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Obviously Shukubos serve Shojin Ryori 精進料理. There was no menu so your guess is as good as mine ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ The hot pot was to be pour onto the soba. Rice and miso soup were self served. This I know, vegetable tempura! with wasabi salt. Pepper, pumpkin, sweet potato, eggplant, iirc? Okay I...

It was still early so I went to Zenkoji. They have some pretty fancy Shuins! I got the simple version 🤣 These were all Shukubos. Starbucks rarely miss a trick in Japan! Very impressive looking building!

Dining room My afternoon tea set. This was not the final version. You need to make your own matcha. Also, notice the thing top right? That's for you to make mont blanc. I think I did pretty well here 😎

So I arrived at Yakuo-in a little before 2pm. Unlike every other place I've stayed in Japan, they didn't ask to check my ID let alone copying 🤣 Also seemed pretty relax about check in time, I was shown to my room immediately! - if you've been to Japan you know the 3pm check in time is an...

What is a Shukubo 宿坊? Simple answer, temple lodging. Some temples in Japan offer temple lodging, most famously in Koyashan - at least to foreigners. But there are others too. Zenkoji, 3 mountains of Dewa in Tohoku, also in Shikoku for the Henro, etc (even a few in Kyoto!) Around Zenkoji there...

I didn't have a lot of time in Obuse, otherwise probably would pay another visit to Obusedo - really guys, try their chestnut mont blanc! Took a commuter train this time. Why? Because I needed to get off at Zenkojishita, not Nagano. From the station it was about 15 mins walk to Zenkoji 善光寺...

Looking forward to Hokkaido in June!

Also in Japan, a public bath!

I have registered before (2019), wondering if it still works...

Obuse is a small town in Nothern Nagano half way between Yudanaka onsen and Nagano city. Best known for being Hokusai's home in his later years - he came to live in Obuse as invited by a wealthy local merchant and art lover, Takai Kozan. The historical town centre of Obuse is very pretty, and...

Amazing onsen, excellent service at a very reasonable price, Kamei no Yu I 100% recommend. Checked out and back to Yudanaka Onsen Station. Saw another bath house for local residents, sadly there's an English sign on it saying not to force your way in (it's actually locked)...🤢 Who does that...

Breakfast was served in the dinning room upstairs Lovely looking menu! The 出し巻き卵 dashimaki tamago was unbelievably good! 😍

If I'm going to Nara again I'd be taking the Aoniyoshi train...

Damn! Nigatsudo was my favourite part of Nara....can't believe you didn't go!

Back to Kamei no Yu and there's onigiri waiting for me in the room 😎 Since there were only 6 rooms, each group got 30 mins exclusive use of the bath till 10pm (reservation made during check in). Afterwards it's public bath. Nowhere near as impressive as the Momoyama Bath, but for a ryokan...

After dinner I went out for a walk in town - town might be slightly generous here 😂 As you can see, it was very quiet! This place is truly Inaka. 😉

Six rooms probably not worth running a kitchen? Anyways dinner was also served at Yorozuya. I booked the basic dinner plan. The duck pastrami was delicious! I ordered non-alcohol beer, they quickly changed the umeshu to local apple juice, great service! Sashimi, Shinshu salmon again...

Pre COVID AU passports can be registered to use the e-gate in TPE. I'm not sure about now...

Kamei no Yu is affiliated with Yorozuya Ryokan (about 3 mins walk) and guests can also enjoy the bath of Yorozuya. A basket was prepared for you to take to the bath with towels and things. Yorozuya was quite a large ryokan. The small building in front "Oyu", is not part of the ryokan. It's a...

Onsen onsen, the most important thing! 😂 I came all way to Yudanaka onsen, mainly because of one picture. But let's start from the beginning. Kamei no Yu is a boutique ryokan with only 6 guest rooms. They have a score of 4.9 out of 5 on Jalan Matcha and wagashi. My room was a 8 tatami room...