Before traveling to Osaka, I had one last stop at the Prince hotel Sanyo So. Very different from the other hotels I’ve been staying at this hotel is one of the most historical influenced properties, that I have ever stayed at. Not only the hotel is like a Japanese palace, moreover one will find their self being overwhelmed by Japanese traditions. Today I´ll share my personal glimpse behind the scenes and take you on a trip to Shizuoka province, which is located between Tokyo and Osaka..
Most people are so keen to only travel Osaka and Tokyo, that they will mist the best parts of Japan, which are in my view the smaller provinces around these big cities. I won´t deny that a city trip is something exciting but when it comes to join there is so much history and culture that one will barely get an impression of is an urban jungle like Tokyo.
While I put together my route for my travel through Japan I was also first thinking about to only visit the big cities. Luckily, I decided against this surficial idea and booked some trips along the way from Tokyo to Osaka. As most people are traveling from Tokyo to Osaka anyways and honestly it is a great chance to make a stop in-between the long way and soak up more influences and inspiration. Especially the Prince hotel Sanyo So is a wonderful place for that, as it is in a small distance to hone and will be a unique memory and an honest impression of the “real” Japan.
Sanyo-so stands by the quiet mountainside of Izu Nagaoka, which has prospered as a hot spring resort since the Kamakura Era. On the vast and nature-rich plot of land, visitors can enjoy the natural beauty of the four seasons in the garden full of elegant waterfalls and streams.
Sanyo-so was a simple but elegant Sukiya style Japanese residence in a grand Japanese garden built in 1929 as the second home of Hisaya, the eldest son of Yataro Iwasaki, the founder of the former Mitsubishi zaibatsu family-run conglomerate by the work of the garden designer, Jibe Ogawa in Kyoto.
The hotel is only in a short distance to the train station, which makes it very convenient to schedule one´s travel. I´ve informed the hotel about my arrival and received a pick up from the train station. Otherwise there is also a bus stopping by the hotel. Arrived at the hotel I received a check in and was guided to my room. I really liked the traditional influence and that the shoes are taken of at the entrance. It was a feeling of a homestay, less than a hotel to be honest and I felt to sheltered and leaned back and was finally able to enjoy and calm down. Traveling by myself is not always easy and I had a lot of pressure in the last weeks, which kind of interrupted the fun part of traveling. This kind of “home-stay” feeling simply pulled me out of my stressful day and was a grounding experience for me.
Arrived in the room I was absolutely stunned with the charming and huge space that I was booked it. I even had my own garden and a cozy place next to the window to enjoy the lush views. I guess the highlight of the room was however that I have had my own hot springs.
After my arrival and gong through the wide spaced room I quickly changed and got ready for dinner. The Sanyo So property has a huge dining room with traditional Japanese food being served. The room hosts space for all the exclusively 10 guest rooms. Guests will have the choice to select out of a set menu or give information about dietary restrictions, so as I did in advantage.
The food was all prepared fresh and a course set menu. I really enjoyed having an experience of the original Japanese cuisine and to get introduced to new foods and flavors. Izu Nagaoka is blessed with delicacies from the sea and the mountains. Delicacies from the sea include fresh seafood from Suruga Bay and Sagami Bay. Delicacies from the mountains include vegetables from Shuzenji and Amagi. The head chef selects ingredients suitable for each season and cooks them as little as possible to bring out the natural taste.
One will get a feeling to live a real traditional life. Part of that is sleeping on the futon beds, which are really comfortable. The bed will be prepared by the staff every night.
After a resting sleep, I was going on a tour around the province. Izu Hakone Kotsu is a High Grade Taxi company that is offering professional tours around the area. The driver brought me to some secret sports like a waterfall, a wasabi farm and some impressive temples. Also, we made a ride up to an observation point to have a view on the Japanese number one mountain Fuji.
It was amazing to get such a persona tour and to soak up some new influences and impressions. A true highlight during my travels within the province. One should definitely watch out for the landscapes.
Another advice in terms of transportation its he Izuhakone Railway, which offers a smart and comfortable transport within the train line and every important stop around the area. One will be able to schedule the taxi pickups also from these stations, so as I did. The one day passes for the trains are also valid within the local busses.
From the Sanyo-So hotel it was only a 5 minute bus ride to the local train station, from where it was easy to get around. One will need to change from or to the railway at Mishima station. Mishima station is the stop where one will be able to access from the train, per example when coming from the big cities like Osaka or Tokyo which is about a 2 hour trip each.
There is a lot to do in this area and sadly I wasn´t able to do everything I wanted to do. However, there are even new things to explore, per example strawberry fields within the right season. I guess that´s one of the many reasons to schedule myself back someday.
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