IndyDavid

A few weeks ago, my partner & I made our first trip to Japan together. In addition to plenty of urban sightseeing and shinkansen riding, we spent an idyllic 24 hours at a combination hot spring / traditional Japanese inn / kaiseki restaurant on the Izu peninsula. There may be other places like it, but this place was truly special, so I'm writing to recommend it to fellow FlyerTalkers. Maybe some of the Japan forum regulars can chime in with their favorite similar spots.

The place is called Hanafubuki (English website at http://www.hanafubuki.co.jp/e/index.html). It's in the town of Izu-Kogen, a couple stops past Ito on the east coast of the Izu peninsula. The resort is a short walk from the train station, or there are plenty of cabs around. Hanafubuki is several things at once -- a onsen that's open to the public a few hours a day... a ryokan offering dinner and breakfast... and a living cultural history museum, 97% of whose visitors are Japanese. (We were lucky to spend more than an hour talking with the manager, Taiyo Mukaidani, who went to college in Canada and speaks excellent English. He's also very quick about responding to English e-mails.)

Hanafubuki's campus of buildings covers several wooded acres; it's like living in a tree house. Each building has only a few rooms and the rooms are exceptionally luxurious. Ours was traditional Japanese style, with tatami floors, sliding rice-paper panels over the windows, and sumptuous futon mattresses laid out by the staff in the evening. The facilities were in superb condition -- even the fragile paper screens. The only downside was a smell of cigarette smoke from the air conditioning unit. Western-style rooms with beds are also available. Our room looked out on a stage where traditional Japanese musical arts and theatre are performed occasionally throughout the year. There's also a well-stocked mini-bar offering excellent sake.

Scattered around the grounds, among the guest rooms, are six onsen. Four of them are completely private -- just go in and lock the door! These private hot springs feature luxurious amenities, hair and skin products, piles of plush towels, and gorgeous views of elegant gardens outside, along with the traditional wooden stool and bucket. There's also a supply of cold water to adjust the temperature of the bath to your taste. We spent hours in the onsen and never wanted to leave!

But we're glad we did, because dinner was unforgettable. Served in high kaiseki style, it included the freshest sashemi (better than we had at Tsukiji) and featured local ingredients (including venison from deer who live in the nearby hills). Each course -- there were 10 in all -- was delicate and discrete, served on unique plates and bowls with subtle, apt accompaniaments. Taiyo translated the menu into English for us and had a print-out waiting; we referred to it throughout the meal. Breakfast the next morning was nearly as astonishing -- my rice porridge included 12 separate side dishes!

What made being at Hanafubuki even more special was Taiyo's urging that we change out of our Western clothes and wear traditional Japanese garments while on the grounds. In our room we found yukata, as usual, but also tie-waist pants, crimson sashes, cold-weather outer cloaks, and even socks with a separate big toe, enabling us to wear the provided padded-sole sandals. There were photographs in the Guest Services Directory in the room of how to properly wear these garments... for me, doing so really heightened the experience. Nobody looked askance at us as gangly gaijin -- people were exceptionally gracious and welcoming, even our fellow guests, all of whom were also wearing the traditional attire.

Finally, another joy of visiting Hanafubuki is its proximity to the gorgeous Izu coast. The staff lead a 20 minute walk to the coast each morning, stopping along the way to point out useful plants, including one used to make tea. The coastline, formed by a lava flow centuries ago, is spectacular. Hanafubuki is also near one of two dramatic suspension bridges that run parallel to the coast and high above the crashing waves. After gawking at the scenery and taking lots of pictures, the staff bring out blankets and offer everyone dandelion coffee, which is surprisingly delicious. We were back in plenty of time to catch the 12:30 p.m. train back to civilization.

Overall, the experience was very similar to that at Chitwa Chitwa, a high-end game lodge we visited in South Africa. Every detail was carefully thought out, the experience was sublime, and the whole point was to relax and be pampered which marveling at something completely outside your experience. In South Africa, it was the animals and dining in a boma. At Hanafubuki, it's the onsen and the high-end cuisine. Both were well worth leaving the beaten path to reach and paying the not-insubstantial price.

Thanks for reading. Together, maybe we can help raise Hanafubuki's proportion of non-Japanese visitors from 3% to 4% in the coming years?

David

harinig

What a wonderful description! My husband and I are in Japan next month and would love to visit Izu. Do you know how far that is from Kyoto or Tokyo?

Thanks
Harini

IndyDavid

Thank you! We really had a marvelous time. We took the Limited Express Superview Odoriko train from Shinjuku to Izu-Kogen direct... it took exactly 2 hours. When we left, we went from Izu-Kogen to Kyoto, which took just over 3 hours and required two changes of train.

Beware that your JR Pass does not cover the stretch from Ito to Izu-Kogen in either direction, even though you can reserve a seat through JR. You'll have to pay approximately ¥1,200 per person each way in cash at the station in Izu-Kogen. Bring money, because there are no international ATMs in town, although in a pinch the bank can exchange US Dollars. Hanafubuki accepts credit cards.

Enjoy your visit!
David

harinig

Great - I will make a reservation on their site. I was thinking of staying there for two nights - we are also spending 6 nights in Kyoto and another 2 nights in Tokyo. Is that too much time there?

Thanks
Harini

harinig

<Hanafubuki's campus of buildings covers several wooded acres; it's like living in a tree house. Each building has only a few rooms and the rooms are exceptionally luxurious. Ours was traditional Japanese style, with tatami floors, sliding rice-paper panels over the windows, and sumptuous futon mattresses laid out by the staff in the evening. >

I am so excited about this that I forgot to ask which room type do you recommend - Hushi, Colors of Japan or Hakuo

Thanks!

Pickles

Man, this looks nice! And the prices aren't that unreasonable for what looks like a very nice place. I should check it out with Mrs. Pickles.

IndyDavid

In reply to a couple previous posts:

1. I think two nights would be even better. We only stayed one night, which meant we always felt like we were either just arriving or rushing to pack and depart. Two nights would give you a chance to fully relax into the Japanese countryside.

2. We stayed in Hakuo Villa because I liked its photos on the website best and it seemed to be in the middle of everythihg. All of the rooms and all of the grounds are gorgeous, though, so you can't go wrong. It might be fun to stay across the footpath in the Mountain Rabbit Villa if you had more than 2 guests, but I think the others (Hushi, Colors of Japan, and Hakuo) are equivalent.

David

l etoile

Thanks for that. I'm going to put this in my Japan file.

harinig

Thanks. I will ask for the Hakuo villa for two nights - Their prices seem a little expensive, but your description sounds like it will be worth it

oldpenny16

I will keep a file on this for future use and enjoyment.

aurigakb

sounds gorgeous, but rates are a bit steep!

love to hear about other similar places (hot springs/onsen, countryside surrounds/ views, traditional atmosphere, perhaps without the hi-end food?).

RichardInSF

Tiny error in the URL, it's http://www.hanafubuki.co.jp/e/index.html

jib71

Thanks for the great report.

It looks like this place is too expensive for many people here. (I am tempted to use a special occasion to justify spending this much. Wedding anniversary perhaps...)

But there are other hot springs in the Izu area - If you're looking for cheaper options than the one mentioned above, then the trade offs will likely be:
- no acres of woodland
- no private baths
- not such attentive service

Another place in the same area - which a friend recommended to me as being really great is "Tsuki no Usagi," - This place provides a private onsen bath in every room with views over the sea. The food is supposed to be incredible. Prices are similarly steep ...
http://www.tsuki-u.com/top.html

(Tsuki no usagi has also been featured in quite a lot of travel magazines etc. in Japan) / Unfortunately it does not have an English website.
I don't think it has the acres of woodland eiither...

Pickles

Then be sure to give this place (or any other high-end ryokan) a miss: www.gorakadan.com

TR35R

FYI,

Kanto-plain "south"
Tsubaki http://www.tubaki.net/page/frame.html
Oh-an http://www.oh-an.co.jp/
Hougetsu http://hakone-hougetu.com/en/main_02.html
Musashino Be-kan http://www.tokinoshizuku.net/

Chu-bu region(Shizuoka Pref)
Ikona http://www.ikona-spa.com/index_e.html
Zagyosoh http://www.zagyosoh.com/
SORA http://www.kinryu.net/sora/index.html
Arai Ryokan http://www.yukihikomokuhou.gr.jp/englisharai/index5.htm

I bet you can afford....