"At Last I See the Light" - Our Nov 2024 Anniversary Trip Report

[Agent 86]

I have to be honest that it was almost a deal breaker.

I know it's too late now, but we've previously had luck asking for extra mattress protectors to be put on the bed. At one hotel, we had 3 on the bed.

I'm personally usually too exhausted to notice, but my spouse is sensitive to hard beds. It's a shame your first hotel was unwilling / unable to provide you with extra blankets.

 

[fatmanatee]

Checking in briefly to talk beds, as I recently got back from my own trip: first hotel in Tokyo was really rough, and really spooked me about the rest of the trip, but second (in Osaka) and third (back to Tokyo) were much better. It is definitely possible to get comfy, non-stiff beds and pillows! Osaka hotel was about a ten min walk from the train station, but it was probably the best hotel I stayed in by far. Nice bed, nice amenities, nice bathroom, not too cramped. Both of the Tokyo hotels I stayed in were pretty cramped, but let's just say my choices were budget-minded. Second Tokyo hotel was decent enough and I had no issues sleeping.

In retrospect, I can think of two pieces of advice for those who are planning ahead here: 1. REALLY read the reviews and look out for complaints about the beds. My focus was on overall ratings, briefly looked at recent reviews to make sure there weren’t any issues but I definitely could have done more due diligence and will do so next time 2. I don't know this for certain but it might be worth looking into American chains. They seem to run more expensive but if you’re looking for the comfort of what you’d get in America they might be the best bet.

 

[Nakkira]

Checking in briefly to talk beds, as I recently got back from my own trip: first hotel in Tokyo was really rough, and really spooked me about the rest of the trip, but second (in Osaka) and third (back to Tokyo) were much better. It is definitely possible to get comfy, non-stiff beds and pillows! Osaka hotel was about a ten min walk from the train station, but it was probably the best hotel I stayed in by far. Nice bed, nice amenities, nice bathroom, not too cramped. Both of the Tokyo hotels I stayed in were pretty cramped, but let's just say my choices were budget-minded. Second Tokyo hotel was decent enough and I had no issues sleeping.

In retrospect, I can think of two pieces of advice for those who are planning ahead here: 1. REALLY read the reviews and look out for complaints about the beds. My focus was on overall ratings, briefly looked at recent reviews to make sure there weren’t any issues but I definitely could have done more due diligence and will do so next time 2. I don't know this for certain but it might be worth looking into American chains. They seem to run more expensive but if you’re looking for the comfort of what you’d get in America they might be the best bet.

This is all very solid advice. Truth be told having been to Japan before, I actually wasn't that worried about the firm beds. For me, the problem was that I have been in a bad car accident with permanent spinal damage since my last trip and didn't realize that the super firm beds would now be a problem because before, they were just slightly uncomfortable, now they were an Issue. So you are correct, the American chains might cost a little more but would give you greater chances of a more comfortable bed. I will also say that I came up with a couple of workarounds later in the trip. We are still in the first few days of this trip report. Also this particular hotel was a Japanese business hotel, in the business district, not necessarily aimed at tourism.

 

[fatmanatee]

This is all very solid advice. Truth be told having been to Japan before, I actually wasn't that worried about the firm beds. For me, the problem was that I have been in a bad car accident with permanent spinal damage since my last trip and didn't realize that the super firm beds would now be a problem because before, they were just slightly uncomfortable, now they were an Issue. So you are correct, the American chains might cost a little more but would give you greater chances of a more comfortable bed. I will also say that I came up with a couple of workarounds later in the trip. We are still in the first few days of this trip report. Also this particular hotel was a Japanese business hotel, in the business district, not necessarily aimed at tourism.

Yeah my first hotel was what seemed like a popular Japanese chain (JR West Via Inn), which I took to mean it was going to be solid, sort of a dependable Holiday Inn type of spot. I think thats still mostly true but what I didn’t realize is that it might cater more to local tastes, and that includes the bed style.

 

[Nakkira]

Day 3 Part 1

Slept slighly better the night before but were still a bit worn out (We had been going hard the last couple of Day's).

We had already done a lot of our Osaka wish list item so the hubby suggested we do a couple of things close by our hotel.
He looked into breakfast places near by and was enticed by a place called Northshore Cafe. It was right near the Tosahori River and the bridge to Nakanoshima (a 3 km long and 50 hectares narrow sandbank in Kita-ku, Osaka city, Japan, that divides the Kyū-Yodo into the Tosabori and Dōjima rivers)

We order both the Avocado & Salmon Eggs Benedict and the Spinach and Bacon version and shared them.


Both were were yummy but I preferred the Spinach & Bacon. I though the prices to be a bit high for what we got (around ¥5000 with coffee/tea) but honestly just in comparison to other meals we enjoyed in Japan. I did find that "western" style breakfasts to be much closer to "Western" prices than local options in general.



After breakfast we walked to the Nakanoshima Rose garden.
It was late in the season but there were still several pretty blooms.
I would love to see it in peak season.
Always stop to smell the roses....



We strolled around leisurely (meaning we were slow because we were worn out from the prior two days).

 

[Nakkira]

Day 3 Part 2

We made our way over to the Museum of Oriental Ceramics.


We paid the ¥1,800 yen per person entry fee and stashed our belonging in some lockers (I believe these were complementary)

They have a huge and historically impressive collection.



Including a couple of National Treasures like the one above.

I loved the way they used light and mirrors to show of the pieces. I am not even that "into" ceramics and pottery and I thought it beautiful.








Honesty time:
I like museums but my hubby likes them more. Also he REALLY takes his time in them. (which is great, museum displays are meant to be appreciated)
However sometimes, I am over it WAY before he is. Also I read VERY, Very fast, so it doesn't take me very long to review the information plaques near a display. Where as he reads at a normal pace, but that leaves me bored and done with an area long before him.
So yes, it can be a bit tedious at times. Especially if my feet and back are hurting (which they were). However I never want to hold him back from the things he enjoys especially when he is so often indulgent of my interests. Thankfully we share many common interests overall.

His feet were hurting too though so while we went at snails pace though the first several rooms we did pick up the pace a little for the rest of them.

We took a little rest in a room that had a view of the river before heading out.



He wrote the following Tanka while we rested:

"Scurrying today
So much to experience
It is difficult
To find a balance between
Aching feet and enjoyment"

 

[Nakkira]

Day 3 Part 3

I really wanted sushi for lunch. Specifically conveyor belt Sushi. So we looked up the closest Kura Sushi and hoped on the Metro and went... Really I have no idea what station we got off at. I was hangry and the hubby did the leading here. LOL

We tried lot of things and even "won" a cute capsule toy. (for every five plated you return through the plate slot you get a chance at a little "game" (in quotes because it plays itself out and you really don't do anything but watch)

This chopped tuna with egg was my Favorite. I think I ate 3 plates of this.
I also tried uni (sea urchin) for the first time which I did not care for.
I don't have note on this but I believe we spent between ¥5000-6000 between the two of us.

We went back to relax and start packing as the next day were we heading to Kinosaki Onesen.
We did a load of laundry so that our bags would not smell when we caught back up to them, as we planned to send them ahead to Kyoto while we stayed in Kinosake for two nights.

We ended up hanging clothes in the room overnight because the dryers were not very effective and we didn't want to keep feeding it coins and have to keep checking on it.


When we got hungry for dinner we went to a little local Tsukemen shop. It was one of those small local places that are almost always a treasure.


Seriously it had a maximum capacity of 11 persons. It's the kind of place where you pay before you eat and you leave as soon as you finish your food so that they can sit more people. We both ordered the Rich taste tsukemen and the as well as the all topping side. After we paid at the machine they took our tickets and showed us where to sit at the counter. They asked if we wanted a medium or large portion (no extra charge for the large), so each asked for the Large. We REALLY should have gotten the medium because those noodles were Thick, perfectly chewy and the dipping broth was very Rich. The egg was perfectly jammy and the pork so tender. It was so good. We were very full because we made ourselves finish all the noodles so not to have been rude having asked for the large.


The picture really doesn't bring home the scale of just how big this portion was. ¥3200 yen for the both of us.

We headed back to get some sleep and it was on this, our final night in the room that I figured out a way to make the bed slightly softer.
I stripped the duvet cover from the duvet to use as a "sheet" to cover myself with (I have to have some sort of cover on me) and put the duvet under the sheet on the mattress as to act as a mattress pad.
It wasn't much padding but it helped.
I just wished I had come up with the idea a couple nights back.

Total step Count: 12,183 (definitely tired this day)

 

[skellinton]

I am.loving your reports, thank you so much. The ceramic museum looks lovely and the food is making me HUNGRY!
Thank you so.much for taking the time to do this. It is so helpful and interesting to read.

 

[Nakkira]

I am.loving your reports, thank you so much. The ceramic museum looks lovely and the food is making me HUNGRY!
Thank you so.much for taking the time to do this. It is so helpful and interesting to read.

Thank you and for the feedback, I am so glad you are enjoying it.

 

[Nakkira]

Day 4 Part 1
Train to Kinosaki

We got up early and went straight down to the front desk to arrange luggage transfer. This was pretty easy. They called to confirm our reservation details for the hotel in Kyoto that we were staying at, filled out the forms for us, weighed & tagged the bags and we paid.

Back in our room we polished off the cheesecake and some other random snacks for breakfast then headed out (with our carryon luggage and a backpack each) to the metro. I believe we only had one transfer to Osaka station. We bought ekiben (train bento) for the trip and after some brief confusion about how to use the tickets we booked in advance (we eventually found the kiosk we needed to print out our tickets), we found our platform and waited for the train. All said we were about 40 minutes early for our 10:12 am train, but I would rather wait than be late
.


I have to say these seats were terribly uncomfortable. Not only were they hard, but they were tight (narrow). Now I will not blame Japan for the fact that we are overweight, that is on us. I just need to be real here and express that if you are going to be on a train for more than an hour and you have a wide bottom, maybe splash out for the green car. We did pay for the green car for our trip from Kyoto to Tokyo later on in the week, but our journey to and from Kinosake was frankly uncomfortable.

We both got a simple bento of Tonkatsu (breaded pork) , karaage chicken, with rice and a small scoop of potato salad. This was simple but yummy. It doesn't look like it in the picture but somehow the pork was still moist and tender. I also had a canned highball that we shared for beverage (not pictured).


The journey may have been uncomfortable, but it was very scenic. I have no pictures as I was not at the window seat.
Two hours and forty minutes after departing we arrived in Kinosaki.
Kinosake Onesen is a hot springs town with 7 public onesen (bath houses). You can either buy a day pass to utilize any of the bath houses, or most overnight accommodations included a pass with your stay.
All are also tattoo friendly, which is a bonus as I have a dragonfly tattoo on my ankle.

There is a free shuttle at the train station that will take you to your accommodation.

Were were staying at Nishimuraya Honkan a traditional ryokan.

Immediately upon arrive were were ushered into a lovely sitting room and our information was taken for check in while we sat and enjoyed the view of the garden.


They confirmed our dinner times (we were to have a traditional Kaiseki dinner served in our room both nights), our breakfast preferences, and our allergy information.
It was about 1:30 and our room would not be ready until 3pm so we were invited to relax in the sitting room (with complementary teas, coffees and juices) or walk around town as we preferred.

We chose to walk around town a bit. Figured we needed to stretch after the train ride and all. My lower back and Sciatica were killing me.

 

[Nakkira]

Brief interlude to bring you an unsolicited photo of my Christmas tree that I just finished decorating.

 

[Nakkira]

Day 4 Part 2

Kinosaki is an absolutely picturesque town that is self described as very "walkable".
A quote from their website states: "The town’s claim to fame may be its 7 onsen, but the ability to stroll through this atmospheric town in a yukata is, without a doubt, just as praise worthy. To really understand and take in all that is Kinosaki, you will need to spend at least one day and night meandering through the town with no particular destination or goal in mind, merely walking for the sake of walking. The term for this is “Sozoro Aruki” in Japanese."

Meander we did.



The whole goal of our trip here was therapeutic. Sort of a healing retreat. While two days of hotsping soaking might not permanently cure our spinal damage, we looking forward to the benefits, however temporary.

After exploring a bit we stopped and soaked our feet in a hotspring footbath and then went in search of a couple snacks to tide us over until dinner.

Kinosake is know for it's local caught Matsuba-gani, or Snow Crab. We were there just ahead of peak crab season, and while the hubby is allergic I was looking forward to trying some.



Not too many places were open at this time of the afternoon, but we found a place selling fishcake. I got one with crab, and "S had the squid. These were good but I really felt would have been great with some sort of tangy/salty sauce.

As it was finally close to check in time we headed back towards the ryokan stopping for some matcha ice cream on along the way.

I ate a good bit of it before remembering to take a picture for the blog.



We were so looking forward to a soak in the bath. Our backs hurt and "S" seemed to be feeling particularly run down.

 

[Nakkira]

Day 4 Part 3
Upon arriving back at the ryokan we were taken to our room and given a tour of the facilities along the way. It was a very windy building but it would be easy to find our room because it was the last room in the back and very near the men and womens hot spimgs baths. I asked if they have a private onesen available (we had thought they did) but they didn't at this location. It's not that I am shy or anything I just wanted the use of the private room for my hubby and I to soak together.
Our luggage was waiting for us in our room and we were served green tea. The room itself was very traditional with tatami mat floors and sliding paper doors.


We even had a small room off the main one with a table overlooking a section of Garden.





We were also provided with Yukata to wear.


We were both given (loaned) the basic one to wear around the baths and women with also provided with a prettier one for walking around town in the evening.


Sadly, even though we has inquired ahead of arriving into size availability (knowing were are larger than Japanese standard) they didn't quite fit so comfortable. The really sad part is that we had some at home that did fit (Hubby had them specialty made for us)that we could have brought with us but had not brought with us because the measurements for their largest size looked like it they would.
I ended up taking mine off soon after this photo. This was a bad moment for me. I honestly do not like the extra weight and am ashamed. I am going to work on it. I have always yo-yo'd weight wise and it's been so much worse since the car accident. Between the tight train ride, and the yukata issues I broke down in tears of shame.
After I cried for a bit I washed my face, swallowed my pride, and called to ask if they had any larger and was provided with two the largest womens of the plain "bath" ones.
Now "S" had been given 2 in the 5xl mens size so I just grabbed one of those to put on figuring it would be bigger than the women's sizes and not being up for more self body shaming. These also did not fit either of us great but with a couple safety pines could work.

We did have a tub/shower in our room but we both decided to have long soak in the Hotel hot spring bath before dinner.

 

[Nakkira]

Day 4 Part 4
Kaiseki Dinner - Part 1

When dinner time arrived our server knocked and entered the room dressed beautifully in Kimono.
She set the table and presented us each with a menu both an English translation copy and a pretty one in Japanese to keep.

We had been asked earlier if we wanted them to bring in a higher table and chairs for dinner or if we wanted the traditional service at the low table. We made the "mistake" of choosing to keep traditional. The only reason I call this a mistake is that dinner was almost 2 hours long and between our back pain and the fact that our legs kept going numb it became an endurance contest. LOL. While we were left alone between courses to eat and enjoy, so we could get up and stretch now an then but this was slighly difficult sitting on the floor wearing yukata, and the floor chairs did not slide easily back on the tatami mat floor.
Live and learn.

Each course was beautifully presented.
They were amazingly diligent about our allergens and each of out dishes were labeled and explained. Instead of simply leaving out what we could not eat very thoughtful substitutions were made. In my hubby's case as he could not eat shellfish, they made an entirely different dish for him for the main crab course.
My dietary intolerance being mushroom they were just as careful to make substitution on my dishes and carefully explain them.

I will present the dinner by starting with a picture of the menu and posting the photos below (this might take a few posts) I will make some comments under some of the photos as well. (Forgive if a few are out of order or if I forgot to take a couple before eating)




The collection of various dinnerware alone was astounding.



The famous crab. It really was very sweet. I loved how it came on a warmer to steam it.

Sashimi


This meal was truely a feast for the eyes.


We ordered warm sake to go with the meal as well (this was not included but was reasonably priced),

 

[Nakkira]

Day 4 Part 5
Kaiseki Dinner - Part 2


Tajima beef (black wagyu) is another local specialty. Apparently recognized as the highest marbling genetic line of all Wagyu cattle.

This dish was presented to us raw and was covered and the burner lit. After 10 minutes or so the cover was taken off and we were told to let it cook a few more minutes to desire doneness and enjoy.






Oh wow. This had to be the most tender beef I had ever put in my mouth, it was flavored gently with the miso paste and vegetables it had steamed with.


Somewhere midway through our dinner service this pot of rice was started in the corner of the room to cook slowly while we ate.

It was served with Miso soup and pickled vegetables at the finally savory dish.


Apparently I did not photo the soup with the lid off which is a shame because it was the best Miso soup I have ever had. It was red miso which I have never even heard of before. Here in the states we mostly get the white miso. I am usually meh on miso but this had a deep umami flavor. It was very satisfying.
Becasue this was multiple courses served over the space of a couple hours, we were not uncomfortably full by the time we reached the end, but wonderfully satisfied.

A light refreshing fruit and jelly dessert was a very fitting end to the meal.

 

[Nakkira]

Day 4 Part 6

After dinner, guest are encouraged to take a walk around the town to aid in digestion as well as give the staff the opportunity to clear dinner service away from your room and set the futons for sleeping.

We had been provided with Haoris (jackets) to wear over the Yukata, as well as Geta (wood sandles).

We were happy to take the walk to stretch back out after that long 2 hours of sitting however we didn't make it more than 50 feet in the Geta before turning back to get our shoes. Back pain and unfamiliar footware a poor combination do make.

It was fun hearing people clip clopping down the street in thier wooded shoes.




Such a beautiful town.

Our pace was slower than normal as my poor hubby was not only hurting but really tired. It was quite a chilly night if you ask me but he was sweating and kept complaining of being warm and making jokes about his head steaming in the chill.
at some point it dawned on me. He had been blowing his nose all day, which I had thought was his allergies being especially irritated by the incense in the lobby and the tatami mats.
I didn't want to say it but, "Sweetie, I hope I'm wrong but I think you are getting sick....I think you might have a slight fever"

Oh boy.

We made our way back after an hour.
I did not get a picture of the bedding set up so I am borrowing one I found on trip advisor.



When we had originally been looking for Ryokan to stay in I had requested that hubby book us Western beds (he took care of this booking, I did the rest), but … well to put it bluntly he flubbed it slightly.

Thankfully he had found the closet in our room with extra bedding (the room can sleep up to 6) earlier when exploring our room. I tried the bed "As is" for about 20 minutes before we gave up and raided the closet for extra pads to layer underneath us. Still wasn't great but at least we were able to get some sleep.

Step total; 16,128

 

[jimmymc]

That meal looks amazing! I haven't stayed in a full-service Ryokan before, but I think I want to on my next trip.

How did you book this one?

 

[Nakkira]

That meal looks amazing! I haven't stayed in a full-service Ryokan before, but I think I want to on my next trip.

How did you book this one?

While you can book through booking.com and similar websites my hubby used : https://nihon-ryokan.com/

I believe he has some sort of membership having backed them on Kickstarter for something

 

[Nakkira]

Day 5 Part 1

We predictable woke up pretty stiff and sore. Poor "S" had developed a cough overnight and said, "Yeah, I guess I need to admit to myself that I am sick" He has asthma so every sinus ick turns into a cough and the cough stays around (a month later an he is still coughing at night).
:-(
FTR it was not Covid, we did test. Just a cold but it was hitting him hard.


For breakfast we went to the main dining room. "S" had ordered the Japanese Style Menu:

Because he wasn't feeling well he kind of just picked at this meal but acknowledged that it was good.

Knowing I would be less adventurous concerning breakfast (sorry not into fish in the morning, don't like natto, etc), I had ordered the Western style. We had selected these choices before we even arrived.






Excellent service.

After we ate we explored the main garden of the Ryokan. You wear slippers the entire time you are inside but they had Geta to borrow by the garden door to wear outside. We managed to balance in them for that brief time.



So beautiful. I probably took 2 dozen photos (due to posting limits and the fact that I still have almost a week left of vacation to blog about I will refrain from posting them ALL) The only downside is that there are no benches or anywhere to sit and simply enjoy the garden.

Hubby would have liked to have a nap afterwards but they had already cleared away the bedding while we were at breakfast so we decided to head into town and go to a couple of the bath houses.

 

[Nakkira]

Day 5 Part 2

I forgot to mention that before breakfast I realized that I had gotten some soup or something on my Yukata at dinner. Since I was wearing hubby's day 2 robe I figured I would at least try on the Women's Large robe that they had brought me to replace the standard the night before. I figured worst case we could call down for 2 fresh men's 5xl robes.

It fit MUCH better. I was kind of shocked. The women's large was somehow longer and fuller than the Mens 5 XL.
We were both stunned.
(Maybe the larger fit had something to do with pregnancy?)
Since they design was the same at the men's I handed S the other one to wear and it was nice to be wearing more comfortable robes that day especially since we would be trying a couple different Onesen and be getting undressed a few times.
Guess I should have tried one on the night before instead of assuming the Men's was larger......

The first bathhouse we went to was Kono-Yu, the oldest bathhouse building in Kinosaki. The waters are supposed to bring you happiness in your marriage and longevity.


Brief explanation of how it all works.
You go inside and remove your shoes(there are usually shoe lockers by the door)
You scan your pass and go into your gender's designated changing room. There you remove your clothes and store them in a locker with your belongings.
Our Ryokan had provided us with bags and towels for this purpose.


You take your smaller towel into the onsen. There is a showering area where you are expected to wash your body before entering the hot springs bathing pool.

(Image from the we as cameras are not allowed in changing or bathing areas)

Your small towel is often placed on the head to keep it from going into the water.
Once clean you may proceed to the hot spring water.

It is quite hot. I usually soak 5-10 minutes before I must get out and cool down.

This onsen had a lovely outdoor pool.


(stock photo again)

You can use the small towel to get the worst of the dripping water off your body before going back to the changing room to re-dress.

There is resting area that you can then go to to drink a cool beverage (milk is a common/traditional choice and there are usually vending machines with milk, other beverages, and sometimes ice cream in these lounge areas).

I finished before my hubby so I bought a bottle of milk and decided to try out the coin operated massage chair in the lounge as my back was still complaining.

HOLY CRAP that thing was a beast. It was the "deepest tissue" massage I had ever received from an automated massage chair. "S" came out before my ten minutes was of and decided to wait outside in the cool air. Soaking in hot water with a mild fever was definitely making him sweat. (Was probably good for helping his body kill the cold virus though)



When we had finished at the bathhouse we decided to head towards Kinosaki Rope Way. We wanted to go Mount Daishi early in the day before my poor hubby's limited energy reserves gave out completely. As it was we would walk for 4 minutes rest for 10. He was trying to be a trooper (also Kinosaki was the part of our Trip HE had most been looking forward to), but he really could have done with a long nap that day. In retrospect, I am sure if we had asked, they would have laid the sleeping pad back out for him, but he didn't want to be a bother and we DID want to explore.

A passage from Kinosaki's website explains:
"In ancient times, when the onsen in Kinosaki were first discovered, they were considered gifts from the guardian deity. This made the waters sacred. Before you could enter the waters you had to hike the mountain to Onsenji Temple. Here you would pray to the onsen guardian for them to allow you to enter the sacred waters and be healed by them. Then you would have received a “yu-shaku”, a type of ladle, that would act as proof that you had visited the temple and would be used as a ticket to enter the onsen. Back then, anyone who did not have this ladle was denied entry to the onsen."

The ladle is no longer your entry pass (although you can still purchase one)

In our past we would have taken the 20 minute walk up to the Temple but we decided to be kinder to our bodies and take the ropeway Gondola.

There are still stairs to get up to there but we managed.





The ropeway goes all the way up Mount Daishi for an excellent view. There is also a platform midway up at Osenji Temple. We decided to go the up first and then visit the temple on the way back down.

I would have loved to take a bunch of photos one the way up but we were crammed in there like sardines so I mostly waited till we got to the top.