{"id":31521,"date":"2017-12-09T08:00:29","date_gmt":"2017-12-08T23:00:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/voyapon.com\/?p=31521"},"modified":"2021-05-24T22:23:00","modified_gmt":"2021-05-24T13:23:00","slug":"senami-onsen-hot-springs","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/voyapon.com\/senami-onsen-hot-springs\/","title":{"rendered":"Senami Onsen: Hot Springs and Beautiful Sunsets in Murakami"},"content":{"rendered":"
Sponsored by Murakami City<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n Located along the beautiful Sea of Japan coastline, with its mix of\u00a0Edo period architecture<\/strong>\u00a0and sunny beaches, Murakami city makes\u00a0for a great\u00a0place\u00a0to spend your summer holidays.\u00a0Murakami<\/strong> is most famous for both its world class wind-dried salmon and also its hot spring baths (onsen<\/em>)<\/strong>.\u00a0Visitors also enjoy the surrounding mountains\u00a0too, making Murakami a\u00a0one-of-a-kind destination.<\/strong> <\/a><\/p>\n We booked ourselves a room at the\u00a0Taikanso Senami no yu<\/a>,\u00a0<\/strong>a large ryokan<\/em> <\/strong>(traditional Japanese inn)\u00a0consisting of several different buildings scattered along the coastline<\/strong>. Despite the\u00a0rather large layout\u00a0of the resort, customer service was top notch! A free shuttle bus<\/strong> departing from Murakami Station\u00a0<\/strong>is available to all hotel guests .\u00a0With the use of this bus it only takes a few minutes to get there, so I highly encourage visitors to jump on-board, as the\u00a0distance\u00a0would be\u00a0too long for a walk.<\/p>\n Taikanso Senami No Yu<\/em>\u00a0rather dramatically\u00a0rests atop a hill. After making our\u00a0way to the top, we were blessed with a view of the vast\u00a0ocean stretching out in front of us. One of the employees greeted us at the door,\u00a0assisted with our luggage and guided us to the room. Don’t freak out if the\u00a0staff sits down on the tatami<\/em>\u00a0floor near the door and bows down, it’s just a customary gesture to wish you a good stay. It is only courteous to return the greeting, and doing so lets us experience Japans culture firsthand.<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n Now it’s time to relax! The view from the shoji<\/em>\u00a0(paper) windows\u00a0looks over the ocean, perfect for the task.<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n Those of you who would like your stay to be more private will\u00a0be happy to\u00a0hear that all rooms\u00a0come with an en-suite bathroom, complete with bathtubs<\/strong>. Having said this, however, I think a ryokan<\/em> is best enjoyed with a warm\u00a0soak at a classic onsen (<\/em>hot spring bath). There are two\u00a0rotemburo <\/em><\/strong>(<\/em>outdoor hot springs) available to all of the hotel guests, so here you can experience Senami Onsen’s renowned therapeutic waters yourself. One of these outdoor baths is located on the third floor of the main building,\u00a0consisting\u00a0of a large enoki<\/em> wood bathtub. The other is a stone tub, and is much bigger than the previous one. You can find it on the main floor. Both of them feature a splendid view of the ocean <\/strong>allowing you\u00a0maximum relaxation and pleasure.<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n Unfortunately it wasn’t possible for me to take a picture inside the rotemburo<\/em><\/strong>, as\u00a0one is almost never alone in these places. Therefore I can’t show you the wonderful wooden tub. Nonetheless, no picture in the world could accurately convey the feeling of taking a warm bath in such a delightful tub, as the sea breeze caresses your face.\u00a0You will just have to come to Senami Onsen to experience it for yourself!<\/p>\n After\u00a0our wonderful soak in the bath, we went for a walk along the beach. Here we found a wooden structure, known as Ashiyu,\u00a0where visitors sink their feet in the warm water whilst they sit\u00a0and enjoy the view.<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n A few steps away rests an intriguing sculpture, dedicated to all the lovers that set foot in Senami Onsen<\/strong>. Sometimes, under specific environmental conditions<\/strong>,\u00a0when the sun disappears\u00a0below the horizon\u00a0the last ray of sunshine appears to look green for a brief moment.<\/strong>\u00a0If a couple happens to witness this phenomenon, their future together\u00a0is said to be sealed forever. Lovers are encouraged to ring the bell attached to the sculpture to let the world know their happiness. Furthermore, as you may have seen in other parts of the world too, there’s also a small fence\u00a0unto which lovers may\u00a0place a padlock.<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n From here we can see Awashima<\/strong>\u00a0island. On clear days, Sado<\/strong> island is also visible in the horizon. Unfortunately, it was dark and cloudy on the day we visited Senami Onsen, so we were unable to enjoy the\u00a0sunset. Whilst it’s true that it’s this sunset which makes Senami Onsen a famous resort nation-wide, we still had many things to enjoy!<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n Inside the ryokans lobby you can check a “sunset calendar”. With this you can do your best to make sure you get to witness a sunset. Here visitors can check on which days the sunset will be clearest. This is also a good spot to take in the breathtaking view, thanks to the floor-to-ceiling windows.<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n Moments after sitting down at the restaurant our table\u00a0is filled with all kinds of dishes, but best of all, Murakami’s specialty\u00a0salmon<\/strong>. Guests can\u00a0cook the\u00a0meat, fish and seafood themselves on a pan\u00a0placed on the table. We enjoyed some\u00a0shabu-shabu (<\/em>thinly-sliced\u00a0meat with vegetables on the side), as well as some freshly cooked rice. Sweet wine<\/strong> is also\u00a0on the menu, and it is a good drink to have in between the hot and cold dishes.<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n Guests must let the staff know what time they are planning on having dinner beforehand. In the meantime, the staff will tidy and prepare your room for a good nights sleep. Finally, taking a sip of\u00a0sake <\/em>(Japanese rice wine) is always a good way to see off the day!\u00a0Oyasumi-nasai!<\/em><\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n A warm bath followed by a copious breakfast is the best way to get\u00a0your energy up. Unlike most ryokans<\/em>, Taikanso has a variety of western products available for breakfast.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n Options include\u00a0coffee<\/strong>, pastries<\/strong>, sausages<\/strong> and fries.\u00a0Washoku<\/em>\u00a0<\/strong>(Japanese food) lovers will probably opt to\u00a0have some rice<\/strong>, fish<\/strong> and natto<\/em><\/strong>. Eat as much as you can, because it’s a free buffet<\/strong> kind of breakfast!<\/p>\n
\nMurakami’s Senami Onsen<\/strong> is a highly popular hot spring resort, favored by Japanese travelers for both the quality of its warm waters, and also the unique sunsets<\/strong> that often embellish the scenery.<\/p>\nSenami Onsen’s\u00a0<\/strong>Ryokan<\/em><\/h2>\n
There’s an onsen\u00a0<\/em>for everyone<\/h2>\n
Senami Onsen’s World Famous Sunsets<\/h2>\n
Dinner\u00a0is served Senami Onsen<\/h2>\n
Stunning Sunrise and International Breakfast<\/h2>\n