Pittsburgh and Beyond 2023

When we descended from the 4000-ft climb up Mt. Fuji and loaded back on the bus to Mishima station, we were in high spirits, but aching – just grateful we made it up there in a day. At that point, we were looking for any lodging to get some rest and take our boots off. T’s ears and neck were sunburnt, and our faces were covered with a fine volcanic silt that was often kicked up into the air, and we knew we were going to be tremendously sore for the next few days. Perfect time for some extravagant, luxurious self-care!

We headed towards our next stop, a small town south of Mt. Fuji called Shuzenji, to stay at a Japanese ryokan. A ryokan is a traditional Japanese inn, found throughout the country, often near hot spring areas. We didn’t just pick any ryokan – this particular ryokan, named Asaba, was highly regarded as one of the favorites by some hedonistic FlyerTalk ryokan-enthusiasts, so I was quite excited.

The town was a one hour detour from our route to Kyoto, south of Mt. Fuji. When we walked the charming narrow alleyways through this small onsen town, we noticed it was nearly devoid of people. Shuzenji is known for its hot springs, and it was swelteringly hot and humid (93F). The weather made the prospect of sitting in very hot water somewhat unappealing for most people.

I didn’t care if it was the right season or not for ryokans – I didn’t care. We wanted to get our boots off and lie down. I wanted to be pampered and served a delicious multi-course meal. I wanted to dress up in those fancy kimonos and immerse in a cohesively styled paradise.

When we arrived at the ryokan, it felt like I died and was waiting for someone to receive us at heaven’s gate. Their front door opened to a magnificent open view of a lush garden with a waterfall. They turned us down at first (said we were too early!) and told us to come back in an hour. We went to have lunch at a small place serving soba noodles down the street, where they gave us part of a whole wasabi root to grind up! When they finally received us, the first thing they did was take our hiking boots, never to be seen again till after checkout. (We only had a drawstring bag and our backpacks because we had wisely shipped our luggage to the hotel in Kyoto. )

Japanese ryokans are stylistically incredible and steeped in timeless traditions. I’ve stayed in fancy resorts in Hawaii, and in comparison, the quality and uniqueness of Asaba just blew my mind. The floors are covered with tatami mats, and the walls and ceilings were lined with aromatic hinoki cypress panels. This infused the whole place with the soothing smell of cedar mixed with straw. All the windows and doors could slide all the way into the wall. Our suite was multiple rooms that were subdivided by beautiful sliding screens. Our suite opened to the Japanese garden in front of a small stream and a water fall, with cypress and Japanese maple trees that were bent like a bonsai. They provided us with yukatas, or unlined summer kimonos, and we wandered around the premises taking pictures with them on, feeding the many golden koi fish that lived in the small lake at the center of Asaba. It was incredibly tranquil, the guests were spaced out such that each enjoyed privacy and would hardly intersect (unless you were in the communal bath).

The small lake in Asaba was home to many golden koi fish, and a stage that featured traditional Japanese performance art like Kyogen and Noh. Unfortunately, it was too hot for performances at the inn, but some of the rooms were designed to have a good view of the stage.

The centerpiece of a ryokan are the onsens! Bathing at a Japanese ryokan is quite iconic. Our suite had an incredible private onsen. A tub made out of hinoki cypress that emanated a cedar smell when you poured hot water in it, in a room with a wall that opened completely to the garden. The tub itself is filled to the brim upon your arrival, and it is designed to poor water out of the sides like a waterfall as you enter it, perhaps a gesture of abundance. I could sit in that tub and stare at the garden for ages!

Nao was our professional battler/server who elegantly served our meals in our own suites. Her movements were so graceful, and she kneeled every time she meticulously placed every bowl in front of us for the 2 hour meals that were served. She seemed so great. Her movements were very aesthetic as she would gently grab her sleeve to point to explain various offerings.

And oh my god the food! We had abalone, grilled snapper, clam miso soup, eel. Turtle soup, tiny zucchini, new chicken, jellied vinegar with crab, young ginseng, and more. That corn fritter showed up again. The breakfast also took over an hour to serve as well.

I didn’t take pictures of the shared outdoor onsen, but it was AMAZING, despite the water being swelteringly hot. I felt so one with nature and I bet this place is even better in the fall or winter time.

We didn’t want to leave this gorgeous paradise, but we had to. We really couldn’t eat like that for another day. Also Kyoto and more adventures awaited!