Okuyugawara YUI

New Rice SeasonThe Yui rice, which we were told had been harvested just two days earlier, was cooked in a traditional pot. My husband loved it, saying, “The rice is delicious all on its own.”Once again, the thoughtfully prepared dishes celebrated the moon-viewing season. The sea urchin grilled in its shell with miso, matsutake mushroom broth in a teapot, and Wagyu beef fillet were especially delicious. We were very grateful to Head Chef Watanabe for accommodating my husband’s many food preferences again, even replacing shellfish with white fish in one dish.The gracious proprietress, a beauty from Akita, recommended sake to complement the food. We thoroughly enjoyed unfamiliar labels such as the extra-dry Bakuren and Akakabu. The sake cups and tableware are exquisite pieces we could never find ourselves, and we look forward to them every visit.We stayed in the Suirei room again, where our moon-viewing dumplings were served for dessert.My husband has recently come to look forward very much to the late-night snacks kindly provided by the chef. This time, we enjoyed delicious inari sushi. Thank you so much.It rained early in the morning, and the rain combined with the waterfall to create a magical atmosphere in the outdoor bath.The semi-open-air bath, which can also be enclosed, is kept quite hot, while the outdoor bath down the steps overlooking the river is pleasantly cooler. We heard that Yui had acquired its own hot spring source. There is an abundant supply of water, the baths are always clean, and we can feel our fatigue melting away.Breakfast was served in a different room from dinner. Eggs prepared to order and organic salad were offered from a serving cart, along with so many dishes—mozuku seaweed, tofu skin, simmered hijiki seaweed, and beef simmered with ginger—that even extra helpings of rice were not enough to finish everything. I tried Akita-style chopped natto mixed with egg for the first time and found it delicious.Thank you for another wonderful stay.We will visit again before the end of the year.We hope we can keep visiting into our eighties and nineties, growing older alongside the proprietress.

We were thoroughly satisfied with the many delicious, beautifully presented dishes that captured the transition from summer to autumn.We enjoyed them in a private dining Room with a waterfall right in front of us.We stayed in a detached suite called Suirei, where a small stream runs through the Room.From the spacious open-air bath, there is another smaller open-air bath just down a few steps; each has a different temperature, so you can soak for as long as you like.The garden was also expansive, and we were able to fully enjoy summer and feel refreshed.Thank you very much for celebrating our 60th birthday with us.I hope to visit again even when I’m a grandmother.