Pension Wildflowers

The room was so warm from the floor heating that it was almost too cozy at night, even with temperatures below -10℃ outside. There’s no toilet in the room, but the separate men’s and women’s restrooms were clean and comfortable. The hall is lined with books, and the DIY display shelves and other decorations kept the place interesting. The meals were a highlight. Every dish was beautiful, original, and had flavors I hadn’t come across before. The owner would sometimes chew while carefully explaining each dish, which I found endearing and made it easy to take my time eating. The owners even took a keepsake photo with me as I left. I’d love to stay again when I’m in Shirakaba Highlands.

The hostess cooked delicious meals for both dinner and breakfast, and when she heard we were headed to Baiju Pond the next day, the couple kindly printed us a map. I felt completely at home there. I was already fond of the place after just one night. Near Goddess Lake, it’s peaceful and surrounded by lovely scenery. The English-style building and carefully chosen furnishings show how much thought the owner has put into the place, and many of the decorations were made by the hostess’s mother.

We had a comfortable holiday thanks to the friendly couple who run the place. The food was tasty and creative, with local ingredients, and the Western-style building has a thoughtfully designed interior. It sits among white birch trees in a villa area near Lake Megami. The autumn colors at the lake were spectacular too. Thank you very much.

The dinner costs about 3,500 yen extra, and I think it’s worth it. The owners put real care into planning and presenting the food, and it tasted great. The atmosphere is relaxed and unpretentious. It was also sunny during this visit, and the dry weather made hiking around Tateshina very comfortable, even though the area is said to have temperatures like Asahikawa, Hokkaido. I felt safe with their COVID-19 measures, including limiting bookings to two groups despite the number of rooms. I’ve been here before, so it’s clear why I rate this pension so highly. It was clean, and next time I’d like to bring my whole family. I came back about a year later, after my business plans in Karuizawa were canceled because of COVID-19. I’d planned to stay in Tateshina, about an hour away, instead of at a business hotel, and decided to use the opportunity for an overnight visit. There’s no air conditioning, but Tateshina is dry and cool even in summer, and a light jacket may be useful in the mornings and evenings. On my earlier visit, we stayed two nights in early September, just after summer vacation, and were the only guests, so it felt like home. At first the host and I were a little unfamiliar with each other. By breakfast the next morning he was explaining the dishes and chatting about the area and Perth, Australia, where he’d lived for 20 years. His warmth and the carefully made breakfast impressed me enough that I asked for dinner without having booked it, and he kindly accommodated us. Dinner was wonderful too. Our room had no bathroom or toilet, but the shared ones were clean and well kept. Breakfast on the third day included bagels. Maybe that’s why someone described the bread as “hard,” but the bagels were normally firm and delicious. A local artisan half-bakes the bread, then the owner finishes it himself for guests. I’d gladly visit this lovely pension again.