Join us as we continue on our winter journey through Japan Islands, in search of delicious local cuisine and warm hospitality. We travel to a little-known hot spring inn in south Aizu. The Azuki spa is nestled in the mountains of south Aizu. The simple but elegant inn, Kaboku no Yado, is known for its excellent service. Opened in 1997, this hidden inn spans across 5,000 tsubos (1.65 hectares) and features 25 rooms. It also has five detached houses, which are very popular among guests. Each stylish house has a 10-tatami mat room with a sunken hearth, and even comes with its own private open-air bath with scenic views of the snow. Alternatively, guests can also go to a scenic open-air bath in inn’s the main building.

Dinner, served at the inn’s restaurant, features tantalising Chinese cuisine. The chef hails from China, and honed his culinary skills at a first-class hotel in China. He whips up excellent Chinese dishes. The feast includes special winter dishes such as snow cellar radish stew cooked with oxtail. Authentic Chinese dishes include Peking duck – which takes two days to prepare – served with homemade pancake and sauce; prawns with chilli sauce; hot soup dumplings; and seafood fried rice. There is also mushroom hot pot made of soy sauce soup with oyster sauce and rice wine, and Aizu local free-range chicken.

We next visit Izu in Shizuoka in mid-winter. Start your journey from Shimoda in south Izu. Shimoda is situated in a scenic spot by the Pacific Ocean, and boasts lots of fresh seafood. The fishing port is famous for its alfonsino. Alfonsino is available throughout the year, but it is best eaten during winter. Visit the Shimoda city fish market, where freshly-caught alfonsino is sold. Look out for the golden eyes of the alfonsino, which is a sign that it is fresh. If you’re hungry, go to a restaurant right next to the port. It serves delicious local seafood. One of the recommended dishes is the lobster miso soup, and it costs 900 yen (S$14). Return to Shimoda Station and take a bus heading south to a famous Shimokamo spa. During the ride, enjoy the beautiful view of vast fields of rape blossoms. Alight at a bus stop near the Gin no yu (silver) spa house, which is a day spa. It is easy to spot – just look out for the steam rising from the place. The water here has a high salt content, touted as being good for health. This hot spring is popular among the locals too, many of whom make a trip here nearly everyday. Do note, however, that the spa is closed on Wednesdays.

After the soothing spa, take a stroll around Shimokamo. Visit a direct sales store, which specialises in fresh agricultural and seafood products, and cheap fruits. In mid-winter, you can also see the locals pruning the various cherry trees, in preparation for the flower viewing season. A cherry blossoms and rape blossoms festival along River Aono is usually held every year until March. Continue your tour of south Izu by taking a bus to the fishing port near Yumigahama beach. You can try some of the local seafood caught here, such as steamed Takaashi (long leg) crabs, a speciality of Izu Peninsula. Following this, make your way to your inn for the night at Yumigahama beach. Tsukimiya is a private Bed and Breakfast inn with a hot spring. It is run by a couple. The proprietress serves the inn’s guests seafood which has been caught by her husband. Their fish dishes are famous and this explains why the inn attracts many repeat guests. For dinner, you will be treated to luxurious alfonsino dishes, such as stewed fish, stewed alfonsino, fresh alfonsino sashimi and alfonsino shabu-shabu (boiling pot dish). The cost - 9,400 yen (S$147) - includes dinner and a fresh seafood breakfast.

Our next trip is to the post town of Narai in Nagano Prefecture. Narai once flourished during the Edo era and it still retains its historical charm, with nostalgic houses and streets. As you walk around the tasteful streets of Kyu-Nakasendo, go to a shop called Echigoya, which sells food and souvenirs. The charming 200-year old building also has a storehouse where pickled vegetables and miso are made. If you’re hungry, go to Tokuriya, which serves local specialities. It used to be the main inn where feudal lords stayed during the Edo era, and has 170 years of history.  Poets Toson Shimazaki and Shiki Masaoka have also stayed at the inn. Enjoy a meal of traditional Gohei rice cakes grilled over firewood. They come with three types of homemade sauces - sesame, walnut and miso.

Return to the train station and travel on the Chuo Honsen Line to Kiso Fukushima in Nagano. Enjoy the beautiful snow views during the 20-minute ride. During the Edo era, Kiso Fukushima had one of the main checkpoints along the Nakasendo highway. Alight at the Kiso Fukushima Station and walk for about 10 minutes to Rindo, a lacquerware gallery. It features Yasawa Shukei lacquerware, developed in Yasawa during the Edo era. For example, the gallery exhibits a flower vase worth 1.5 million yen (S$23,505). There is even a studio where visitors can observe how lacquering is done using kiso hinoki (Japanese cypress) or sawara cypress and a unique bending technique. For lunch, have some delicious and aromatic Kamameshi at a 120-year-old restaurant, Torikagi. Next, proceed to Matsushima-Tei for some coffee. This charming restaurant, located in a renovated old house, is only open in the afternoons for drinks and features a sunken hearth.

After this, head to your inn for the night. If you make an advanced booking, staff from Komanoyu will come to pick you up from the town. The inn is about 15 minutes drive from the centre of Kiso Fukushima. The inn’s tranquil atmosphere and refreshing hot spring are its main attractions. The rooms boast interesting snow views, and on a clear day, you can even see Mt. Ontake. After your relaxing bath, have dinner at the inn’s tasteful restaurant. Tuck into a delicious feast of stewed pork belly with mashed potatoes, steamed millet cake with mushroom sauce, and other local specialities. In addition, there is the delicious hot pot full of Shinshu’s specialities such as Golden Shamo – a mixed breed of game fowl and Nagoya Kochin chicken – and vegetables. . The soy sauce-based soup goes well with the ingredients. The next morning, end your trip by relaxing in the open-air bath, while admiring the gorgeous snow view.