Hi! Today, we're visiting an onsen ryokan (hot spring inn), straight out of a Studio Ghibli film. The onsen ryokan is located in Shima Onsen, Gunma Prefecture. First, we'll head to Nakanojo Station, about 2 hours from Tokyo Station. Such a peaceful and beautiful view. Oh, it's a button-operated door. You can open and close the door by pressing the button when the lamp is lit. Those are wind chimes. Pretty, aren't they?🍃 We've arrived at Nakanojo Station. Cows?🐮 From here, we'll take a bus to Shima Onsen. It's about 40 minutes from Nakanojo Station to Shima Onsen. The altitude of Shima Onsen is 600-700 meters. It's significantly cooler than Tokyo, so it's a recommended destination for a summer retreat. We've arrived at Shima Onsen! This is an old hot spring town with a history of over 1,200 years. The word "Shima" means "40,000," and it's derived from a spiritual spring said to cure "40,000 types of diseases." The ryokan for the night is just a 1-minute walk from the bus stop. We've arrived! This is Sekizenkan. Wow, it's beautiful. This ryokan is rumored to be the setting for the Studio Ghibli film "Spirited Away." It is said to be the oldest existing wooden hot spring inn in Japan. Not only for onsen and Ghibli fans, but also for history fans, it's very popular. Let's go in. The ryokan has a complex structure, so the staff kindly showed us to the front desk. The ryokan has three buildings, the 'Honkan', 'Sanso', and 'Kasho-tei', linked by tunnels and stairs. We're in the Honkan Building now. It's the oldest and most historical building in this ryokan. Such a retro and nice atmosphere! This is the "Tunnel of Romance." It's a passageway connecting the Honkan and the Sanso. It's rumored to be the motif for the tunnel that Chihiro passed through in "Spirited Away!" It's really exciting as if we're going to a different world. We've arrived at the 4th floor of the Sanso. This is the "Corridor of Mirrors." It's a mysterious world of paintings and mirrors. The building beyond the Corridor of Mirrors is Kasho-tei. We'll check in at the front desk on the 5th floor of Kasho-tei. If you're staying in the Sanso or Kasho-tei, you'll check in here. It looks like there's a free parking lot if you go outside from here🚗 We were served Japanese tea and Castella cake. This is an original Castella from this ryokan. It's good. >> Staff: Your room for today is "Moegi no Ni" in the "Sanso." >> Staff: Rest assured, one of our staff members will guide you to your room. We're being guided to our room. >> Staff: The shop on your right is open until 8:30 PM, and reopens at 8 AM the next morning. Thank you. >> Staff: Our ryokan has three parts: the "Honkan", "Sanso", and "Kasho-tei". >> Staff: They're slightly separated, and all connected by passageways. >> Staff: We are now on the 4th floor. >> Staff: Kasho-tei was built in 1986. >> Staff: The Sanso where you'll be staying tonight was built in 1936. >> Staff: The Honkan Building was built in 1694, which is 329 years ago. >> Staff: Here we are at the Sanso. >> Staff: This is your room, "Moegi no Ni." >> Staff: Please come in. We take off our shoes and go into the room. Wow, what a lovely tatami room! >> Staff: Let me show you outside. Wow, a beautiful veranda and garden. >> Staff: This room comes with a terrace where you can relax outside. >> Staff: And it also has a hot spring. >> Staff: It's a natural flowing hot spring.. >> Staff: There are bath towels at the washroom, feel free to use them. >> Staff: Right this way, please. >> Staff: This is the bedroom. >> Staff: There is a safety box and hangers. >> Staff: The room is equipped with air conditioning. >> Staff: This is a function called fan coil. Staff: It's a cold air-only AC without temperature control. >> Staff: We have provided yukata and pajamas. >> Staff: It's fine for you to walk around the ryokan in these clothes. >> Staff: There are no towels provided in the bathhouses. >> Staff: Please be sure to bring the green bag with face towel and toothbrush and a bath towel with you. >> Staff: There's an intercom telephone, so please contact us if you need anything. >> Staff: Lastly, we have prepared some drinks here for you. >> Staff: It's coffee and a medicinal herbal tea called "Condition". >> Staff: We've prepared room-temperature water, iced water, and a tea set. >> Staff: All the drinks in the refrigerator are free, so please enjoy them. >> Staff: That's the end of the room tour. Do you have any questions? We are good! >> Staff: Then, please enjoy your stay. Thank you! The room is spacious and very nice. I heard that the design of the Shoji (Japanese sliding doors) varies from room to room. By the way, the restroom is inside the room. It's clean and equipped with a bidet system. There are some snacks on the desk. It's a Hana-mame chocolate sandwich. It's a wafer. It tastes like red bean paste. Good. This is a sweet called Rakugan. What pattern is this? A bird? It tastes like some sort of sweet powder. Since there's a terrace, we thought we'd have some Japanese sweets with tea here. It's beautiful🍃 The rain has started to fall, but even the sound of the rain is pleasant😌 There are many onsen bath in this ryokan, but first we'll take a bath in the one in our room. Face towel Cup Mini towel Amenity box Skincare set Cleansing, facial wash, lotion, cream Men's skincare set. Facial wash, lotion, emulsion, hair styling product. Shower cap Hair tie. Tie up your long hair in the bath. Cotton swabs and cotton pads. Body wash towel Razor Two types of hair brushes. And a bath with a beautiful view! The shower, shampoo, and body soap are all provided. This stick is for stirring the water to keep the temperature even. To be honest, I'm not sure if I'm using it correctly😂 It was very comfortable! I feel like my skin is moisturized☺️ Let's explore inside the ryokan. The room key has a retro feel to it. There are stairs as well as an elevator. The red carpet here is pretty cool. There was a paid massage chair. The view is nice. If you go straight ahead, there are more stairs. Going down the stairs brings you back to the floor where our room is located. Guests in the Sanso have an exclusive lounge here. Enter the passcode to unlock it. You can enjoy drinks for free. Like coffee and tea. There's also cold apple juice and orange juice. And a rest area. It's a cool space that blends a traditional Japanese atmosphere with a modern one. They play music with vintage speakers. It's open until 9:30 at night. The Sanso is a national tangible cultural property, and the Honkan is an important cultural property of Gunma Prefecture. Preserving their historic value while maintaining them as quality accommodations is wonderful! We've arrived at the entrance of the Honkan. There's a historical museum just nearby. They have photos and objects that tell the story of this inn's history. This used to be the 'accounting room'. And would you believe it, there's even a signature from Studio Ghibli's Hayao Miyazaki! It's Totoro! The room at the very back was once used by high-ranking samurai. The high ceiling was for sword use in emergencies. When we step out of the museum, there are paper cups right in front of us. You can actually drink the hot spring water. They say it's good for diarrhea if you drink it hot, and for constipation if you let it cool. Wow, this is really hot😂 It contains sodium and calcium. The taste is salty, kind of addictive. Next to this, there's a public bath called "Genroku no Yu" for both men and women. This one is the women's bath, but the men's bath is almost the same in design. The floor is tiled and there are five stone baths embedded in it. Dressing and bathing areas are together, an old-style preserved here. There's also a shower and a full set of shampoo and such. Big windows and five bathtubs. It's a bit strange, but really nice. By the way, we later learned of a hidden sauna door in this room🫠 Can you spot it? All five hot springs are the same. They're big enough for 2 to 3 people to get in together. At the back of the bath, there's a foot bath. It's beautiful. This foot bath was just installed in 2022. It felt so good. Let's go outside. The rain has stopped. That's nice. The area is lit up at night, so let's come back and take a look when it gets dark. It's starting to get dark now. It's time for dinner. For this occasion, we've been given a private room. We'll be having a Japanese course meal. We've ordered some drinks. This is the ryokan's exclusive sake🍶 Rekishi-no-Akogare: 1,600 yen (11.21 USD / € 10.20) Mulberry soda: 550 yen (3.85 USD / € 3.51) >> Staff: This is a mousse made from cabbage from Tsumagoi Village in Gunma Prefecture. Cheers! Let's eat. It's got a grown-up taste with blue cheese and Gorgonzola. There's consommé jelly and salmon roe on top. >> Staff: I've brought the soup dish. >> Staff: Please go ahead and remove the lid. >> Staff: There's fan-cut kombu inside. Please look before you eat. It says "Sekizenkan" in Kanji! >> Staff: I've brought the sashimi. >> Staff: From the right, we have sweet shrimp, tuna, sea bream, and char. >> Staff: The square dish has foamed soy sauce. The foamed soy sauce is apparently made with meringue. This is the first time we've tried it, and it's easy to eat and good☺️ The sashimi was also very fresh! >> Staff: This is a dish of seasonal flavors. Like simmered fish, mozuku vinegar, and local raw vegetables. It's colorful and tasty☺️ The core of this corn is actually made of potato. >> Staff: This is a simmered dish. >> Staff: Please go ahead and remove the lid. >> Staff: At the bottom is a round eggplant. >> Staff: On top of that is karashi-fu. >> Staff: And on top of that is anago grilled with soy sauce. We cooked these three together. When you mix and eat the yuzu radish, it's quite refreshing. >> Staff: This is a mixed dish. An assortment of fried foods. It's artistic no matter how you look at it. We'll enjoy it with sudachi lime and salt. Both the young sweetfish and the caridean shrimp can be eaten from tail to head. Crunchy! >> Staff: Here is a steamed dish for you. >> Staff: I've also brought the meat dish. >> Staff: Please boil the vegetables first. >> Staff: While the pot is heating up, please enjoy the steamed dish. Steamed sea bream with sansho (Japanese pepper) sauce. Good. >> Staff: If you like, please enjoy your rice with the meat. >> Staff: It's a mixed rice with edamame and small fishes. >> Staff: On the right, there's miso soup and pickles. The vegetables are romaine lettuce and mizuna from Gunma prefecture. The meat is Joshu Wagyu and Joshu barley pork from Gunma Prefecture. Beautiful. The broth in the pot is bonito stock with sansho. The meat is very tender. The simple broth makes the ingredients' taste shine more☺️ >> Staff: This is the last sweets. >> Staff: That concludes all of our meal offerings. Thank you very much. Thank you very much! Fruit agar, matcha pudding, red perilla sherbet. It was an interesting and delicious dinner☺️ Thank you for the meal! The 'Romance Tunnel' feels otherworldly with its misty air.
We came to see the illuminated exterior of this ryokan. It really looks like the "Aburaya" from "Spirited Away". Beautiful. The illumination is from 17:00 to 22:00. The atmosphere takes a different charm at night😳 Not only guests of Sekizenkan, but also guests from surrounding inns come to see. Let's cross this bridge while holding our breath. So as not to be noticed as a human... It's about time to go to bed. The mattress is also thick and feels nice. Good night🌙 Good morning🌥 The weather is very nice today! If no one is inside, there's a bath that can be reserved without a reservation. This is not separated by gender, so couples and families can enter together. "Vacant". "Occupied ". You can lock it from the inside and enjoy a leisurely bath♨️ It felt refreshing from the morning. After a bath, it's time to toast on the terrace🍻 Now it's time for breakfast. >> Staff: Here's a smoothie for you. You can choose one from four types. >> Staff: ① Banana shake >> Staff: ② Japanese mustard spinach smoothie >> Staff: ③ Apple and carrot smoothie >> Staff: ④ Blueberry smoothie We'll have banana and blueberry! >> Staff: Understood. I will prepare a banana and blueberry for you. Breakfast is a Japanese-style meal in a bento box style. It's beautiful! Flounder over salmon. Both taste great🐟 Colorful salads and simmered dishes. Rice and miso soup have also arrived. >> Staff: This is our homemade tofu. Inn's tofu is way yummier than regular tofu. We'll eat it with condiments such as green onions and ginger. We are going to enjoy it while looking at the beautiful scenery. It's very good☺️ After the meal, we had coffee and fruit. It was fresh and delicious. Thank you for the meal. Check-out for guests staying in the Sanso is until 11:00 am. Finally, let's go to the separate large public baths for men and women. "Women's bath". This is the indoor bath. It's spacious. In the morning, especially, the sunlight comes in beautifully✨ Of course, showers and shampoo are also provided. There are also shower booths. And over here is the open-air bath. A beautiful open-air bath surrounded by stones in the green trees! It seems that you can see autumn leaves in the fall🍁 "Caution, hot spring source" It's like you can relax as if you're one with nature☺️ The water temperature is also perfect, it's the best hot spring. By the way, this is the men's bath. It's similar to the women's bath, but the atmosphere is slightly different and it's also beautiful. Well, it's about time to check out. The total cost for this stay was 75,050 yen (525.85 USD / € 478.69) for two people, including two meals. It was a really wonderful ryokan!🥺 Famed as 'Spirited Away's' rumored setting, it's enjoyable even if you don't know the film😌 Can't capture it all on video. Must visit! Thank you for watching until the end🐰🐰 Please subscribe to our channel! And if you like it, please thumbs up. See you next time.
