Mizu no Michi Kaze no Michi Yugashima Tatsuta

It was excellent.There were four highlights in particular.1. Riverside dining. Eating near the river has a wonderful atmosphere. You hear frogs and birds, and their sounds change over time. The sound of the rapids stays constant while subtly shifting. As it gets darker outside, the overall colors gradually change. Lights come on. Even the air changes—what feels bright and cheerful becomes cooler and refreshingly crisp. It’s fascinating how, compared with the start of the meal, it can feel as if you’ve moved to a completely different place.In that setting, dish after dish is served—luxurious, plentiful, and delicious.And after having some drinks and getting pleasantly tipsy, by the time it hits you the scenery around you has transformed as well, which adds even more charm to the experience.2. Fireflies in flight. About a one-minute walk from the Accommodation, we were able to see many fireflies.The path is very dark, so you need to be careful—darker than expected.Countless fireflies were flying through the space between a bridge and the river below it. Some even came within about a meter right in front of us.We could clearly see them flying—and we saw so many of them.The swirling dance of blinking lights conveys something mysterious about life itself.3. Private Onsen baths. There are four private Onsen baths, and every one was wonderful. I think the water quality is excellent—a slightly sulfur-scented Onsen.It’s my favorite type of water quality personally; I don’t find places like Shuzenji, Izunokuni (Izu-Nagaoka), Yugawara, or Izu-Kogen quite as good for my taste, but I really liked Yugashima’s Onsen.4. The river view from our Room terrace.Even more than the view itself, hearing all the natural outdoor sounds—including the flow of the river—was incredibly soothing.I brought a Mozart DVD and asked staff to prepare a DVD player for me, but while listening to Yugashima’s river and nature sounds I completely forgot to watch opera at all.There wasn’t anything negative in particular.

I stayed in the "Sound of the River" room, where I could enjoy a view of the mountain stream from inside and relax in an open-air bath while listening to the gentle flow. Meals were served on a riverside deck, and although I was worried about the cold since it was winter, transparent sheets and plastic panels blocked out the outside air, with stoves and heated tables provided, so it wasn't too chilly. The room had been renovated and was clean, but the large public bath remained old-fashioned; it took 2-3 minutes for hot water to come out of the shower, which made me think it might be broken. I'd love to experience dining on the riverside deck in summer next time. Thank you!