Kaiseki Ryokan Ashikari

The hotel is owned by the same group as Hakone Gora Shirotan Ryokan. As for Hakone Gora Shirotan Ryokan, it ranks first among hot spring hotels. However, this hotel is very remote and is basically difficult to reach if you are not traveling by car. The characteristics of the hotel are the same as those of Shirotan Inn. Very similar, the public space is smaller overall, there is no lobby restaurant, the public hot spring is very small, the catering is also divided into several centralized rooms according to the guest areas of different rooms, the hotel has almost no recreational facilities, the main focus is tranquility, beauty and health.

Recently, I came to Japan for my annual three-week vacation from the United States. I had to stop by Atami before and after visiting hot springs for one week each before and after my return home, so I stayed at Ashikari in Yugawara for two nights. I was a little confused by the small entrance hall and the fact that I had to miss someone at Yugawara Station to pick me up, but the room I was shown to was very comfortable with its modern interior. The bed was as expected, as it was one of the conditions for choosing the hotel, but the clean wooden floor and the open-air bath facing the forest in front were completely hidden by glass (there were blinds on the room side). The vanity area was also a little big, but I would have liked the couch to be a little bigger, but I was able to do my daily work such as verifying my expenses during the trip (organizing receipts) and accessing my household ledger on my PC without any problems, and I had no trouble with the power outlet near the TV and the USB charging port on the headboard of the bed. I also liked that they said "help yourself" to the drinks, coffee, and tea in the refrigerator. Locking and unlocking the analog cylinder lock with a key with a wooden tag on it was a little "modern" but there was no problem at all (by the way, I have never experienced any problems with theft at lodgings in my life). The meals were served in a kaiseki-style style at a table and chairs in a private dining room that can accommodate 3-4 groups per room, and each meal was very well prepared and delicious. If I had to say something, the rice scoop was left in the rice cooker, but if it had been placed in a scoop holder filled with water, the refills of rice would have been more beautifully presented. The location is a little far from Yugawara Station, so you will need to drive or ask for a shuttle. However, on the middle day, I enjoyed cycling from Yugawara Station to nearby Makuyama Park on a rental bicycle, and then in the cloudy but humid July, I covered the 1.8 mile (about 3 km) uphill route from Yugawara Station to the inn in just over an hour, and the person at the inn who greeted me was surprised and asked, "What? You walked here?" It is worth mentioning that most of the waitresses and other staff are from other Asian countries, but they speak Japanese fluently and know how to treat you with kindness. The sweets served with tea, "Ajisai" (made by Ujihara Confectionery), were so delicious that I bought some to take home. It was a wonderful inn that made me want to visit again if I have the chance.