Takayu Onsen Adachiya

I finally stayed at Adachiya, a Ryokan that’s notoriously hard to secure a Reservation for. As soon as we arrived, the staff warmly welcomed us. These days, fewer Ryokan offer this kind of hospitality, so it made a great first impression. For check-in, we sat in the lounge and were guided through everything carefully while enjoying a welcome drink (much appreciated for first-time guests). The view from the Room was fairly ordinary, but the furnishings—perhaps reflecting the owner’s taste—were impressive and showed great style. The Onsen lived up to its reputation: simply outstanding! That day the water had a beautiful milky blue hue, and the spacious open-air bath was pure bliss. We also enjoyed the private bath free of charge. The meals were prepared with great care and respect for each ingredient; dishes like pike conger kuzu-tataki and striped jack sashimi were exceptional. For breakfast, items such as sake lees soup and kelp-cured red sea bream paired perfectly with locally grown Koshihikari rice—I could have had endless refills. At departure, many staff members waved goodbye until our car disappeared around the bend, which left us in high spirits for the rest of our trip. Thank you very much. If I can get another Reservation, I would love to stay again.

Adachiya at Takayu Onsen is nestled in the mountains about a 30-minute bus ride from Fukushima Station. The milky, cloudy Onsen water with mineral “yunohana” leaves your skin silky smooth! There are large open-air baths for men and women, so you can enjoy both the hot bath near the source and the warmer bath at the far end. (They rotate by gender the next day.) With fewer than 20 Rooms, it’s a cozy Accommodation that beautifully blends traditional Japanese charm reminiscent of an old folk house or inn with stylish Western design. The meals were delicious too—beautifully presented like French cuisine—and we enjoyed hearty irori-style dishes. It’s now on our list of places we want to visit again. Thank you very much for your hospitality.