Ryokan Fujiya

The hot spring I'd been looking forward to had mildly alkaline water that felt gentle on my skin. It's open 24 hours, and the stoves keep the building and changing rooms warm. The open-air bath is small and unheated, so it was a little lukewarm, but the starry sky made it a lovely place to soak. I went in three times. I booked this place to unwind before an event the next day. The owner seemed very apologetic that we arrived an hour early and the room hadn't been heated yet, but it was my fault for being early. The room was spotless, and I was glad to have a kotatsu. Dinner included butterbur sprouts even though they were out of season. It wasn't a heavy meal, but it was tasty all the way through and filling. There's apparently lots of spring water around here, and the good water makes the rice and vegetables taste great. The owner's freshly picked mushrooms were especially good, so I'm sure I'll come back. The snowman and snow rabbits in the entrance were heartwarming too.

I had such a good time here over New Year's that I came back. The freshly picked wild vegetables, char, and Aizu rice were all delicious, and the food overall was great. The inn was sparkling clean. They used a tablet to explain things in detail, including a video showing that bears and deer sometimes appear nearby. The baths are open 24 hours, including an outdoor bath with natural hot spring water. There's parking and Wi-Fi, and free spring water right beside the inn that you can draw yourself. The good water makes the tea taste great too. In winter, the kotatsu is a treat. After meals, they leave a basket of mandarin oranges to enjoy there, and they even put a hot water bottle in the futon. They also served New Year's soba around 9pm and ozōni for breakfast. The freshly pounded homemade mochi was delicious. The spring is a calcium sulfate, or gypsum, spring. Calcium is said to have a calming effect, so it's also called a "wound spring" or "gout spring." It's also said to help with high blood pressure, arteriosclerosis, stroke, rheumatoid arthritis, external injuries, and skin diseases.

The quiet room, with nature as the only soundtrack after dinner, is one of the things I look forward to here. The rice is so good that I always eat more than I mean to. This was my fourth visit, and I came back around the same time of year after being impressed by last year’s wild vegetables. Koshiabura was a particular treat this time, and I enjoyed seeing the video of how it’s gathered. I also walked upstream along the forest road for the first time and spotted potholes, which made the bath even more enjoyable. I like that it’s not crowded with the many foreign tourists I’ve seen around lately. I hope to return for more authentic mountain food.

The food and the bath made for a really relaxing stay, and my parents were able to unwind too. We booked the 60-year-old special plan, but I still had to leave a little food, which made me feel bad. The portions suited us, and both the rice and dishes were delicious. I also loved the mushroom rice, and we all ate it on the way home. The open-air bath was cool that day, but that meant we could stay in for a long, comfortable soak. This was my first time at Futagi Onsen, though I live in the prefecture and had been curious about it for a while. The whole place was clean and comfortable, and the warm kotatsu and cozy futon made it easy to relax. Dinner came with a fun and informative talk from Mr./Ms. Isaac about mushrooms, bears, and plants. I appreciated how kindly they handled my last-minute reservation inquiry. There were only a limited number of rooms in use, which I understand is a COVID-19 measure. As a guest, that felt reassuring. One other couple was staying there, and we had a nice brief chat at breakfast and dinner. The bath and quiet surroundings helped us settle in. Thanks for taking such good care of us. I’ll come back to Iichiko sometime this year and visit again.