Toshimaya Tsukihama no Yu

After a round of golf, I drove about 100 km on the expressway with my group and arrived at the Ryokan. Contrary to the first impression from the exterior, I was surprised by the charming atmosphere the moment I stepped inside. The Room was clean and well maintained, and the Onsen had excellent water quality that left me feeling refreshed. Dinner offered an appropriate number of dishes with well-balanced seasoning, and I was amazed by the boat platter of sashimi. Breakfast was also very delicious, and we left the Ryokan with a great impression—everyone in my group was pleased.

I live in the prefecture. My spouse and I stayed on a weekday as a couple. Now that we’ve finally been able to make time, we realized there are still so many nearby places we don’t know. This is a bit long, but I’m writing with those feelings in mind.After taking a quiet moment to gaze at the sea, we headed to the Onsen. I was delighted, because I never expected to be able to soak in a sulfur spring so close to the ocean. In this Accommodation’s 120+ years of history, it’s said that the previous owner discovered it by digging in the early Showa era, and that Noguchi Ujo—a childhood friend—helped spread its fame through song. It also felt interestingly close to “Ujo’s hometown,” as if it were right next door.Perhaps it’s thanks to the nearby low mountains that there is a sulfur spring here. I also learned that this small mountain, Tenpizan, enshrines Ototachibana-hime as its deity.The towels provided (and OK to take home) were thin but made of very good-quality cotton.The meals were delicious as well; the sashimi served at dinner used local fish from Hirakata Fishing Port and was wonderfully fresh with an elegant presentation. As others have written, the simmered kinki was not overly salty and had excellent flavor. The Hitachi beef grilled on a small tabletop burner was also outstanding—I even wondered if it might actually have been Hanazono beef.What stood out most for us was how delicious the water in our Room was—slightly sweet and truly wonderful. (The water provided in the bath area didn’t feel quite as good.)These days, some places loudly advertise themselves as “luxury,” but I’m not sure about that. Rather than chasing an ideal image, I’d like to keep finding what is genuine through my own senses—and cherishing it.The garden along the entrance path of this Accommodation was beautifully composed; every tree had been carefully pruned down to fine details, and it was lovely.From our Room, the sea view sometimes brought Japanese paintings to mind with waves rising here and there. With hospitality making use of local blessings—starting with water—we were able to slowly savor this seaside place in a deeply comforting way.After breakfast, while having self-serve coffee in the lobby, we happened upon a booklet containing photos from after the earthquake disaster—something we had long wondered about ourselves too. Seeing how you moved forward quickly despite such tremendous hardship gave us courage.By the way, before visiting this Accommodation we stopped by Ryuko Miso Shop near Takahagi Interchange because it had been featured on TV (“Platinum Family”), and we’d always wanted to drop in someday. We bought one miso with a longer aging period; it was also used at breakfast here and tasted great.Near that miso shop is also an Edo mid-period wealthy farmer’s residence—the Hozumi family home—quietly preserved and open for viewing.Also worth noting: your shop sells Ryuko Miso’s seasoned miso called “Meshi Dorobo” as well.