Hagiya Ryokan

The private cypress bath in the room was the best part. Listening to the waves while soaking was so relaxing, and the terrace felt wonderfully open. The room was clean too, and seeing the ocean from the front desk lifted my spirits. I couldn’t find anywhere to stay for the three-day weekend, but luckily this place had a vacancy. Dinner and breakfast were delicious, with plenty of seafood. I’d definitely like to stay here again.

The view from the window was lovely and did a lot to make up for the disappointing meal. The accommodation was quite expensive, so I’d arrived with high expectations, but the food was especially bad. The tuna sashimi tasted so stale it killed my appetite. The meal felt like a Showa-era banquet for a big group, just a collection of different dishes.

The chair was the biggest problem for me. My butt hurt even with a bath towel underneath, and the TV upstairs made my neck ache. The sofa would have suited the room better, but I felt like I had to sit on the floor. I couldn’t relax here. The ocean was so close it almost felt scary. Some people say the mattress is hard, but my shoulders sank in nicely. I had no body pain, it was gentle on my back, and I slept well. I guess mattresses are a matter of preference. There was too much rice for us since we don’t eat much. The appetizers were bland, and I struggled to get through them, so I couldn’t finish the main course. If they’d brought the main course first, I wouldn’t have eaten the appetizers. I wish I’d tried the simmered dish. The hot springs weren’t anything special. They’re good at taking photos, though. (lol)

The hot stone area in the low-temperature sauna was fantastic. Hot seawater runs beneath the big pebbles and warms them up. Lying down on them put pressure on the points along my back, which felt great. It’s called a low-temperature sauna, but I still worked up a sweat even though it wasn’t too hot. There’s no cold bath, so I cooled off under a cold shower, then borrowed a chair in the wash area to rest for a while. The baths open at 11:30 AM. There was just one other customer, so I had the place mostly to myself and could relax. The indoor baths have good ventilation, and the sea breeze coming through the window felt nice. An open-air bath would have made it even better. I came for a day trip hoping to soak while looking out at the Pacific Ocean. It’s called a hot spring, but Cambria no Yu is actually an artificial hot spring. Its water draws on ancient geological layers and is said to have beneficial effects.