This week, we continue visiting inns which have been recommended by landladies of other equally famous inns. Before heading to an inn in Matsumoto City in Nagano, which has been suggested by the landlady of Sakaya, we will check out some other inns.

The first inn is Atagawa Onsen Suiko in Izu Peninsula. It has been recommended by the landlady of Gensenkan. Suiko is well known in East Izu and this hot spring inn on a hill boasts a panoramic view of the sea. It faces the Pacific Ocean and thus features a fantastic view of Izu Oshima. Take a train to Izu-Atagawa Station. The scenic inn is walking distance from the station. It combines a traditional atmosphere with a modern elegance. It has both indoor and open-air baths. During your hot spring bath, you can enjoy the cosy atmosphere and natural breeze, while taking in the gorgeous view of the sea. The view of the surroundings changes with each season. It is truly a blissful experience to enjoy a relaxing hot spring, surrounded by the soothing sea view and fresh sea breeze. The water of the hot spring in Atagawa Onsen is slightly salty and is good for the skin. In addition, a chartered open-air bath is also available for booking, so you can enjoy the sea view exclusively. The Japanese-style guest rooms in Suiko also have a great sea view. Plus, some rooms have their own private garden and open-air bath. Later, tuck into a luxurious feast of fresh seafood for dinner.

Our search for fantastic inns next takes us to Furokaku spa inn, which has been recommended by the landlady of Suiko. The highlight of this traditional therapeutic bath inn is its natural radium hot spring. Go to Hokuto City in Yamanashi first. From Nirasaki Station, take a 50-minute bus ride to the Masutomi Radium Hot Spring Town. This place attracts hot spring fans from all over Japan. The spring water of Masutomi Onsen is said to have the highest radium content in the world. The many types of granite in this area react chemically with rainwater to produce the radium hot spring. The 100-year-old hot spring has been in existence since the Taisho period. The cloudy brown indoor bath has a temperature of between 30 and 36 degrees. It has various benefits, such as reviving cells and improving one’s immunity.

The landlady of Furokaku inn is a spa therapist, while the landlord is a qualified spa instructor. Thus, they take pains to teach each guest the most effective method of bathing in the hot spring, depending on what medical condition they want to treat. So somebody who has neck problems will use the bath in a different way compared to someone who has sensitive skin. One has to follow the instructions carefully in order to get the most out of the radium hot spring. The inn has another special bath. The natural rock bath is built at the source of the radium hot spring and has radioactive rays gushing out of the rocks. The water here is 19 degrees, and is colder than the earlier indoor bath. After these unique baths, you can rest in a relaxing room. The inn serves healthy local cuisines for dinner. Kitchen facilities are also available for long stay visitors, who are offered a reasonably-priced lodging plan.

Next, head to an inn located in the famous hot spring town of Naruko Onsen in Miyagi. The Hounkaku inn has been recommended by the landlady of Furokaku. This latest inn is perfect for those who enjoy nature. Take a bus from the station and travel along the mountain road for 30 minutes to Onikoube Onsen, located deep in the town of Naruko Onsen. Hounkaku is an exquisite inn with a tasteful atmosphere. Opened in 1941, the small inn is surrounded by nature and features beams made from wood which is over 500 years old. The inn’s eight rooms are cosy. For dinner, you will be served a simple yet delicious meal comprising lots of mountain vegetables. The source of the hot spring here, called Jigokudani, is at a ravine behind the inn. As you take a stroll to the ravine, you will notice steam and hot water spouting out along the river. The pure salt hot spring bath is nestled among the natural landscape alongside a waterfall. As you pamper and heal your body in the open-air bath, you will be soothed by the sounds of birds chirping, the murmur of the river, the surrounding greenery and the gentle breeze. It is a blissful moment indeed.

Next, make your way to an inn serving delicious delicacies. The Sugimoto inn in Matsumoto City in Nagano is the one recommended by the landlady of the Sakaya. It is known to offer its guests dishes which go well with sake, as the landlord is a sake lover. As you travel to Utsukushigahara Onsen, located in the suburbs of Matsumoto, do look out for the symbol of the town – the Matsumoto Castle. It is also known as the Crow Castle due to its dark colour. The town has been famous since the Nara period, and its hot spring became the imperial hot spring for the lord of Matsumoto during the Edo period.

Sugimoto inn features an artistic lobby which is both warm and relaxing. The inn even has a special lounge, featuring a bar counter made of a special type of wood which is 500 years old. Another highlight of this inn is a spacious tree house called Tomusoya. In addition, its standard guest rooms are decorated with interesting handicrafts. Dinner comprises 12 dishes. It is an interesting culinary experience, with four to five types of sake served to complement the various dishes. For example, daiginjo is served with natural Japanese Spikenard, while dry ginjo is served with char namero. Even the soy sauce, which has been mixed with gyoja garlic, has been meticulously prepared by the landlord. The other dishes include seasonal mountain vegetables, firefly squid shabu-shabu, juwari soba, and a speciality of Matsumoto – raw horse meat.

The next inn we visit is called Sannami, and it is located in Noto, Ishikawa. It has been recommended by the landlady of Sugimoto inn. Noto Peninsula is surrounded by the sea and has a unique food culture. The popular Sannami inn is known for its simple local cuisine of Noto. The couple who run the inn believe in preparing healthy dishes for its guests. The quaint inn can only accommodate three pairs of guests at any one time and has a homey atmosphere. Its open-air bath offers a superb and exclusive view of Toyama Bay. As the inn strives to serve safe and healthy food, the ingredients and seasonings used are all homemade. Over 50 kinds of self-cultivated vegetables and natural seafood are preserved underground, for the inn’s old-style Noto cuisine. For example, fresh sardine is pickled with salt, rice bran and red pepper, and fermented for three years, to make Noto’s traditional cuisine - konkaiwashi. And vegetables are pickled with fish sauce to make benzuke. The inn has its own chemical-free vegetable fields, and guests can enjoy freshly-picked vegetables for their meals.

For dinner, you will be served Noto’s vegetables, seasonal seafood from Toyama Bay and self-cultivated vegetables. Savour your meal with ishiri, a traditional fish sauce in Noto Peninsula. It is made from squid which has been pickled with salt and fermented naturally. Another seasoning is a fermented sauce which has been mixed with kelp stock and boiled with self-cultivated vegetables. One dish which has been created by the landlady is called kaibe. Koshihikari is cooked with ishiri and squid, after which kasukamo is added and grilled by the hearth. Other traditional dishes of Noto include unohana-zushi made from pickled mackerel; bean curd lees and sesame tofu with Japanese mugwort; and konkaiwashi. What a delightful spread of healthy and delicious dishes!