I’ve always believed that the most unbeatable sunrise spot must meet the following criteria:
1. Clear blue skies and pristine white snow
2. An open-air hot spring, embraced by a loved one
3. One hand holding a drink, the other never idle
But none of those things happened this time!!!~~~~
No worries though!! The most important thing about hotpot is having a pot, and for watching the sunrise, it’s all about seeing that golden yolk!!
Even if all my expectations were discounted by 80%, the sunrise I saw while soaking in the onsen at this ryokan was still T?Α
On a mildly chilly September morning in Japan, I soaked in the warm waters, naked, quietly watching the sun slowly rise above the Yuuhi Coastline. Golden rays pierced through the clouds, illuminating the deep blue sea... Facing such breathtaking beauty, even the Buddha would be moved.
Ee, why does your back look so uncle-ish, Ah Fung?
That’s right, that’s the recently popular part-time uncle look!!
………………………………………………..
Just kidding~~~~~~
Watching the sunrise is about luck, isn’t it? I T? was at Mishima Island all prepared but
In reality, my brother and I got up around 5am, soaked from dark to dawn for a whole hour, and it was still pitch black, cloudy, and not a single glimpse of the sun!!
Fortunately, the temperature of this open-air onsen was just right—not too hot, not too cold—around the most comfortable 36-38 degrees. I could soak until my skin peeled off and not feel miserable~
It’s not miserable, but just sitting there is boring. With the clouds thick and the sky already bright, I thought I’d rinse off and leave, but who knew that’s when the sun finally decided to show its face!!
I don’t want to soak anymore!! Let’s quickly take a couple photos and get outta here!!
Don’t worry, there weren’t many people soaking. Just ask that uncle Ob if he minds!!
Alright, enough rambling T?
“Himi Onsen – Relaxation Inn Umiakari,” located in the northern part of Himi City at the border of Toyama and Ishikawa Prefectures in Japan’s Hokuriku region. Just a 10-minute drive north takes you into the Noto Peninsula area.
The name is all in Japanese, and I really can’t pronounce it well. It’s a bit of an obscure place—at least it’s not listed among those so-called top 10 or 20 sunrise onsen ryokans in Japan, nor is it ranked among the famous accommodations of the Noto Peninsula. I simply saw a great promotional photo at the JR station’s tourist information booth and booked it on the spot!!
T? The view is really impressive, I swear!!
The stay for about 8,600 yen per person is a bit pricey, but with an ocean-view room, onsen access, and a free shuttle service, the value for money is really not bad at all!!
Speaking of the shuttle, I have to praise how thoughtful the ryokan is~
When booking on Jalan, I indicated in my plan that I didn’t need shuttle service, so I was already planning to take a taxi after getting off at JR Himi Station. But then my brother casually said, “Hey, that sign the station uncle is holding looks like it might be for our hotel. Wanna ask if we can just hop on?”
Turns out, not only could we get on, but we were already on their list!!
I told them we didn’t have any specific T? requirements, and asked if it would be okay if we came a bit earlier or later. They were kind enough to say they could pick us up early and even drop us off later if we wanted to come back in an hour!!
So the total for the round trip plus waiting time was just 380 yen, and they even gave us egg noodles with our meal. Where else can you find that?!
Their smiles are the friendliest, and the service is super attentive!! Gotta give a like to their shuttle service!!
As for the downsides, there’s no saying there aren’t any
First of all, the rooms and hallways are a bit run-down, but they’re quite clean~
The biggest problem is actually that there’s absolutely nothing to eat within miles around here, lawl!!
The hotel restaurant only serves food to guests who opt for the “one-night-two-meals” plan, walk-ins are completely not allowed
Doesn’t matter~ that’s a Japanese custom, but what about the free ramen mentioned online?
“Think again, it’s gone lol”
Free soft serve ice cream? What?
“Think again, it’s all gone too”
T?? What about the other stuff? What?
“Think again, none of that either”
T? What about the other thing I asked for?
“Think again, really none of that either”
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If you keep messing with me I’ll mess with your mom ga la…………
So basically, the “stay-only” option is actually a huge trap lmao Up…………..
After negotiating for ages, in the end the front desk forced the kitchen to make an extra two portions of the onsen set meal, which cost a total of 12,000 yen—fully two-thirds of the room price………
But the nearest restaurants are a 20-minute taxi ride away, so the round trip plus meals ends up costing about the same……. sigh, no choice, just gotta suck it up and lose some energy…….
Luckily the food was pretty tasty, so I’ll let it slide lol
Also, the Ob website says there’s “day-use onsen,” meaning you can soak without staying overnight
But be aware that Ob’s “day-use” option can only use the onsen at the adjacent annex, “Tide Aroma Terrace.” The aforementioned Sunrise Onsen “Fishing Fire Hot Spring” or “Sunrise Hot Spring” are for guests only
“Tide Aroma Terrace” has decent water quality, but the environment is really subpar……… definitely not worth wasting money or time to go there
Writing this, I don’t even know if I’m praising or criticizing this place
But I’m pretty sure this “Umiakari” has quite a few shortcomings, though one good thing hides three flaws—the sunrise at Fishing Fire Hot Spring is absolutely unbeatable T?Α
This hidden gem of a sunrise onsen ryokan is a must-visit in Toyama~
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Himi Onsen? Relaxation Inn Umiakari
Official website: http://www.umiakari.jp/
Jalan : https://www.jalan.net/yad382716/
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