Ryokan Kurumiya

The private bath let me relax, and the monkfish dinner was even better than I’d expected. The monkfish liver with vinegar and miso stood out. The boat-shaped sashimi platter was mostly local fish, each piece firm and very fresh, and the rice porridge at the end left me stuffed. I came on a weekday because I’d heard the monkfish hotpot was famous. They have both inn-style and minshuku-style stays. The minshuku option was full when I booked, so I reserved the inn-style one, but when I arrived there was a minshuku-style room available. It seemed they were adjusting the guest numbers. They only serve sashimi from local fish, like tuna, and close over the New Year holiday while the market is shut. It was a lovely inn with lots of care put into the details. I didn’t get to meet the mascot dog.

The one thing that bothered me was the shower in our room. The bathtub tap had hot water, but for some reason the shower didn’t, so we had to wash using water from the tub. Otherwise, it was a wonderful inn, and we had no trouble staying with the kids. There was a bathroom and toilet, plus Wi-Fi. Dinner and breakfast were both delicious, with lots of different monkfish dishes. The portions are generous, so come hungry. I heard there’s a beef plan in summer too, and I’d love to try it. Thank you!

The garden flowers were beautiful, and the room was carefully appointed, with gorgeous transoms. Everything is very well kept. The seafood was apparently brought in from Nakaminato, and the food was on another level, absolutely delicious. I’d like to come back in season to try the monkfish hotpot too.

Dinner was a highlight: the sashimi boat had rare fish and shellfish, including conch shells that aren’t often eaten in the south, and everything was fresh and delicious. The Hitachi beef shabu-shabu, kamameshi (rice cooked in a pot), and melon dessert were all impeccable. I left feeling satisfied in both stomach and heart. Our room was a spacious, relaxing Japanese-style one facing the garden, and the inn was spotless. The bath was new and clean, and we had it to ourselves. Before my next day at Hitachi Seaside Park for the nemophila bath, I stayed at Kurumiya, between the park and Kamisu, after admiring the lion painted by Mikkun from the TV drama “Lion’s Lair” at the 1000-person Art Gallery in Kamisu. The friendly owner and landlady were attentive, and spending time with Hime, the inn’s white Shiba Inu mascot, was another relaxing part of the trip. She might be about my age in human years. On the way to the seaside park the next day, I stopped at the JA direct sales store and a local supermarket they’d told me about. I bought vegetables and fish from Hokota, which boasts Japan’s highest production volume, then enjoyed them that evening while thinking back on the trip. I was already planning a return to Ibaraki for monkfish hotpot and kochia season!