of earthquakes in Japan, the most of building were made of woods.
As woods are strong but soft, they are good material for building in Japan.

Even the paper was used a part for window and door. The window is called Syouji (障子) and door is called Fusuma （襖).

The sun lights become soft when went through the paper window.

There were sweet treat and tea waiting for me.

I took a little break and went to hot spring.
I will introduce the hot spring and dinner in later.

Thank you for reading!!
Have a nice weekend!!

箱根, 旅館, 環翠楼, 早川

A school created as an art & a school turned to arts ( Last Classroom & A classroom made with blackboard: Echigo-Tsumari Art Triennale 2015 / 越後妻有アートトリエンナーレ2015, Niigata prefecture)

The last works I want to introduce are two kinds.
One is a temporary school made in museum, and the other is an old school turned to arts.

The first art is called "Last classroom".
The arts are placed at closed school named "Higashigawa elementary school".

Works are using lights and darkness, describing all people had gone at last.
The corridor in orange light.

When no people was there, I felt loneliness and fear that I maybe taken to some where other world.

Gymnasium filled with fan and small lights. The lights were like snowflakes.

Some people was watching the ceiling lie on the bench.

Music room with mirrors on the wall.

The classroom filled with glass boxes. They seemed like tombs and the room felt little cold.

As children are decreasing, schools are getting closed in Tokamachi.
I thinks the artists, Christian Boltanski and Jean Kalman, were describing the problem accurately.

Not only in Tokamachi, Japan is in same problem.
The people are getting older, we have to think to grow children, and elder may have to work little longer time than fathers, mothers, grandfathers and grandmothers.

I saw a sweet couple in gymnasium and felt little warm.
We have to do our best to keep Japan beautiful and peace.

  

The last work I want to introduce is named "A classroom made with blackboard".

Walls, desks, chairs and even globe were made with blackboard.

People who visit here can write anything they want using chalks.

See this flog.

Someone draw them as a picture.

The cat and dog drawn on the desk.
They were cute and I felt warm again.

These were all arts I wanted to show you.
There were more and more beautiful and fantastic arts, but I will introduce you someday.

The place I live is getting little cold and autumn is comming.
Yesterday was famous night that Japanese thinks that best full moon comes up in the year.
Also, today we can see super moon, the large moon than always.

I took pictures with Mastumoto castle yesterday, so I will introduce them in few days.

Thank you for reading!!
Good night!

大地の芸術祭, 越後妻有, トリエンナーレ, 新潟, 十日町, 津南, まつだい, 最後の教室, 黒板の教室

Light magic, beautiful pictures flies out from a book. (Hokuetsu-Seppu: Echigo-Tsumari Art Triennale 2015 / 越後妻有アートトリエンナーレ2015, Niigata prefecture)

This art was so beautiful that I went to see it twice, in different days.
In the dark room, a book was set in the spot light.

Once you open the book, turning the pages, the pictures floats up and runs up the curtain.

The work's name was "Light book - 北越雪譜 (Hokuetsu-Seppu) -".

"北越 Hokuetsu" is the middle northern area's name in Japan.
"雪 Se" means "snow".
"譜 ppu" means written or set in clear order.

This book was written by Bokushi Suzuki, who lived 200 years ago.
The story was about life in Hokuetsu, telling both how beautiful and how severe the snows are.

Takahiro Matsuo, the modern artist, restored the book as light art in this world now.

The texts are also hologram, shown to each pictures. They are title of pictures.

As they were moving lights, it was so difficult to take pictures.

I wanted to explain how they are beautiful, but I need to study about camera more and more...

I wish Mr. Suzuki will show new works in next triennale.
I want to take more better pictures and introduce to you next time.

Thank you for reading!
Good night!

大地の芸術祭, 越後妻有, トリエンナーレ, 新潟, 十日町, 津南, 北越雪譜