Pension Konomi

Snow was falling outside, and the rooms were so cozy we forgot how cold it was. We stayed with a few friends around Christmas, and all the decorations made it feel like we were visiting someone's home abroad. The owner suggested several reasonably priced wines, and we enjoyed a few bottles. Dinner was a full Swiss course, with a Swiss-style breakfast the next morning. We had a lovely holiday.

I keep coming back for the tasty food the bright, smiling wife makes, and for the easygoing chats with the owner. Getting away from the pressure of everyday work and spending time at a slower pace gives me the energy to get back to it.

A quiet night in the pension village, with Mount Aso only a short drive away, made this a great base for my Aso trip. I spent one night here while traveling around Kyushu and loved it. The cheerful, adorable wife and kind, discerning husband made the stay feel like a fun change from all the hotels. I asked to take a photo with them on my way out, and it's a fond memory. The food was delicious throughout, especially the cheese fondue. I scraped up every last bit, and the wine recommended by the wine-loving owner was lovely too. The owner's a little quirky, which is part of the appeal of a privately run pension. If you're comfortable chatting with the owners and have stayed at pensions before, you'll probably enjoy it even more.

After dinner we had coffee on the deck under a beautiful moon and starry sky. We also slept soundly on an Airweave mattress, like the one in Mao Asada's commercial. The cheese fondue was delicious, made by the owner's wife using a blend of about seven cheeses after her training in Switzerland. She served it with tasty homemade bread. The owner used to import wine, and keeps hundreds of bottles in the cellar, so we got to enjoy some very good wine.