Day 6 – Part 1 - Morning in Shiroganeya and Traveling to Takayama

We woke up in Shiroganeya to a beautiful, crisp morning with sunny skies.  We both decided to take advantage of the private open-air hot spring on our balcony rather than go downstairs to the communal baths.  It was a great way to start the day.  After getting prepared, we ventured downstairs to breakfast.

 

 

 

 

 

Breakfast was served in a different dining room than the one in which we enjoyed our Kaiseki dinner.  Most of the Ryokans that we had stayed in to this point had given us a choice between Western and Japanese breakfasts.  So far, I had always chosen the Western breakfast and decided that it was about time that I sampled the Japanese breakfast to ensure that I had experienced it.  I will be the first to admit that, although I love Japanese food, their breakfast menu items can be a little daunting to the uninitiated by both its contents and its size. 

Breakfast consisted of grilled fish, a bowl of rice, Japanese radishes and pickles, miso soup, an onsen tamago (egg), a large green salad, fresh slices of pineapple, other typical Japanese traditional breakfast items, and Japanese tea.  My wife loves these breakfasts as she cannot really experience them in Canada.  For me, it was part of the adventure that has made this trip amazing with all of the new experiences.

After breakfast my wife decided to take another hot spring bath in our room, so I went to explore the area outside of the Ryokan.  Immediately upon exiting Shiroganeya, you cannot help but notice a large building in the middle of the street that also serves as a roundabout.  It is actually a public onsen called a “Soyu” (public bath) or Ko-Soyu (old public bath) for people to visit and to enjoy the hot springs in Yamashiro without going to a Ryokan.  There is also a resting area located on the second level.

 

 

Across the street from the public bath house, tucked away in a corner between two Ryokans is an area where people can soak their feet in the hot spring water for free.  This can be quite soothing as you wander around the various shops and little restaurants in the area, or especially after touring Yakuoin Onsenji Temple, located on the hill just down the street from the public bath and Shiroganeya.

 

 

 

Yakuoin Onsenji is the guardian temple of Yamashiro Onsen.  The grounds of the temple are free to explore and the various paths take you by numerous little altars and statues all celebrating the healing and rejuvenation effects of the hot spring waters.  I was amazed by the uniqueness of each statue, and almost each of them had a little bottle of water next to its base.  There are several buildings that you can enter, but I decided to follow a sign that stated that the observation viewing area was a “5 minute walk” with an arrow pointing up some stairs carved into the hill.  As I walked up the hill, I passed many more little statues lining the stairway.  As I reached the top of the stairs, another sign appeared stating that the observation viewing area was a “5 minute walk” with another are pointing up a laneway with no observation area even remotely in sight.  Not knowing how many more “5 minute walk” signs I would encounter, and being pressed for time, I decided to admit defeat and made my way back down the hill and back to Shiroganeya.

 

I returned to the lobby and quickly checked my email using the free wifi in the lobby and enjoyed a free cup of coffee in the seating area.  While I waited for my wife to come downstairs, I did a little closer inspection of the main lobby floor.  There are many pictures in a small gallery, but the one that the staff at Shiroganeya is very proud of is that of the Prince of Japan, Prince Hironomiya who stayed there many years ago.

 

 

Our bags were brought downstairs for us and loaded into the bus that had brought us here the day before.  We said good-bye to the wonderful staff that had been so helpful and friendly during our time there and headed back to Kagaonsen Station to start our journey to Takayama.

Day 5 Part 2: Shiroganeya

After a wonderful day in Kanazawa, we arrived back at Kaga Onsen where we met by a driver from the Hoshino Shiroganeya Ryokan in Yamashiro Onsen.  I usually don’t say a lot about the drive from the train station to the Ryokans that we are staying at, but this time I feel I must.  Our driver was, in a word, awesome.  From the moment he started the van and the soft and soothing music began to play, I immediately began to feel relaxed and the long day of walking in Kanazawa became a distant memory.  To complement the music, he gave us a very nice tour of Yamashiro Onsen and highlighted some scenic points of interest in the area all the while answering our questions quickly and politely and in a calm and almost hypnotic voice that only served to add to enhance the ride.  By the time we reached Shiroganeya, my wife and I were already impressed by our experience with their staff and we hadn’t even walked through the door yet.

Shiroganeya is located in a quaint little section of Yamashiro Onsen, which almost has the feel of a small village.  The exterior of the Ryokan is quite beautiful and this impressiveness extends as you walk through the front door.  We were led to a small, elevated seating area in the center of the lobby (away from the reception desk) where we were served hot tea and checked-in.  As were being escorted to our room, we were shown around the main floor which included a small coffee bar area that was adjacent to the seating area where we just checked in, and a sliding glass door that opened out onto a nice Japanese garden.  There is Wifi service and free coffee in the lobby area.  We were also shown the entrances to the communal hot spring baths.

Our room was on the top floor and was absolutely great.  It was a very large room that was well divided into separate area by the traditional Japanese sliding paper doors, called Shoji Screens.  Our bedroom was a very good size and contained two large beds that were fitted with soft Japanese cotton sheets and they were extremely comfortable.  The main living area was a room with tatami mats on which were two Japanese chairs with a small round table, there was a flat screen TV as well as a closet that contained our Yukatas and a small safe for us to keep our valuables.  Large Shoji Screens were in front of our very large windows, and as they were slid aside we could enjoy a great view of area as well as the temple that was just to our left.  Next to this room was another set of sliding doors that opened onto an elevated area which contained a 2^nd seating are with a small bar area against the far wall where we could prepare tea.  What was really special about this room was the feature that we alone had access to at Shiroganeya and was located on our roof top balcony.  Our room was equipped with the only private open-air hot spring in the entire Ryokan.

Through the glass doors there was a round cedar tub that was filled to the rim with steaming, 40 degree Celsius hot spring water.  The tub was secreted behind tall bamboo fencing to provide privacy, but being on the top floor of our Ryokan also meant that the bamboo fencing did not need to be that high and we were also able to enjoy limited views from the balcony.  With my wife choosing to go downstairs to the communal hot springs, I quickly took advantage of this quiet time to sit back and indulge in the peace and serenity of having the apartment and the private open-air bathe all to myself.  It was a little piece of heaven.

Once my wife returned, we made our way down to the main dining hall to enjoy our multi-course Kaiseki dinner.  The dining hall is laid out very well; there is a main area in the middle with private dining rooms located on the surrounding perimeter.  Our room was located at the far end of the room and allowed us to have excellent privacy while also being able to enjoy the energy in the rest of the room.  Our server for the evening was an extremely nice gentleman who was meticulous in the way that he took care of our every need and had an excellent ability to anticipate those needs.

 

We quickly settled in for a wondrous meal.  The entire meal consisted of 10 courses which were primarily crab (7 of them) but there was a beef course that consisted of Noto Beef which is a special brand of beef from this region which we cooked it on a grill right at our table, and it was absolutely succulent.  The crab dishes ranged from grilled crab legs, sashimi crab, stewed, and deep fried.  One special crab dish, that was very unique, was a course that was carried to our table in which the crab was wrapped in rope and had been steamed.  Our waiter removed the rope and the crab inside was absolutely amazing.

 

 

Once again, we had a fabulous Kaiseki dinner and were more than ready for a good nights sleep as returned to our room.  We watched a little TV and enjoyed a drink while we talked about our day.  Sleep came very easily and was assisted by the excellent beds in our room.

Day 5: Part 1 - Breakfast at Beniya Mukayu - Going to Kanazawa – Evening at Shiroganeya

We woke up early in the morning in order to make sure that we fully took advantage of this gorgeous Ryokan.  My wife quickly got herself prepared and went to the large dining hall where they have complimentary yoga classes every morning before breakfast.  Our hostess, Sachiko, often leads these classes but today there was a different instructor.  My wife found it to be very relaxing and not too strenuous as it is geared towards beginners to encourage their guests to attend.  She found it a great way to prepare for the day.

Meanwhile, it was a beautiful sunny morning and I could think of no better way to start my day than to have a private open-air hot spring bath on the balcony in our room. The wonderful thing about hot spring baths is that they are always hot and ready to go. In mere minutes I was immersed in the revitalizing alkaline spring water. 

 

 

When we were given the tour yesterday by Sachiko she told us how the hot spring in the area had been discovered by a Buddhist saint about 1,300 years ago on his way to Hakusan Mountain (White Mountain). 

“He carved a figure of Yakushi Nyorai (Healing Buddha), placed it as the main deity, and enshrined Hakusan God to be the guardian of the hot spring… It is historically known that the area around Yakuoin Onsenji used to be called ‘Yakushiyama (Healing Buddha’s Mountain)’ for its high spirituality, which was a place for training and learning for Buddhist monks, and at the same time, a place for healing , where monks cured people by providing hot spring baths and preparing medicinal herbs.”                     Sachiko Nakamichi – Proprietress of Beniya Mukayu

After a very relaxing morning of yoga and hot spring baths, we made our way to the dining hall for breakfast.  I enjoyed a Western Style breakfast of a bacon and cheese omelette, yogurt, fresh fruits, a fresh organic vegetable salad, toast and coffee.  The food was fantastic, but what I really remember is the wide selection of freshly squeezed juice that was available.  And By freshly squeezed, I mean... that they actually squeezed the juice at their main table seconds before serving it to you based on your request. My wife had a Japanese style breakfast consisting of grilled flat fish (grilled on the table), a special brand of rice cooked in a stone pot, seaweed with Beniya Mukayu original soy sauce, boiled and dried young sardines, seaweed with mushrooms, a Japanese style folded omelette with grated radish and organic boiled vegetables with plum and sesame sauce, miso soup, Japanese pickles, Beniya Mukayu special blend coffee, and Kaga original green tea.  The food was excellent as once, once again, the service from the entire staff at Beniya Mukayu.

 

As we checked out, I must say that I was sorry to be leaving this wonderful Ryokan.  I truly enjoyed every minute that I was here from the warm and friendly staff, Sachiko - our wonderful and generous hostess and her husband who performed our beautiful tea ceremony, the relaxing and invigorating hot springs, the luxurious selection of soothing and nourishing lotions, and the wonderful food.  The entire experience at Beniya Mukayu was perfect and I highly recommend anyone to visit this wonderful Ryokan.

We would be staying at a different Ryokan that evening in Yamashiro Onsen, the same area as Beniya Mukayu, so Sachiko was kind enough to transfer our luggage to the next Ryokan while her manager drove us to the train station.  We had a few hours before we would be checking-in so we decided to take a train to Kanazawa.  Kanazawa is a culturally rich and historic city as its roots date back to the 16^th century.  Due to its location, it had not been affected by war or natural disaster and therefore, it is well preserved and contains a large selection of historic house and sites to explore and experience ancient Japan.

After a very brief train ride to Kanazawa Station from Kaga Onsen, we were very easily able to navigate our way via public transit to our first destination, Kenrokuen Garden.  This is a beautiful and large garden that covers over 11 hectares.  Being there in mid-March, we could see the transition from winter to spring starting to occur.  The trees, a wide variety including plum and cherry trees were still supporting the intricate network of rope scaffolding to protect their branches from the weight of the winter snow.  We really enjoyed our casual stroll through this park, stopping from time to time to take in the wonderful statues that are scattered throughout, and of course, the gorgeous pond that is situated near the center of the grounds.  The pond itself is serene and calm to view from a distance, but as you approach the waters’ edge you can see that it is teeming with a substantial population of Japanese Koi (or Coy) fish.  The park itself is spectacular and even in this seasonal transition stage it was worth visiting, I can only imagine how beautiful it must be in Cherry blossom season or in the fall.

 

We left the park and decided to walk through Kanazawa and explore the city by foot.  As is true for much of Japan, Kanazawa is remarkable in its ability to showcase its deep traditional heritage while allowing for modernization to happen throughout.  These areas are not spate, but instead blended together in a great balance of old and new.  We decided to stop in at Nagamachi Samurai District.

 

 

It was in the Nagamachi district that the samurai and their families lived during the Edo Period.  This area is well preserved and the streets and lanes are very much as they were back then with the earthen wall, private gates and canals.  We stopped in at the restored residence of the Nomura family.  This family was a high ranking samurai family that saw their fortunes rise during the Edo period, but as the feudal era came to the end and the start of the Meiji period in 1868.  The house holds many authentic artifacts from the samurai era and is a fantastic representation of the life of the samurai.





Here are some pictures from our walk around the area: 

 

 

We took a taxi from the Nagamachi district to Higashiyama, a district of Kanazawa where you can tour through buildings that are hundreds of years old and have been given the designation of Japanese cultural assets.  These buildings, or Chaya houses, are rare examples of two story buildings which were generally prohibited in the Edo period.  They are very unique in their design with latticed exteriors on the first level and wonderful craftsmanship. 



We toured a few of the buildings, including a visit to a Geisha house, “Ochaya Shima”, where were able to view authentic artifacts from the Edo period as well as get a real impression of what it was to live back in that time as the building has for the most part been kept as it was back then.  I was amazed by the architecture and the design of the streets and we spent a lot of time exploring this area.

 

 

We took a bus back to the centre of Kanazawa where we visited their large market - Omicho Market.  Unfortunately, since it was late in the day, they were closing and we could only do a quick tour of the facility.  It also dates back to the Edo period and is the largest fresh market in Kanazawa.  If you plan to visit it, it is at its peak in the morning until about noon.  Being there in the late afternoon meant it was a little quiet and only those people on their way home from work were stopping in to buy their dinner.

We made our way back to the train station and caught a train back to Kaga Onsen where we were met by the driver sent from our next Ryokan, Shiroganeya.

Day 4 – Morning in Kyoto and travelling to Kaga Onsen to Beniya Mukayu

We awoke to a beautiful morning in Kyoto after enjoying a fantastic night’s sleep in our room at the Hyatt Regency Kyoto.  Day 4 in Japan was scheduled to be another travel day as we would be leaving historic and beautiful Kyoto and heading to our next destination, Kaga Onsen.



We packed our bags and made our way downstairs for breakfast.  I first made a quick stop in the main seating are of the lobby to take advantage of the free Wifi to send some quick emails and check the news back home.



I then joined my wife in “The Grill” restaurant located at the far end of the main lobby.  This restaurant is bright and spacious as it is laid out with an open concept, and is not closed off by walls to the rest of the lobby, but with planters and other minimal partitions allowing patrons to have some privacy while eating but to also enjoy the buzz and activity happening in the lobby.  It also has an expansive view of the Japanese garden through the large picturesque windows at its far end.

Similar to the Italian restaurant where we enjoyed dinner, “The Grill” also has an open kitchen concept which features a brick oven where a variety of food is freshly prepared. 

Our breakfast was a buffet style, and offered a brunch type fare in a wide selection of food.  My wife and I really found the food to be quite fresh and delicious, and the wide variety of selection available easily satisfied our early morning hunger.  Once again, the service proved to be exceptional.  A special treat for me was in speaking with one of the chefs, who was a Canadian from a city in British Columbia quite close to Vancouver.

 

We would like to thank all of the wonderful staff at the Hyatt Regency in Kyoto for providing us with such a wonderful stay and for all of the help and assistance while we were there.  Special thanks to their Sales Manager, whose generous donation of his time for us and his great and knowledgeable tour of the hotel was greatly appreciated.

We took a taxi to Kyoto Station and, using our JR pass, we reserved seats for ourselves on the Thunderbird Train from Kyoto to Kaga Onsen.  With the JR Pass, we have free travel on the system and visiting the ticket office was not a necessity, but we always like to reserve our seats as the reserved seating cars tend be a little less full and allows for a more relaxing trip.  I am confident that we would never have been without a seat had we not reserved them in advance on any of the trains we took (including the Shinkansen –“Bullet Trains”), but I would recommend the reserved seating for the peace of mind that it will bring during your trip.

These seats can be reserved by visiting a JR Ticket office located in all of the train stations.  Just look for the sign like the one shown here.

 

Beniya Mukayu

We arrived at Kagaonsen and were met personally by the Manager of Beniya Mukayu, the Ryokan that we would be staying at.  After he quickly got our bags into the van we were on our way to the Ryokan.  On our way the Manager provided us with some information and highlights of Kaga Onsen.  This personal touch was fantastic and definitely appreciated after our long train journey.

 

 

 

 As you drive up to Beniya Mukayu, you are immediately impressed with the facility.  It presents itself to you as a place of luxury nestled into a wilderness backdrop that tells you that you are about to have an experience of deep relaxation and pleasure.  We were there in March just before the blossoms of Spring arrived.  I can just imagine how even more beautiful this area is from Spring to Fall.

 

 
Entering the lobby I was struck by the simplicity of the furnishing and the casualness of the atmosphere, this almost Zen like feeling upon entering was accentuated by the soothing aroma of incense that filled the lobby.  We were met by the owner of Beniya Mukayu, Sachiko, who, wonderful and friendly personality was able to make us feel like old friends even though we had just met.  Once again, our bags were transported to our room for us and we were given a personal tour of their facility by Sachiko who, I must mention, speaks great English.

To put it simply, this facility is amazing.  The tour started in the an area just off of the main lobby where guest can sit in a peaceful environment, and enjoy the gorgeous views of the trees and garden outside while enjoying a beverage for the small bar off to the side.  A real specialty is their freshly squeezed juice, available from a variety of fruits to choose from. 

 

  

We then went up a small flight of stairs to the right of the lobby where we entered a large library that provides for a really serene and quiet respite for any travelers.  The quiet seating area in the main area of the library is designed with little in the way of decorations or distractions with various seating options to meet the needs of the guests.  If you would like to read, but unfortunately forgot your own book, a separate room provides various reading materials in a wide variety of topics in both Japanese and English.

 

Our next stop was their spa area where their professional staff is highly skilled in providing their clients with a variety of treatments based upon an Herbal Matrix, where they will carefully select herbs to prepare your herbal balls, herbal infusions, and herbal teas based upon your own physical condition and requests.  Their guests can enjoy a variety of treatments including Body Treatments, Facial Treatments, Foot and Head Massages, and other treatments available depending on the season. 



This facility is truly designed to provide their guest with the ultimate in relaxation and comfort, allowing you to truly let your concerns and tensions slip away as they use techniques and minerals to soothe and rejuvenate your body and mind.  We made a quick stop to the entrance to their communal Hot Spring facilities, of which I will write more of later in this blog as we did not enter the facility as part of the tour for the privacy of those using the facilities.




Next to the spa area is their large dining hall.  This room is very unique in its design as it not only is the venue for their meals, but also serves as their facility where guests can participate in yoga classes every morning.  The room is essentially divided into two, with the far half composing of the main seating area for meals and the closer half having more of a multi-functional feel for other activities, such as yoga.  The wooded pillars that occupy the room, allows the staff to partition the room as required.

 

Sachiko, then proceeded to give us a tour of the various styles of guest rooms that they have at Beniya Mukayu.  There are only 16 rooms in total, and I am assuming that this is to assist in providing a quiet and non-rushed atmosphere at the Ryokan and to enhance the relaxation of their guests. They provide Japanese style rooms, Western style rooms, Japanese/Western style rooms and their Wakamurasaki Suite rooms.  Beyond the fact that each and every one of these rooms is spectacular in terms of the layout, amenities and comfort, each room also has its own private open-air hot spring bath for personal enjoyment. 





Most Ryokans that we visited on our trip only provided individual private hot springs in a few specially selected rooms; Beniya Mukayu has made this a standard for all of their guests.






The rooms themselves are all very spacious and provide you with a fantastic escape.  All the rooms have a great view of the luxurious grove of trees that populate the grounds of Beniya Mukayu or of the town in Yamashiro (Japanese/Western room) depending on the floor.  The beds in every room are quite comfortable and spacious, upon our arrival we were asked what type of pillows we would prefer to use during our stay (I chose feather, while my wife chose a memory foam pillow).  Depending on the style of room you will either have an open-air or covered veranda.  In the Wakamurasaki Suite, obviously the larger choice to be had, you are provided with a dining table in the sunken kotatsu style (low to the floor but you sit normally with your legs going into the open are under the table). 


The bathrooms in each room also come fully stocked with the various lotions that include a cleansing gel, facial wash, lotion, emulsion, and a body lotion.  These are unique lotions are made specifically for Beniya Mukayu and were definitely wonderful to use and nourishing to the skin.  Each room also has separate seating areas, a television, and in-suite Wi-Fi.  In all, they are designed foe maximum comfort and relaxation, and trust me, they deliver.

After our tour, we settled into our room, the Japanese/Western style room, and enjoyed a welcoming cup of tea and confectionery.  We both put on the traditional Japanese Yukata and headed down to the communal hot springs.   These facilities were very clean and quite large.  The main changing area provided baskets in which to place my Yukata and sandals, and the washing area was kept very tidy.  After washing, I entered the communal open-air bathe to enjoy a long hot soak in the rejuvenating alkaline spring water kept a approximately 40 degrees Celsius.  The open-air bath was a large cedar tub, and since I was the only one there at the time it provided more than enough room.  I would guess that 5 or 6 men could enjoy it at the same time with no problems.  The bath itself, was nestled against the grove of trees that you see from most of the rooms at Beniya Mukayu, but of course your privacy is preserved by the placement of bamboo and trees.  Before leaving the facility I tried out to indoor hot spring which was much larger than the outdoor one, and by being indoors I could really feel the effects of the heat on my face as the steam rose from the water.  Overall, a thoroughly pleasurable and stress relieving experience.

As I walked back to my room, in the full knowledge that my wife would still be in the women’s communal hot spring, I stopped at the lounge area of the lobby to enjoy a complimentary glass of freshly squeezed juice.  I chose apple.  This small glass of juice was quite refreshing after my hot spring, and the juice itself was 100% pure with nothing added which made it absolutely amazing to enjoy.  While enjoying my juice my wife arrived and after she enjoyed her juice, we were invited to experience their tea ceremony.
 

This tea ceremony took place in a small, intimate cabin situated amongst the grove of trees.  The ceremony was provided to us by Sachiko’s husband.  This ceremony was definitely more formal and traditional than the previous one that I had experienced at Hoshinoya (again, that casual ceremony was great in it’s ability to prepare me for future ceremonies).  We entered the room wearing our Yukatas and kneeled on the small cushion next to a burning candle.  The room itself was very cozy and the dim lighting provided a real authentic ambience.  Our host appeared from a side room wearing traditional robes and provided us each with a confectionery to cleanse our palates.  As we ate this, he prepared the tea from scratch using the traditional Japanese methods.  We both took our turns enjoying the tea.  Afterwards, he was more than happy to answer any of our questions and was a very gracious host. We then returned to our room and rested before dinner.

Dinner was served in the main dining hall and was Kaiseki style, this is where several small dishes are served individually over the course of the meal.  Typically, a Ryokan will base the menu of their Kaiseki dinner in consideration of the specialties of their region in Japan as well as the current season.  Thankfully for me, this meant that we were going to experience a glorious 9 course meal where 5 of the dishes were featuring snow crab – a personal favourite.  As mentioned previously, there are only 16 rooms in total at Beniya Mukayu and a wonderful result is that the dining room is not extremely busy or noisy.  A Kaiseki meal is meant to be an experience, if not an adventure, and the staff and owner of Beniya Mukayu provide you with a level of service that is unparalleled.  They prepare the courses, often right at you table, and assist you throughout the meal that makes you feel as if you are their only guests without ever becoming bothersome.  This is a fine line, and they worked it to perfection.  Here is a little video of our meal and pictures/descriptions:

Our dinner was completely fantastic, and with its conclusion we were more than ready for bed.  We returned to our rooms and ready and excited to see what the next day would hold.

Contact Izumi through her website to plan your vacation to Japan!