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The survival kit is big business in Japan! https://search.rakuten.co.jp/search/mall/%E9%9D%9E%E5%B8%B8%E7%94%A8%E6%8C%81%E3%81%A1%E5%87%BA%E3%81%97%E8%A2%8B/ Hotels are probably required by law to keep such things.

I had to zoom in the picture 🤣🤣 It said '非常用" on it, so I think it's drinking water for emergencies. Japanese are very big on being prepared for disaster...

Bathroom....is that....? Ah YES! Private onsen on the balcony!! Push this button and the onsen tub will be filled. Also detailed analysis of the onsen water is required by law to be displayed. FOUR types of slippers here: One for balcony, pictured above. One for the toilet, also above. One...

I booked the smallest room. It's called Hansel and Gretel, yeah they have a theme going 😂 From the door way, right side was toilet, bedroom on the left, straight ahead was bathroom. Maybe we don't need a picture of the toilet? But here it is anyways! Living area I especially liked the...

From Karuizawa to Kusatsu there's a regular bus, takes about 1.5 hours and cost around 2200 Yen iirc... But the hotel I booked in Kusatsu (together with 2 others of the same group) runs a shuttle bus once per day to pick up guests in Karuizawa. They certainly brought a whole new meaning to...

Not far from the hotel there's a bus stop going back to Karuizawa. Was very infrequent though...I took the 11.25 one. Another early lunch in Karuizawa. Yes I knew seafood is not local cuisine, at all...but I really didn't want to have soba or fried chicken again!

Morning! The coffee was terrible, do not recommend... After breakfast I went out to see the two churches. Stone Church first, errr, was told there's a wedding booked, so we were only allowed to peek a little from a distance before 10am opening time. Ah but I had a 45mm (M43 so 90mm...

The Japanese mentality is different, unfortunately foreigners just are not the same. We'll probably never be so considerate to others like the Japanese, but I try my best. I've been to Kyoto 7 times, with the last one being Mar 2023. I love Kyoto, but damn the crowds were bad last time - peak...

Karuizawa is more or less a weekend retreat to Tokyo? Anyways lots of people having drink parties outside in the evening... I was knackered however, went to bed early!

The Hoshino Area was near Naka Karuizawa station - whole area was developed by Hoshino Group. BEB5 was at the lower left. There's also Hoshinoya (top right) which is high end, Bleston Court mid range. Two churches (more on them later) and a number of shops & restaurants, and Tombo no yu the...

A few years ago I stayed at Hoshinoya Karuizawa, I didn't like the hotel much but the surrounding area was very nice. So this time I booked a cheaper hotel nearby 😜 BEB5 Karuizawa It had a nice vacation vibe... My room was on the 2nd floor. It was a loft! Unlike most of the Japanese...

Took a Shinkansen to Karuizawa. Early lunch, miso gyutan from Meijitei. Right next to Karuizawa station is the Prince Outlets. Ha, this is not a drink vending machine...

Checked out of the shukubo, time to go... Ah but I was up since 5am and it was approaching 9 already! Damn I needed a coffee!! Remember the fancy looking Starbucks? 😜 I had a triple shot, don't judge.... This one was so beautiful though! There are some unbelievably great looking Starbucks in...

Okay, first of all there are many types of onsen water, on top of my head: Alkaline, chloride, sulphur, acidic, iron, etc. Secondly, even if the whole town is smelly af like someone had broken 10000 rotten eggs (eg. Kusatsu), you actually don't notice much when soaking - I don't know why.

Onsen water is all different, not necessarily sulphurous! If that is your thing though, I recommend Kusatsu 🤣 I have just been, please wait for my TR...

No more shuttle bus last time I was there (Nov 2023). But a taxi wouldn't cost that much...

Back to Yakuo-in for breakfast. Lots of washing for not that much food 😂 Our guide also joined us here. And this was when I found out where the others came from - they tried to tip him! Rightly refused, of course. Oh how I wish Americans don't bring that sxx_ elsewhere. * They were not native...

Another big thing staying in a Shukubo is to attend the Morning Service of Zenkoji, called Oasaji It is held all year round at the time of the sunrise. Previous day during check in the lady asked me if I wanted to join the Japanese group or English group (we did the check-in in Japanese) 😂 well...

Zenkoji in the evening were deserted... But since we had to get up at 5am to attend the morning service, everybody went to bed at 9pm!

Ah yes, the famous JP domestic flights 🤣 I think I'd done it once in all my travels... nowadays I use sleeper trains or overnight ferries if I have to do long distance.