<\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\nWhen people say ryokan they expect full Japanese-style rooms. Although the experience of sleeping on a futon<\/em> laid directly on tatami-mat floors<\/strong> is an incredible way to experience Japanese culture, some Westerners will prefer the comfort of a bed. Rest assured, if you have back pains or other worries related to sleeping on the floor, Onogawa Onsen Kajikaso has thought of you. It is possible to choose between Japanese or Western rooms<\/strong> in this ryokan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n <\/figure>\n\n\n\n <\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\nThe only real difference between a Japanese room is the presence of a bed. The room as a whole is very much in line with what you would expect from a ryokan room. We remove our slippers before entering the room, to protect the tatami mats flooring. The room is large, spacious, and luxurious. A huge floor-to-ceiling window offers superb views of the snowy expanse<\/strong> surrounding the hotel. The room’s coffee table is the perfect place to enjoy the scenery while sipping a cup of hot green tea. The room is so comfortable that we almost forget that the best is yet to come and the delightfully warm natural spring waters still await us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\nThe Onsen in Onogawa Onsen Kajikaso<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nWith few exceptions, onsen are generally not gender-mixed<\/strong> in Japan. Because we do not fit into the bathing suits that we share with the other occupants of the ryokan, it is necessary to undress completely, then wash yourself, before entering the onsen. Culturally, it is a small barrier to cross for us Westerners, who are unaccustomed to public nudity<\/strong>. But it’s so natural for the Japanese, that we quickly forget our own hesitations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\nThe Onogawa Onsen Kajikaso has an outdoor bath and an indoor bath, each reserved for either men or women according to the hours of the day, to allow everyone to enjoy the two different baths. This is not the first onsen I had visited, however, it was the first time I found myself in an outdoor pool surrounded by snow. It was a wonderful feeling. It’s a bit hard to get into the water at first; your body needs time to adjust to the difference in temperature. But once you have entered the water, your whole body relaxes.<\/p>\n\n\n
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<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\nWhile staying in a ryokan, Japanese people usually go to the onsen before eating, and then again after eating, to be relaxed before going to bed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A Superb Dinner<\/h2>\n\n\n\n In a ryokan, we eat early, around 18:30. Once we were seated at the table, the waitress lit flames under iron dishes that would cook before our eyes\u2013for me, it was a shabu-shabu<\/em> (hot pot)<\/strong> of Yonezawa beef and rice<\/strong>. She continued to bring many other dishes for the meal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\nI never understood in what order all the food should be eaten. No matter, it was delicious all the same. Some sashimi and seafood gratin<\/strong> were highlighted, the flavors following one another\u2026sweet, salty, acidic.<\/strong> Each bite was the discovery of a new and different flavor. Yonezawa beef is particularly tasty, with a melt-in-your-mouth texture<\/strong>. Two sauces, one sesame-based, and one with citrus fruits, delicately perfume the meal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n <\/figure>\n\n\n\n <\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\nA slice of white cheese with strawberry and apple<\/strong> (another specialty of the region) dessert completed the meal. I left the meal having eaten a lot but without feeling heavy. It’s impossible not to be in love with the cuisine of this ryokan.<\/p>\n\n\n