We stayed for three nights, including breakfast and dinner, and it definitely lived up to the hype for its food and scenery. While the hotel facilities are pretty standard, the environment is absolutely exceptional. It's only tens of meters from Lake Towada, surrounded by lush green spaces, big trees, and the lake itself – the beauty from this distance is captivating.
Both meals and the shuttle bus need to be booked in advance. The schedule was: 7:30 AM breakfast, 9:30 AM departure, 4:00 PM return, 5:00 PM dinner, 6:30 PM evening walk, 8:30 PM hot springs, and 10:30 PM deep sleep.
Day one poured rain, day two was spent in Yasumiya, taking a boat cruise, and visiting Towada Shrine. Day three was a 10km hike along the Oirase Stream followed by a final goodbye to Yasumiya. Day four was departure. A perfect experience overall!
If I had to point out one minor drawback, it would be that the hotel service felt a bit cold. I understood not having our room cleaned on the first day, but not having it cleaned at all for three days felt a little odd. Also, for a stay that included breakfast and dinner, drinks at dinner on the third night were charged separately. It wasn't expensive, but no explanation was given. No 'do not disturb' sign was hung on the door, yet no cleaning. Drinks were offered with dinner on the first two nights, but not on the third. The hotel's onsen only has one large outdoor pool, and it's quite hot – it felt like half water, half fire, which was very enjoyable.
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