An Evening in Cultural Japan

We set off to experience cultural Japan. Our destination is Hanafubuki Ryokan in Izukogen on the Ito Peninsula. The original purpose of this trip was to see early cherry blossoms. We picked a year when the cherry blossoms are late. 

It is late in the trip and we are tiring. We decide to dive into the cultural experience of the hotel and forego touring and the trip to Kawazu in the morning.

Again, Michael has provided us with outstanding directions. Our train tickets were handed to us when we checked into the Tokyo hotel. Today we take the Odoriko rapid train. It is an express train that bypasses many stations. We have seat reservations in Green Car #4. The trip is two hours and four minutes to Izukogen.

We need lunch on arrival at the station. We pop into a 20-person restaurant at the station. Only cash is accepted and not a word of English is spoken. We are saved by the Google translation app. It allows us to order two meals, a beer, and sake. Everyone else in the place is Japanese.

The only menu. Google translate gave us English,

Hanafubuki Ryokan is a beautiful place. We are delivered to our traditional Japanese room with one slight accommodation for our aging bodies. We have booked one of their few rooms with beds.

There are more than 10 natural spring fed Onsens on the property. Two of them are mere feet from our room. We enjoy the relaxing experience before dinner. For the record, bathing suits are not allowed in an Onsen. 

Unlike the Onsen in Niseko which was indoors, this one is open to the gardens. On arrival, the naked CJ closes the folding glass doors to the Onsen. What was very cold becomes very hot in minutes. Did you really want the two pictures of us naked in the Onsen?

Traditional Japanese clothing is provided to guests. The one big flaw in the hotel's management is that they have neither footware nor a Japanese outfit that fits CJ; not a single one! He wonders what would happen if a sumo wrestler booked a room.

Dinner is a fixed menu. It is excellent.