STORY 03I want to visit with my close friend
A journey to enrich our souls

• A trip to drink delicious sake––that was the theme of our trip. We also wanted to celebrate a friend of 30 years getting released from the hospital. She said that, since she couldn’t drink at all while in the hospital (naturally), she needed to let off some steam. I had heard that there was a rarely seen type of hotel where you could enjoy both delicious sake and Nagano wine, which has been gaining a reputation recently. So, we came here to Shinyu Onsen in Tateshina, Nagano Prefecture, to check it out.

  What a wonderful hotel! The spacious entrance is very simple, but once you step inside, you will find yourself in a unique atmosphere. There are colorful sofas, carpets with Persian designs, and Casablanca flowers arranged in Keitokuchin vases!

  And one of the best parts is books, books, books… So many books that you’ll wonder if it’s a library, all tastefully arranged along the beautiful bookshelves. Taking a closer look at the books, I got another surprise. Old books from the early Showa period were packed in all over the place. “Oh, I remember, this is how they used to bind books at that time.” As I flipped through the pages, with words printed right up to the edge of the margins, I fondly recalled the books of that era that we used to have at home.

  My friend found Junichiro Tanizaki’s translation of The Tale of Genji and was staring at it with nostalgia. She is a bookworm and said, “I want to stay here for 100 years!” I couldn’t help but agree. Then, I noticed that there was a beautiful bar counter right in front of us! We toasted with glasses of Moët Chandon, wishing my friend a healthy future. This wonderful hotel is the perfect place for her to get back on her feet after her illness.

  

• Ah… It tasted so good. It was now time for the main attraction. We knew that the hotel had a wonderful open-air hot spring with a view of the valley that was for ladies only, so we went straight there. As we soaked in the slightly lukewarm, pleasant water while gazing out over the beautiful valley, we couldn’t help but feel that we were in paradise. I truly feel that bathing in an open-air hot spring is a privilege that God has bestowed upon the Japanese people.

  Next, it was time for our long-awaited dinner. We all excited declared, “Come on, let's drink!” At the entrance of the restaurant, there is a sake cellar on the left and a wine cellar on the right. While glancing at these in anticipation, we are led into a private room. If you enjoy alcohol, you have enough options here to make your head spin.

  Bonbori lights with paper shades illuminated the beautiful corridor, reminiscent of a Taisho era building. Each private room is also equipped with glass lights that cast beautiful shadows that dance with the skill of a performer to make the dining experience all the more enjoyable. People do not dine only with their palates. It is a strange and wonderful thing that the taste of a meal depends entirely on who you dine with, what you chat about, what kind of tableware you use, and what kind of atmosphere you are in.

  

• As rumored, the hotel serves more than 20 varieties of wine. As a wine lover, I am in heaven. Most inns only have around three varieties of wine on hand, and hotels usually have about three varieties of sake, so a selection this large would only be available here in Suwa, in the largest wine-producing prefecture in Japan and with numerous sake breweries.

  We told the staff that we were celebrating my friend’s recovery and asked him to find us a nice red wine. It was of course a Nagano wine. It was gentle yet robust, just like my friend. “Congratulations on your release from the hospital. Let’s continue to enjoy our lively trip and eat lots of delicious dishes!”

  We went from champagne, to red wine, to Suwa sake, to sweet potato shochu from Iida with hot water… I have no idea how many drinks we had.
  “Since we’re full, so let’s go back to the bar counter in the Misuzu Lounge and have some more drinks.”
  Her thirst seemed to know no bounds.