Japan trip 2018/2019 Part 9 : Kakurean Hidaji

Time to finish off my Japan trip recaps. I had a dream, and that dream was to one day bath in my own personal outdoor onsen in winter, cigarette in hand with snow gently falling down around me.

Prior to this rtip, we had never splurged on an expensive ryokan because  its a matter of diminishing returns when it come to expensive ryokans and we're talking about 56000 yen for a night. Most of the time, you can get a decent ryokan for about 12000 yen a night without food and it always adequate.

However once we decided on going to Shirakawago in winter, I convinced my partner that we could not let this chance pass us by and it was now or never.

Kakurean was a ryokan that A777 from the whirlpool Japan Advice Thread subforum had promoted for years and if I could trust anyone's advice on Japan, it was A777.

Picture of our room with kotatsu in background and onsen just behind it.

The kotatsu table actually had a hole in the middle so your legs were dangling above the heater.

Shot of under the kotatsu with the wooden bars above the heater.

Yutakas and lots of extra stuff.

Bathroom and bathtub just next to the hot spring.

Ladies and gentlemen, I bring to you our personal hot spring for one day.

Me jumping in the onsen straight after checking in.

Before dinner, we sent to see this thing called the aodaru light up which was just 3 minutes away from Kakurean.

This was the first time we had ever done a kaiseki dinner. When people stay at ryokans, usually people want the traditional Japanese dinner.

Picture of our menu. Previously when staying at ryokans, we've always gone to an izakaya nearby.

The reason we had never had kaiseki before is that its expensive and there usually isn't much meat.

 Its a more traditional meal with lots of plant things.

We only had that small bit of hida beef in this picture. :( I was full in the end but the meal was a bit too healthy for me.

Picture of eating place after everyone had left.

Having a smoke next to the check in desk sitting on bear fur. Me love Japan.

 Having our desert while sitting in the kotatsu.

After 9:30, the two public onsens become private and it was a first come first serve system. :)We went to the one on the right and this older couple took the one of the left.

Picture from outdoor onsen. I can't imagine how beautiful this must look in autumn.

Onsen information.

Took a peak at the other outdoor onsen on the left.

Finally to bed.

And waking up to the healthiest breakfast I have ever had before taking a bus to Matsumoto.

Kakurean was a great experience for us and for me was the highlight of the trip. Up next is Matsumoto, Shinjuku and Team Lab Planets.