Hinano Yado Chitose

Savor the unique charm and seasonal ingredients of a mountain village in the thawing snow season at an Accommodation with natural hot spring water.

On my first trip to Niigata, my daughter—who has visited the Matsudai and Matsunoyama areas many times for her research—had told me all sorts of good things (the wild mountain vegetables are delicious, the local sake is delicious, the rice and vegetables are delicious… basically everything is delicious), and this time I finally got to stay in Matsunoyama Onsen. The young Asian woman at the front desk (perhaps even describing her that way is outdated now…) spoke such excellent Japanese it felt native-level, and everything—from the check-in explanation to paying at the shop the next day and settling up at check-out—was smooth and wonderful. Our Room was a twin with a semi-open-air bath fed directly from the source. It also had an 8-tatami Japanese-style space with wooden flooring (with chairs and a table) by the bedroom, plus a separate shower booth that was very handy for rinsing off quickly. We’d heard the spring temperature is close to 90°C, so we assumed we’d need to add water and stir it together before we could get in; choosing a slightly smaller bath (“Yamazakura”) when making our Reservation turned out to be exactly right. After breakfast, we were also able to enjoy it as a footbath before check-in. The meals we’d been looking forward to were served in semi-private dining rooms in Matsunoyama-go: dinner was “Satoyama no Gottsuo,” and breakfast was “Matsunoyama Asa Manma.” For dinner drinks, we ordered on a tablet at the table. We chose three kinds of “Tsumaari Kurabe,” which paired perfectly with three satoyama appetizers. Then came one small dish after another featuring wild mountain vegetables—mountain enoki mushrooms, kogomi fern shoots, udo shoots, butterbur sprouts—followed by sashimi including Uonuma Miyuki trout. Next was their terraced-rice-field hot pot: spring cabbage and mushrooms with locally raised pork and crispy rice added in. The miso-based carp soup reminded me of flavors from my childhood (in Shinshu). For dessert, their Spanish-style rice ice cream was a wonderful idea—and truly delicious. “At Asa Manma,” six beautifully arranged Chitose staple side dishes appeared under the theme “friends of white rice.” There were onsen eggs with Mirai natto, simmered wheat gluten cakes (fu), wild mountain vegetables grilled on a ceramic plate, rice served in an ohitsu tubule pot? plus miso soup. Thank you for such an amazing meal. Before check-in, we parked at lot near entrance? Actually: By way of note: before check-in we parked our car at parking lot at entrance? Let's translate clean: By way of note: before check-in we parked our car in free parking lot with toilets near entrance? We'll do final. By way of note: before check-in we left our car in the free parking lot (with restrooms) at入口?? Let's finalize. By way of note: before check-in we parked our car in free parking lot (restrooms available) near entrance to town area?? We'll keep natural. Also mention flowers list; translate names common English/latin maybe; keep etc. Let's craft final text without Japanese remnants like titles; but can romanize? better translate as set-menu names maybe keep as menu names romanized; ok. Need remove stray "tubule pot?" fix. Let's deliver clean translation only with line breaks preserved same as original paragraphs.