The shuttle bus picks us up, and we arrive at Tateshina Shinyu Onsen.
On the way, we begin to feel like we are entering an unexplored land, and our hearts pound.

As soon as we arrive, we are served a complimentary drink. We are surprised at how spacious the lobby is, and how beautiful the bar is.
There is also an impressive collection of books. The rumor that this is one of the best photo spots in Tateshina is true.

We are shown to our room.
We are staying in the a href="https://www.tateshina-shinyu.com/rooms/tateshinaclub/">Yanagihara Hakuren Suite, the largest of the hotel’s signature Tateshina Club rooms.
The wallpaper is very unique, and the room is beautifully arranged! We are so excited!

We are overjoyed by how lovely the lobby and our room are.
We decide to go right away to the ladies-only open-air hot spring, which is said to have a fantastic view of the valley!
Oh, how wonderful!

I decide to have a whiskey soda at the bar to cool off after such a long, hot bath.
The bartender is a handsome Russian man. Lucky us!

We are staying two nights in a row, and tonight’s dinner will be Japanese-French cuisine, and tomorrow’s will be Japanese. We are looking forward to both.
The temperature outside is probably -10℃. But the underfloor heating system here keeps our feet warm and toasty. It feels spectacular!

It is a clear Tateshina morning. The air is so cold that it feels as though our lungs are being washed clean.
I usually don’t eat breakfast, but I dig into the buffet of highland vegetables.

Today, we want to search for old and valuable books in the collection here, which is what we were looking forward to the most.
Looking for books in the library lounge is as fun as searching for buried treasure.
Both of us concentrate on books we like.

How much time has passed? Before we know it, it’s lunchtime. It is nice to have lunch service when staying for consecutive nights.
We ordered a buckwheat galette and a glass of wine, and enjoy one of the highlights of our holiday.

We decide to go for a short walk to refresh ourselves.
Upon request, they lent us thermoses and a basket so that we could bring warm drinks with us on our walk.
This is such a wonderful service during the cold season.

We are advised to take the path through the hotel garden toward Mt. Tateshina, which is a fantastic route.
When we get to the top of the steep stairs up the hill…

The sky is blue, and the air is crisp and clear. The gentle sunlight on this winter afternoon turns the whole area a golden color, as we take a break to sip our tea.
Mt. Tateshina is so beautiful. They say that, if you are lucky, you may see a deer or an antelope, which is considered a natural monument.

On the way back to the hotel, we stop by the stone monument engraved with a poem by Sachio Ito.
There is also a pavilion where we can take a rest.

As you would expect in Tateshina in the winter, we are frozen to the core after an hour outside.
We decide to return to the hotel and have a cup of milk tea.
My friend and I talk about the books we’ve been reading and the joy of finding rare books.