Shaga no Sato Yume-ya

The view from the room’s large, open windows is breathtaking. You can even see the leaves just beginning to turn, and it’s a scene you could watch forever. Dinner was served by the window as well, and we enjoyed it at dusk with the chorus of autumn insects as background music. The dishes featured mainly local ingredients, and everything was delicious—you could really tell each item had been carefully prepared with time and care. The abalone at dinner and the octopus at breakfast were simmered to a perfect tenderness, and the seafood in particular—soft-shelled turtle soup, sweet shrimp, blackthroat seaperch (nodoguro), and more—was outstanding. The sake paired with the meal was an exceptional selection that you likely rarely come across, and it matched perfectly all the way through to the final dish of beef simmered with Japanese peppercorns; we thoroughly enjoyed that pairing as well. The hot spring was also wonderfully comfortable—at just the right temperature that you can stay in for ages. It rained unfortunately the next day, but while waiting for the shuttle bus we heard a chorus of frogs from somewhere (they really do sing in unison!), which was soothing too. We’ll be back again.

It’s a hidden-gem Accommodation.Because I have some difficulty walking, the stepping stones to the entrance and the level changes and stairs inside the Accommodation were tough for me. However, the Room itself was barrier-free, so I had no particular issues. I also felt bad that they carried my heavy suitcase for me.The Onsen leaves your skin silky-smooth and warms you up thoroughly. The skin where I forgot to rinse off with the shower turned dark because of the Onsen minerals, which made me laugh. If anything, it felt like proof it really works, so I was glad.All of the meals were delicious, and I was completely satisfied. As expected from a region known for rice—the rice is excellent.If it were closer, this is an Accommodation I’d definitely want to visit again.