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

Worship the dragon as a god (The legend of Enoshima island / 江の島, Ryukou-ji temple / 龍口寺)

You will see a lot of dragons near Enoshima island.

At the temples and shrines, there are dragons everywhere.
Statues and reliefs are in the buildings and gates.

A legend will leads you to the reason.
A long time ago, there was a large lake in Kamakura and five-head dragon lived there.
The dragon was so strong, that even the gods can't hold him.

Dragon was harmful to human.
He brought earthquakes, floods, and plagues.
Dragon even kidnapped children and ate them. Human hated the dragon, but couldn't do anything.

In the year 552, black clouds covered the sky, and huge earthquake and tsunami struck Fujisawa and Kamakura. The earthquake continued for ten days, and explosion occur in the ocean.

The earthquake and explosion wasn't done by the dragon.
He was also watching it all.

All the sudden, sunlight and goddess came down between the clouds.
For goddess's beauty, dragon fell in her at once. He soon said her to become wife.
The answer was no. She hated the dragon's evilness.

Dragon promised the goddess that he will become good and protect the human.
They got married.

Dragon kept a promise.

When drought occur, he let the rain fell to the dry ground.
He fought with typhoon and earthquakes. He pushed out the tsunami, too.

Dragon was strong, but he kept promise for long, long time.
A day which he lose all power come.

To protect human and the goddess, he decided to transform himself to a mountain.
He kept the promise even after his death.

The mountain is called Enoshima island now.

The picture I used today is seen at Ryukouji-temple, which near from Enoshima station.
"Ryukouji" means the "temple of Dragon's mouth".

If you climb up the stairs behind the temple, you can see beautiful beach sides.

Maybe dragon was watching the same sight in thousands of years ago.

If you got a chance to come Enoshima island, please remind about the dragon.

Thank you for reading!!
Good night!!

Keywords: 江の島, 龍口寺, 龍

Enoden, the tram runs next to the sea, loved by citizens for long times. (Fujisawa / 藤沢 & Kamakura / 鎌倉)

Not so much trams are in Japan.
As Japan is not so large country, it maybe difficult to make loads wide that car and trams both run at same time.

Enoden, which official name is Enoshima electric railways, connects Fujisawa station and Kamakura station.

It's about 30 minutes trip, but there are lots of places to see.
This railways quite famous because the stations and railway is shown and used in movies and dramas in Japan. Even used in comic book, too. (I have introduced "Slum Dunk".)

This time, I walked from Enoshima station to Kamakura Koukou mae station.
It is about 1.5km, took about an hour swinging to some temples.

This cross load is near the temple called "Ryu Kou ji".
I took some of picture, so I will introduce in later blog.

The train with lots of pictures drawn came!!

I found fish shop near the Koshigoe station.
Not only fresh fish, cooked fishes were in the shop window.

These are fried fishes.

Roasted fishes!!

These seems and absolutely matches rice.
I bought one fry and ate near the beach.

Fish shop seems like this.

Few minutes walk, train comes out next to the beach.

Few minutes walk took me to Kamakura koukou mae station.

Enoden runs really near the people and cars.
I met surfer going back to home. As child sheet was on the bicycle, he must be somebody's father.

The Enoden next to Mercedes.

There are more and more beautiful places in the railroad of Enoden.
I will visit there soon and show it to you again.

Thank you for reading!
Have a nice weekend!

Keywords: 江ノ電, 江の島, 鎌倉, 藤沢