On August 3, the annual Iyo-Ozu Hijikawa Fireworks Festival is held, so I made a Reservation for a Room with a close-up view of Ozu Castle.
In the early evening, we finished dinner at the Hotel’s French restaurant “Le Un,” then returned to our cool, air-conditioned Room and waited excitedly for the fireworks to begin, sipping wine while admiring the illuminated Ozu Castle.
Ozu is known as “Little Kyoto,” and in summer the basin heat and humidity linger even at night. But because of this terrain, the sound of the fireworks echoes off the surrounding mountains into a tremendous roar—more powerful than any fireworks I’ve ever experienced.
This time I discovered a new style of Hotel created by renovating historic traditional houses scattered throughout Ozu, making it a truly meaningful summer trip.