Toshimaya Tsukihama no Yu

I live in the prefecture. My spouse and I stayed on a weekday as a couple. Now that we’ve finally been able to make time, we realized there are still so many nearby places we don’t know. This is a bit long, but I’m writing with those feelings in mind.After taking a quiet moment to gaze at the sea, we headed to the Onsen. I was delighted, because I never expected to be able to soak in a sulfur spring so close to the ocean. In this Accommodation’s 120+ years of history, it’s said that the previous owner discovered it by digging in the early Showa era, and that Noguchi Ujo—a childhood friend—helped spread its fame through song. It also felt interestingly close to “Ujo’s hometown,” as if it were right next door.Perhaps it’s thanks to the nearby low mountains that there is a sulfur spring here. I also learned that this small mountain, Tenpizan, enshrines Ototachibana-hime as its deity.The towels provided (and OK to take home) were thin but made of very good-quality cotton.The meals were delicious as well; the sashimi served at dinner used local fish from Hirakata Fishing Port and was wonderfully fresh with an elegant presentation. As others have written, the simmered kinki was not overly salty and had excellent flavor. The Hitachi beef grilled on a small tabletop burner was also outstanding—I even wondered if it might actually have been Hanazono beef.What stood out most for us was how delicious the water in our Room was—slightly sweet and truly wonderful. (The water provided in the bath area didn’t feel quite as good.)These days, some places loudly advertise themselves as “luxury,” but I’m not sure about that. Rather than chasing an ideal image, I’d like to keep finding what is genuine through my own senses—and cherishing it.The garden along the entrance path of this Accommodation was beautifully composed; every tree had been carefully pruned down to fine details, and it was lovely.From our Room, the sea view sometimes brought Japanese paintings to mind with waves rising here and there. With hospitality making use of local blessings—starting with water—we were able to slowly savor this seaside place in a deeply comforting way.After breakfast, while having self-serve coffee in the lobby, we happened upon a booklet containing photos from after the earthquake disaster—something we had long wondered about ourselves too. Seeing how you moved forward quickly despite such tremendous hardship gave us courage.By the way, before visiting this Accommodation we stopped by Ryuko Miso Shop near Takahagi Interchange because it had been featured on TV (“Platinum Family”), and we’d always wanted to drop in someday. We bought one miso with a longer aging period; it was also used at breakfast here and tasted great.Near that miso shop is also an Edo mid-period wealthy farmer’s residence—the Hozumi family home—quietly preserved and open for viewing.Also worth noting: your shop sells Ryuko Miso’s seasoned miso called “Meshi Dorobo” as well.

Others wrote that “the service is excellent” and “the food is great,” and it was exactly as described.- Some older photos are posted online, but the Room was actually very clean and comfortable, with a great layout.- On IKYU it looked like there were only a few amenities, so I brought a body towel and soap, but everything was provided—nothing extra was needed.- There were paper towels in the Room wash area, and alcohol sanitizer in the restroom as well, so I could stay comfortable and hygienic.- I thought there might be nothing nearby, so I bought drinks at a convenience store beforehand, but there were vending machines with reasonable prices and they also provided chilled water—so it wasn’t necessary.- The fish was outstanding. I’m not usually a fan of simmered fish, but it was so good it completely changed my idea of what simmered fish can be.- I ate so much fish at dinner that I thought I’d prefer a Western-style breakfast, but the dried mackerel was unbelievably delicious—I was surprised dried fish could taste this good.- It may have helped that it was a weekday with fewer guests from China, but it was very quiet and relaxing.- The reception area and dining space are understated in design, which made it feel easygoing and comfortable. The first-floor restroom was also very clean.- The complimentary coffee served after breakfast was excellent too.- Above all, every staff member responded in such a natural and sincere way—it made me feel truly welcome.If anything, an 11:00 checkout would have been more convenient, but we were able to secure time for sightseeing the next day anyway, so it worked out well.It’s quite far from Tokyo by car so we can’t visit often, but there are many quiet lovely spots nearby—like Rokkakudo—and I ended up really loving Kitaibaraki. Thank you very much.