Takekurabe

The front desk staff were kind and pleasant, and the baths and building were clean. A friend had stayed after skiing the month before and said it was great, so I tried the hot springs as a day trip. I was shown the rooms too, and would like to stay overnight next time. I had a set lunch that was decent for the price, but the soba was awful, dry and powdery. I’d hate for visitors from outside the prefecture to think that’s what Fukui soba is like. I hope they improve it. Still, I had a pretty good time 🎵

The garden was beautiful in both sunny and rainy weather, and I wish I’d taken more pictures. My room was clean and well cared for, with a great garden view. It would’ve been even nicer to have coffee and tea in the room. The front desk also had larger yukata (Japanese robes) available when I asked. It felt incredibly relaxing and luxurious to be surrounded by mountains. This place is a hidden gem in Fukui. Part of me wants to keep it secret, but I also want to tell everyone about it.

For just 500 yen these days, you can use the baths for the day, which I really like. I’m tempted to keep this place to myself, like others have said. After turning onto a side street, the inn is right there. Getting out of the car, I wondered if it was even open. The weather was poor, and inside it was dim and quiet, but that worked for me. The bath is small, yet I had it to myself while soaking. It made me feel more relaxed than the famous, expensive hot springs. The staff were friendly and the facility was clean.

Breakfast and dinner were generous portions, and everything tasted good. Dinner came with kamameshi (rice cooked in a pot), along with plain rice. At breakfast you serve yourself rice, so you can have as much as you like, and the coffee was delicious too. I think it’s good value. The renovated room was clean and spacious, though ours looked out over the parking lot, which wasn’t much of a view. The building felt more like a training camp or public facility than a hotel. There was no bath in the room, so we used the public one. It wasn’t crowded, and the water and temperature were comfortable. An open-air bath would’ve been nice, but that’s a luxury.