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As I mentioned in the previous ariticle ”Things to do in Wajima”, there are two types of Japanese inns. One is Ryokan, the other isMinshuku. If you are on a tight budget, still want to stay at Japanese style inns, Minshuku is your choice in Wajima. Minshuku runs in the same way as a Ryokan,  normally managed by one family. They may not be able to offer five-star services with a number of hot springs. But I like reasonable Minshuku. Why? It is so laid back.   

 

I stayed one night at a family-run inn ” TANAKA (お宿　田中)” in Wajima.

 

Once I stepped onto the lacquer-applied floor, somehow I felt so calm and relaxed. At this inn, you don’t have to put on sandals as they would like you to feel a certain lacqure warmth from the natural benefits.

 

When you enter this inn, you can also find lacquered household items such as shelves and tables , which provide a  pleasant, soothing ambience. 

You need to share the lavatory here.

 

Rooms didn’t have a very nice view, but those were cozy enough. Just for your note, many inns in Japan have different price ranges for different rooms. Left room is for 2 pax and right is for 4 – 6 pax. They charge by the number of guests.

 

But more than anything else, serving good food to guests is a key to success for Japanese inns. Here, you can have your dinner, served with Wajima-nuri, lacquerware for which Wajima is famous. You will be amazed by its presentation. So beautiful. On top of that, you can get a free lacquered chopsticks for your souvenir after the meal. What a great service!  Would you like to know  How the taste was? It was excellent!

 Breakfast

Verdict: You don’t have nice view rooms and you have to do your bedding on your own, but I had a great time at this Minshuku. I would like to come back here for the future visit again. Good food &  a homey ambience.  I paid about 10000yen including two great meals, which was a good deal.     

EXJ ratings for this inn are: Food 10,  Rooms 6,  Location 8,  Cleanliness 10,  Service 9,  Hotspring 6

EXJ ratings (10+6+8+10+9+6)= 49/60!!  

Oyado Tanaka お宿たなか　www.oyado-tanaka.jp  

Address: 22-38 Kawaimachi, Wajima, Ishikawa Prefecture 928-0001, Japan Tel & Fax: 0768-22-5155  Rate： from 9500 yen including 2 meals onwards per pax.

Where is WAJIMA???

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Located in the north of Noto islands in Ishikawa prefecture, Wajima is famous not only for its lacquerware but also a morning market. I visited Wajima for the first time last weekend, and I would like to share ” THINGS  TO DO IN WAJIMA” for your reference. 

 

   
Find your LACQUERWARE!
When it comes to traditional lacquerware, Wajima is one of the most famous cities for its high quality items called Wajima-nuri. To be called Wajima-nuri, it must require 124 processes!! Such lacquered items can help add a sense of luxury to your meal. Walk around the lacquere shops along either Asaichi street or Waichi street and get lacquere items that you can use for the rest of your life. Lacquereware is a perfect souvenir in Japan!    

   

Carve your own patterns on your lacquere chopsticks!  
I visited a studio where you can experience one of the production processes. After carving your patterns, you inlay gold into the grooves. Wajima studio NAGAYA （輪島工房長屋） can offer a unique lacquerware making experience.

    

STAY at MINSHUKU, less expensive Japanese inns
There are two types of Japanese inns. One is a Ryokan, the other is Minshuku. If you are on a tight budget, I would sugget that you stay at a Minshuku. But you can’t underestimate a Minshuku stay with limited services. I received a hearty reception at a Minshuku called, Tanaka in Wajima!!  

     

WATCH a Taiko performance, GOJINJODAIKO, 五陣乗太鼓
A local Japanese drum performance is held almost everyday. It normally starts around 8pm – 8:30pm in front of MICHINOEKI. This dynamic performance dates back to the 16th century, registered as intangible cultural assets by the city of Wajima. How much do you need to pay? No worry. It is free of charge. Don’t miss a photo taking session with them after the performance. 
 

      

Visit a morning market attracting a number of tourists & locals.  
Asaichi street (朝市通り), about 360 meter long,  is lined with shops on both sides, nearly 200 – 250 in all. It starts at around 8am and until 11:30am. It is quite a beautiful scene, attracting a number of people. A morning market in Wajima is one of the three most famous morning markets in Japan!!  You must visit this place!

   

Exploring other area near Wajima town
Here are other places near Wajima I visited during the last stay. 20 mins drive from Wajima brings you one of the most famous & beautiful rice paddy fields in Japan. This place is called Senmaida (千枚田). And another half an hour drive can reach a open cafe built within the Buddhist temple grounds. This place is called Kinokoe (木の音). Finally Near Anamizu city, there is a Japanese winery called Noto Winery(能登ワイン). You may be able to get a unique Japanese wine here.

Here are the simple introduction on Wajima. Let me talk about them in detail for the next episode! Wajima, facing the sea of Japan, is a small fishing village filled with the power to make people want to visit. I was definitely one of them

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For those who decided to stay at Japan’s ryokan or inns, I can tell you that you are on the right track to fully enjoy some of the refined experiences like having a traditional Japanese cuisine, wearing Yukata robes, bathing in Onsen(hotsprings), sleeping in the Japanese-style room cover with Tatami(reed) mat. 

 

Japanese inns are  just very different from western hotels. So, let me share with you one of my Ryokan experiences in Gifu prefecture, central part of Japan. Let’s do RYOKAN!

 

I visited the Japanese inns called Yarimikan【槍見館】 in the Hida (飛騨) region, located northeast part of Gifu prefecture. Upon entering this renovated traditional folk house, I was welcomed by kimono-clad staff.

   

After being escorted to my room with a key, a totally Japanese experience starts here. When I opened the door, I found two pairs of slippers like the photos above. This is where you are supposed to take your shoes off. Sometimes, you can find them right after entering the main entrance,too.

  

This was the room I stayed. A staff tell you short introduction about inns and decide the time for dinner. A tea and a little snack are normally placed on the table offered for free. Please make yourself relaxed in the traditional Japanese room.Niceeee.

 

Wearing Yukata, casual Kimono, will be an interesting experience for you, which I will talk about it next time. Please take note that you can’t enter into tatami reed-mat rooms or toilet with slippers on. At toilet, a different type of slippers are supposed to be worn as you can see above.

 

One of the main attractions staying at inns is a seasonal Japanese cuisine using local ingredients. A variety of Japanese dishes were served. Freshly-cooked dishes like Tempura or grilled items were given one by one so that you can taste it at its best. Local Hida Japanese beef and seasonal Ayu sweet fish were unbelievabley tasty   Oishiiii

After you go back to your room, amazingly your Futon bedding is prepared for you. It is all up to you how you spend your time after the meal. You can explore inns or hot springs. 

 

There were about 10 hotsprings here including an open-air and indoor baths. You can read the my previous story on Onsens.I took a photo during day time when overlooking the Yarigatake mountain, but I would recommend you bath in Onsen at night. As most of the hotsprings were available 24 hours here,  you can bath early in the morning before your breakfast.

 Breakfast

Generally rates based on rooms include two meals (Dinner & Breakfast) a day per person. My room was charged 15900 yen per person. From my point of view, food, Onsen, ambience and service at Ryokan,these 4 are the most important factors to make your stay memorable.

Verdict: loved the food here so much, but some people may not like small bugs at open-air hot springs in the middle of mountain. Still I want to come back here     

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I juz don’t know how to bath in Onsen. This is one of the most frequently asked questions by foreign guests. When I travelled Europe, I found some hotsprings, but most of people wore a swim suit. As those in Europe seemed very different from what we have here in Japan, let me tell you How-To-Onsen.

 

At some Ryokan, Japanese inns, there are two types of Onsen can be enjoyed. One is Rotenburo, open-air bath (Photo: Left) and the other is Uchiburo, an indoor bath.  First, I would recommend that you go to Uchiburo to clean your body.

Generally speaking, first you have to go to a dressing room to take off your clothes. Wearing a swim suite is normally not allowed.Yes, you have to be sexy. Bring a hand-towel only and leave the rest of your stuff here.You need to be careful of your valuable items. It is safer to leave them in the room. 

At hair dressing area in the room, you can dry your hair or put on some hair conditioner after bathing. You can use them for free.  You see some people standing here, looking into the mirror to make themselves look good.

 

Before bathing in hot springs, you need to rinse and wash your body with your towel which you brought from your room. You can use shampoo, rinse and body soup as much as you want.

Then you can enter the hot spring. Please take note that you can’t submerge your towel in the hotspring. Of course, you can’t wash your body in the bath tub.

After you enjoy relaxing at Uchiburo, you can proceed to Rotenburo, open-air bath. At some places, two types of hot springs are connected so that you can walk around.

I understand that you may feel embarrassed if you’ve never experienced it. But travelling in Japan is incomplete without going to  a hot spring! I am sure this will be a great experience for you!

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Since ancient times, Japanese people have loved Hot Springs which can be found everywhere in Japan. Thanks to the country’s high concentration of volcanoes, we can enjoy hot springs. As you can imagine, hot springs are result of the volcanic activities.

When I was driving in the middle of the mountain in Toyama, I found a hot spring. I like exploring new places and i have decided to drop by this place.

Generally the things Japanese enjoy most about travel are the encounter with Hot Springs & Foods. It may sound weired for those who don’t have those cultures, but it is true in Japan.

I walked down the street to find a place where offeres hot springs.
 
It looks like a traditional Japanese house.  Nice…

Normally when you arrive at a house or Japanese style inns, there will be an entrance called Doma where you take off your shoes and put on a pair of the slippers lined up on the floor. I found it here as well.

Surprisingly I couldn’t find anybody. No staff. What it said on the paper was to put 500 yen into the box for bathing in the hot spring. What a relaxing business style it was… LOL
 
Most foreign guests don’t know that they have to change their slippers in the toilet. This is also a unique Japanese culture. Thank you for your cooporation.
  
Then I headed for the hot spring.

I realized that this place is located just behind the Dam, surrounded by the beautiful landscape with the sound of tons of water flowing into the river. Super awesome!

Under construction? Never mind, never mind. but I started to wonder if there is a hot spring here.
 
Left for ladies and Right for gentles　・・・・・・・・・・

Oh my gooooooood, I found it!!!!!!! Many kinds of minerals can be found in the water, which is believed to have specific benefits like promoting blood circulation or appeasing your fatigue. Here gave off the smell of sulphur.

Geothermally heated water wells up. It is 100% naturally flowing style without any human processing. I understand you feel embarrassed as you have to become naked. But traveling Japan is incomplete without experiencing Onsen Hot Springs!!!
This is going to be one of the most interesting experiences for you.
Onsen hot springs have put you at the top of the heaven! We call it GOKURAKU GOKURAKU!!!

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