16
Jan 2015
Echigo-Yuzawa Station ( 越後湯沢駅) to Kamimoku Station (上牧駅) by the JR local trains. Not many trains per day.
We had to catch the 12pm train else the next one is at 3pm. The hotel free shuttle was a bit too tight as the first bus leaves Naeba at 11am. As such, we took the local bus which leaves Naeba at 0934hrs (¥670 per pax)
When in doubt, ask Google !
On the local train, passing postcard views of Yuzawa's famous Snow Country scenes
Changing Trains at Minakami Station (水上駅)
Finally arriving at our stop Kamimoku Station (上牧駅). Hmmm ... no one else on the platform :>
5 mins walk from the station to our hotel.
Kamimoku Onsen Tatsumikan
上牧温泉 辰巳館
群馬県利根郡みなかみ町上牧2052 〒379-1303
TEL：0278-72-3055（代） FAX：0278-72-5553
A great variety of tea and snacks were provided
Kamimoku is a very small town. Only 2 lunch options, a soba shop or a cafe serving pasta/pizza.
Of course we opted for soba ... not Italian food in Japan :> The hotel service was excellent and got the hotel driver to shuttle us to the soba shop was we could not understand the directions to get there.
Serious Maitake overdose !
We were too full after the lunch such that we all decided to walk back to the hotel.
Taking in the fresh air and views of the snow cap mountain in the far, passing several frozen apple orchard ... etc
There was only 1 road so cannot really get lost.
Tone River (利根川) as the sun goes down
Shifted dinner to 7.30pm which was the latest possible slot as we had lunch late but frankly was still pretty stuff at dinner. This ryokan hotel is famous for their grilled food on an Irori. While is was not the traditional Irori setting, it was still a charcoal grill in the middle of the table.
Some urbanites were very happy that they did not have to endure leg cramps and lost of blood circulations in their legs for a 2 hours dinner on tatami floors ... :P
The dinner plan ... we did not attempt to count the number of items ...
The starters with Kawa-fugu sashimi (a non-poisonous river version of the famous puffer fish)
The grill basket of beef, chicken, yam ball, konyaku, shiso peppers, shitake and some leek/yam-like root (maybe bamboo shoot?)
Of everything on the menu, my favorite item turned out to be this simple miso yakiorigini (grilled rice ball).
The rice was just fantastic ! The miso paste was a mix of a spicy miso and a sweet miso. I finished my origini even though I was totally stuffed.
Miso cheese dip with bread and sweet potato. Simmered fish with some nut / seaweed on right.
The miso dip felt a bit out of place, not quite traditional
Japanese, guess an attempt at fusion?
Just when we though that was it, we noticed another 2 giant Nabe pots (claypot) and was each served a bowl of pork shabu, cabbage, udon miso soup dish !!!
The waitress was asking if we had enough food and do we need more yakiorigini :P
Looking comfy after dinner and ready for a good night's sleep
Waking up to a snowy morning, the standard routine of hitting the nice hot onsen waters before breakfast. Water in this onsen is alkaline (ph 7.8) which is known to be good for muscles aches and healing wounds. Great after a few days of snowboarding.
A slightly elaborated version of the standard Japanese
breakfast. Onsen egg on rice was fantastic. Not quite a natto
fan but I must say it was quite good here. Steamed veg, mushroom
and fish, miso soup with dango ... etc
Time to say goodbye ...
The hotel sent us to the Jomo-Kogen Shinkansen Station with was another 80mins back to Tokyo
Echigo-Yuzawa Station ( 越後湯沢駅) to Kamimoku Station (上牧駅) by the JR local trains. Not many trains per day.
We had to catch the 12pm train else the next one is at 3pm. The hotel free shuttle was a bit too tight as the first bus leaves Naeba at 11am. As such, we took the local bus which leaves Naeba at 0934hrs (¥670 per pax)
When in doubt, ask Google !
On the local train, passing postcard views of Yuzawa's famous Snow Country scenes
Changing Trains at Minakami Station (水上駅)
Finally arriving at our stop Kamimoku Station (上牧駅). Hmmm ... no one else on the platform :>
5 mins walk from the station to our hotel.
Kamimoku Onsen Tatsumikan
上牧温泉 辰巳館
群馬県利根郡みなかみ町上牧2052 〒379-1303
TEL：0278-72-3055（代） FAX：0278-72-5553
A great variety of tea and snacks were provided
Kamimoku is a very small town. Only 2 lunch options, a soba shop or a cafe serving pasta/pizza.
Of course we opted for soba ... not Italian food in Japan :> The hotel service was excellent and got the hotel driver to shuttle us to the soba shop was we could not understand the directions to get there.
We were too full after the lunch such that we all decided to walk back to the hotel.
Taking in the fresh air and views of the snow cap mountain in the far, passing several frozen apple orchard ... etc
There was only 1 road so cannot really get lost.
Tone River (利根川) as the sun goes down
Shifted dinner to 7.30pm which was the latest possible slot as we had lunch late but frankly was still pretty stuff at dinner. This ryokan hotel is famous for their grilled food on an Irori. While is was not the traditional Irori setting, it was still a charcoal grill in the middle of the table.
Some urbanites were very happy that they did not have to endure leg cramps and lost of blood circulations in their legs for a 2 hours dinner on tatami floors ... :P
The dinner plan ... we did not attempt to count the number of items ...
The starters with Kawa-fugu sashimi (a non-poisonous river version of the famous puffer fish)
The grill basket of beef, chicken, yam ball, konyaku, shiso peppers, shitake and some leek/yam-like root (maybe bamboo shoot?)
Just had to use the authentic
looking sauce brush even though I usually prefer my food
without sauce.
Of everything on the menu, my favorite item turned out to be this simple miso yakiorigini (grilled rice ball).
The rice was just fantastic ! The miso paste was a mix of a spicy miso and a sweet miso. I finished my origini even though I was totally stuffed.
Miso cheese dip with bread and sweet potato. Simmered fish with some nut / seaweed on right.
Just when we though that was it, we noticed another 2 giant Nabe pots (claypot) and was each served a bowl of pork shabu, cabbage, udon miso soup dish !!!
The waitress was asking if we had enough food and do we need more yakiorigini :P
Looking comfy after dinner and ready for a good night's sleep
Waking up to a snowy morning, the standard routine of hitting the nice hot onsen waters before breakfast. Water in this onsen is alkaline (ph 7.8) which is known to be good for muscles aches and healing wounds. Great after a few days of snowboarding.
Time to say goodbye ...
The hotel sent us to the Jomo-Kogen Shinkansen Station with was another 80mins back to Tokyo
A lot more photos ...
