Chugoku Sanyo, San-in 中国地方山陽、山陰 - Hotel Flex ホテルフレックス, Cafe 43 (Kyarantotorowa キャランとトロワ)

Stayed 22.04.2015 - 23.04.2015 (2 nights)

Reserved thru' Jalan.net.

- Single Room (with breakfast) = 5,500 yen (facing buildings; 11 m2)

- Twin Room (with breakfast) = 11,000 yen (facing river; 23 m2)

Atypical. It was definitely atypical for me to choose a hotel which is not near the train station especially when I am staying in a city area. Came upon Hotel Flex when I was searching for accommodation in Hiroshima and was immediately attracted to its minimalist concept. Had second thoughts when I found out about its location (from the train station, we have to cross two bridges with our luggage) but could not suppress the desire to spend at least a night in this designer hotel. Have planned to stay in Hiroshima for three nights; eventually decided to allocate the first two nights for Hotel Flex and the last night to stay put in Via Inn Hiroshima, which is located just beside the train station.

Designer hotel. Situated on the riverbank where Kyobashi river and Enko river diverges; rooms facing east can get an excellent view of the river. Hotel Flex employs similar operating philosophy like other budget business hotels; however what makes it stands out from its competitors is its affordable yet boutique quality. Utilisation of white and blue as the main colour scheme and wooden parquet flooring bring out this comfy ambience that makes guest feel at home during their stay. Despite the small floor area of their guest rooms (only 11 m2 for single room), excellent space optimization was able to create adequate walking area within the compact living space. In fact, I was already quite enraptured by the dimmed lights in the lobby upon arrival at the hotel in the evening. It is amazing to see how different elements complements one another - bare and rustic concrete walls, modern wooden furniture and sophisticated chandelier lights, all in one space. Everything in general was good, and Hotel Flex is definitely one place that I will fondly remember Hiroshima city for.

Designer cafe. Cafe 43 occupies the first floor of Hotel Flex and both the hotel and cafe share the same service counter. Semi alfresco style with subtle European flair, makes you want to enjoy a moment of luxury here, allowing time to sweep past slowly over a cup of coffee or relaxed meal. On our first night here, we decided to try their popular handmade pan galette (a pancake made with buckwheat flour). Ordered two different kinds to share - caramel nuts (キャラメルナッツ) and berries with creamy vanilla sauce. Each order comes in three mouth watering pancakes, all crispy golden brown on the outside and soft on the inside. Their version of pancake is thicker and dense in texture. For me, one order was too stomach filling; will recommend to share with other 2 person especially if you decide to have it for dessert after lunch/dinner. My stay with Hotel Flex also came with breakfast; each set came with a sandwich, yogurt, fruit and drink (coffee, tea and juices). There is a variety of sandwich fillings to choose from; had duck ham and raspberry, and chicken and basil on two separate mornings. Both were equally good. Breakfast is something I treasure a lot whenever I am on holidays; and such simple and well balanced breakfast in a conducive environment is the best way to start off the day right. 

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Hotel Flex ホテルフレックス
〒730-0014　広島県広島市中区上幟町7-1

Approx 10 mins walk from Hiroshima JR Station.
http://www.hotel-flex.co.jp/

Cafe 43 (Kyarantotorowa キャランとトロワ)
1st floor of Hotel Flex
Operating hours: 0700 - 1000 hrs; 1130 - 1500 hrs; 1700 - 2100 hrs
http://aglolywithatable.net/43/hiroshima

Chugoku Sanyo, San-in 中国地方山陽、山陰 - Tottori Hanakairo Flower Park 鳥取花回廊

Visited 22.04.2015 (Wed)

For Mt Daisen. On Day 7, we visited two other attractions in the San-in region before heading southwards back to Okayama. The first was Tottori Hanakairo 鳥取花回廊, the biggest scale flower park in Tottori Prefecture which has been operational since 1999. Apart from being able to enjoy greenery and flowers here all year round, what makes this flower park so attractive is its strategic location where the majestic Mt Daisen can be seen in the background. Mt Daisen, standing at 1,729 m high, is the tallest mountain in the Chugoku region and does bear some resemblance to Mt Fuji, the symbol of Japan. Here, visitors get the best of both worlds: the magnificent Mt Daisen with blooming, vibrant flower fields captured within the same frame.

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Highlights:

(1) Circular Walkway (展望回廊). This is how the name of the flower park came about. The sheltered 1 km long, elevated at about 30 m above ground level, pedestrian walkway runs around the Flower Dome, which is the heart of this flower park. While strolling leisurely along this circular walkway, visitors are able to get a good overview of the various themed sections of the flower park, such as the European style garden designed with symmetrical pattern and the Floating Flower Bed where flowers are planted in a grid pattern within a pond 40 m wide in diameter. There are four buildings located at all cardinal directions of this 50 hectares huge compound and are connected by the circular walkway. The entrance to Tottori Hanakairo is via the West Hall Building. Restaurant and shops are housed within the Wooden Hall located just beside the West Hall Building. The South Hall Building is an oval shaped glass greenhouse where many tropical and subtropical plants native to Brazil and Asia are groomed in. 

Circular Walkway in the background. Floating Flower Bed is one of the themed section of the flower park where flowers are planted in a grid pattern. 

Flower Dome, the symbol of Tottori Hanakairo.

Interior of Flower Dome.

Allured by the orchids.

(2) Flower Dome (フラワードーム). Upon stepping into this dome, it breeds familiarity almost instantaneously. This dome, 50 m wide is diameter and standing at 21 m tall, is actually similar to the conservatory which we have at Gardens by the Bay in Singapore. A greenhouse by construction, the environment here is suitably adjusted to support a variety of plant growth. Despite being smaller in size, I personally feel that the landscaping here is equally spectacular and does not pale in comparison to the one we have in Singapore. For people living in South East Asia like myself, it is intriguing is to see coconut trees planted indoors (a plant that is commonly seen back at home). The dome is also filled with a good variety of gorgeous orchids and begonias which are such a pleasure to look at. On the path leading from the West Hall Building to Flower Dome, we were also brightened up by showy and blooming tulips and Holland inspired decorations on the day of our visit.

(3) Flower Hillside (Hana no oka 花の丘). This is the best spot in the entire flower park where an unobstructed view of Mt Daisen and flower carpeted field in the foreground can be seen. The type of flowers occupying the fields differ with season as well. On the day of our visit (considered late spring), the field was decorated by a mixture of yellow and orange coloured poppies, swaying brilliantly as the breeze swept by. Spent a huge portion of my time here admiring and embracing the beautiful scenery standing right in front of me; and was rather reluctant to leave this picture perfect moment. Another factor which contributed to this memorable visit was the weather. Was blessed with exceptional weather conditions that day as well - clear blue skies, comfortable sunshine, cool temperatures and occasional gentle breeze. The facet of Mt Daisen was appealing as well; with the last remnant of snow stuck between grooves on the summit seen clearly from afar. 

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Tottori Hanakairo Flower Park 鳥取花回廊
〒683-0217 鳥取県西伯郡南部町鶴田110
Operating hours:
Apr to Nov: 0900 - 1700 hrs (last entry at 1630 hrs)
Dec to Jan (Illumination event): 1300 - 2100 hrs (last entry at 2030 hrs)
Jan (after Illumination event) to Mar: 0900 - 1630 hrs (last entry at 1600 hrs)
Admission fee:
Apr to Nov: 1,000 yen
Dec to Mar: 700 yen
* Half price for foreigners
http://www.tottorihanakairou.or.jp/

How to get there?

(1) By complimentary shuttle bus from Yonago JR Station Bus Terminal Platform 5.
Bus schedule: http://www.tottorihanakairou.or.jp/site/page/hanakairou/access/shuttle/



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Commemorative stamps:

Chugoku Sanyo, San-in 中国地方山陽、山陰 - Adachi Museum of Art 足立美術館

Visited 22.04.2015 (Wed)

Best. After spending an enjoyable morning with flowers and Mt Daisen at Tottori Hanakairo Flower Park, we returned to Yonago JR Station to connect to the next complimentary shuttle bus to our next destination - Adachi Museum of Art. Note: Complimentary shuttle bus departing from Yonago JR Station has ceased operation. Currently, bus service is only available from Yasugi JR Station. This was a place of interest which I almost gave it a miss largely due to its expensive admission fee (2,300 yen). However, I was totally captivated by the pictures showcasing what the museum had to offer and wanted very much to see it for myself. The landscape gardening already looked amazingly breathtaking simply on paper media and to some extent, felt a bit surreal. Seeing is indeed believing and I am glad that I eventually made my way here before concluding this chapter of my expedition in the San-in region! To date, I am still ranking this as the best landscaped garden I have ever seen in Japan.

Highlights:

Picturesque. Adachi Zenko (1899-1990) was a successful businessman but his passion and love for art and gardening gave rise to the establishment of this museum in his hometown in 1980. Apart from 165,000 m2 of beautifully landscaped gardens, the museum also houses an extensive collection of paintings and ceramics from influential artists. Unlike other gardens which I have visited before in Japan (usually public parks), visitors are not allowed to venture into these aesthetic gardens here. I can totally relate to the painstaking efforts invested to maintain the landscape/compound in such impeccable state while admiring these gardens from behind the glass panels. It is a pleasure to admire how the well-sculptured gardens harmonised with surrounding natural mountainous landscape, and this fully resonates with Adachi Zenko's belief that a Japanese garden is a "living painting". Its beauty has won itself three star listing in the Michelin Green Guide Japan and ranked top among all other gardens in Japan for consecutive years as part of Shiosai Project.

The first scene which made me awed in exhilaration was the Dry Landscape Garden, the main garden of Adachi Museum of Art. The central rock formation resembles a mountain from which a river flows, which is represented by the white gravel stones laid out smoothly on the ground. In this enclosure, seats were also provided just in front of the tall glass panels for visitors to admire the well balanced landscape comfortably. Standing in front of this therapeutic scenery, a sense of calmness was instilled in my mind unconsciously. I truly think I can sit here all day long to marvel at this artistic masterpiece!

Living Picture. This particular window frame definitely lives up to its name as a living framed painting. The garden view through this window is reminiscent to a Rinpa School (one of major historical schools of Japanese painting) folding screen. A different view of this elegant garden through the same window is experienced throughout the day, due to shifting sunlight, and year, due to changing seasons. If you cannot imagine how different it looks like at different times of throughout the year, you can refer to this postcard showcasing the transformation across four different seasons, which is also available for sale at the museum shop.

There are a handful of outdoor sections where visitors can come closer to these gardens. One at the Pond Garden and the other at White Gravel and Pine Garden. The latter was inspired by Yokoyama Taikan's painting bearing the same name, and the contrast between the green pine trees and white gravel hills is remarkably sensuous to the eyes. Kikaku Waterfall, standing majestically at 15 m tall, can also be seen in the backdrop, adding another dimension to this graceful living picture.

Tea with a view. There are coffee shops and tea houses situated at different areas of the museum where visitors can take a break in. If you are a fan of Dry Landscape Garden like myself, the coffee shop named Midori 翠 should be the one to head down to. The other coffee shop named Taikan 大観 is surrounded by the Pond Garden and serves curry dishes and light meals in addition to drinks and sweets. At Midori, I extended my "visual therapy" and had the luxury to enjoy a panoramic view of the garden while sipping away an expensive cup of tea (cost 1,000 yen for 1 cup of coffee/tea). Despite the pricey tea, being able to embrace this beautiful scenery once again (for the last time) made the drink worthwhile.

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Adachi Museum of Art 足立美術館
〒692‐0064 島根県安来市古川町320
Operating hours:
Apr - Sep: 0900 - 1730 hrs
Oct - Mar: 0900 - 1700 hrs
Admission fee = 2,300 yen
http://www.adachi-museum.or.jp/

How to get there? 

(1) By complimentary shuttle bus departing from Yasugi JR Station 安来駅.
Bus schedule: https://www.adachi-museum.or.jp/en/shuttle_bus

Chugoku Sanyo, San-in 中国地方山陽、山陰 - Day 7 Tottori Hanakairo Flower Park 鳥取花回廊, Adachi Museum of Art 足立美術館

Day 7: 22.04.2015 (Wed)
* Day 7 of 7 Days Sanyo & San'in Area Pass

Tottori Hanakairo. Background: Mt Daisen.

Breakfast: Kai Izumo 界 出雲

Kai Izumo > Tamatsukuri Onsen JR 玉造温泉駅
by taxi. [850 yen]

Tamatsukuri Onsen JR 玉造温泉駅 (0851 hrs) > Yonago JR 米子駅 (0921 hrs)
by Yakumo 10.

Yonago JR Station Bus Stop (0930 hrs) > Tottori Hanakairo Flower Park 鳥取花回廊 (0955 hrs)
by free shuttle bus.

Visited Tottori Hanakairo Flower Park 鳥取花回廊. [500 yen, discounted price for foreigners]
http://www.tottorihanakairou.or.jp/

Lunch: Tottori Hanakairo Flower Park 鳥取花回廊.

Tottori Hanakairo Flower Park 鳥取花回廊 (1230 hrs) > Yonago JR Station Bus Stop (1255 hrs)
by free shuttle bus.

Yonago JR Station Bus Stop (1315 hrs) > Adachi Museum of Art 足立美術館 (1352 hrs)
by free shuttle bus. *16.04.2017 update: Free shuttle bus departing from Yonago JR Station to Adachi Museum of Art has ceased. Free shuttle bus departing from Yasugi JR Station is still in operation.

Adachi Museum of Art

Visited Adachi Museum of Art 足立美術館. [1,150 yen; discounted price for foreigners]
https://www.adachi-museum.or.jp/en/

Adachi Museum of Art 足立美術館 (1550 hrs) > Yasugi JR Bus Stop (1610 hrs)
by free shuttle bus.

Yasugi JR 安来駅 (1618 hrs) > Okayama JR 岡山駅 (1838 hrs)
by Yakumo やくも 24.

Collected luggage from Toyoko Inn Okayama Eki Nishi Guchi Hiroba 東横イン岡山駅西口広場.

Okayama JR 岡山駅 (1912 hrs) > Hiroshima JR 広島駅 (1952 hrs)
by Sakura さくら 571.

Dinner: Ekiben on board train.

Checked in: Hotel Flex ホテルフレック
http://www.hotel-flex.co.jp/english/

Dessert: Cafe 43

- End of Day 7 -

Chugoku Sanyo, San-in 中国地方山陽、山陰 - Tamatsukuri Onsen 玉造温泉, Tamatsukuriyu Jinja 玉作湯神社, Yuyakushi Hiroba 湯薬師広場, Tamayugawa 玉湯川

Visited 21.04.2015 (Tue)

Natural cosmetic. One of the oldest hot spring town in Japan, Tamatsukuri Onsen 玉造温泉 existed more than 1300 years ago. As the weakly alkaline and colourless hot spring waters is said to have therapeutic and beautifying effects to the skin, it is also referred to as a natural cosmetic and is a hot spring spot especially popular among women. Tamayugawa 玉湯川 flows through the hot spring town with numerous hotels and ryokan assembled on both sides of the river. After our check in to Kai Izumo 界 出雲, our accommodation for the night, we headed out to explore the hot spring town further. In general, Tamatsukuri Onsen is a tranquil town tucked away from the hustle and bustle of city life and is relatively easy to navigate around. There are shrines, footbaths, public bathhouse, eateries, souvenir shops scattered along the entire stretch of hot spring street for visitors to discover; part of the rejuvenating procedure to indulge in this humble hot spring town.

Personally, Tamatsukuri Onsen is still one of my favourite hot spring area that I have visited to date. I felt that there is a good balance of traditional elements being faithfully maintained and new components being carefully incorporated to revitalise the entire hot spring street and not to the point of making it too commercialised (as of yet). Here, you will unconsciously slow down your momentum to synchronise yourself to the calming lifestyle here, a luxury that is hard to come by and precious for city dwellers.

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Highlights:

(1) Tamatsukuriyu Jinja 玉作湯神社

A shrine which worships the deity of onsen and deity of comma shaped jewel. What makes this shrine uniquely different from the ones I have visited before is the object of worship is a mystical "wishing stone" (negai-ishi 願い石). From the office, you can purchase a kanai-ishi set 叶い石セット for 600 yen which contains a gemstone, cloth sachet and slip of paper for you to write down your wishes. First, place the gemstone against the big wishing stone and make a wish at the same time. After that, put the gemstone back into the sachet which now serves as an amulet. Lastly, write your wish onto the slip of paper and drop it into a box which is located just outside the office to complete the ritual!

Flight of stairs to overcome before arriving at the shrine.

Office to purchase kanai-ishi set and drop your wish slip.

Bestow upon the wishing stone!

(2) Yuyakushi Hiroba 湯薬師広場

What make the hot spring waters of Tamatsukuri Onsen so highly acclaimed is its moisturising, skin repair and beautifying effects and these attributes make it on par with cosmetics. At this spot, you will find a concrete bowl, containing hot spring waters, with a large comma shaped polished stone placed in the center. From the adjacent cupboard, I bought a 80 ml spray bottle at 200 yen (just simply put the money in the box), filled it up with natural occurring cosmetic waters from the bowl and used it as a face hydrating mist spray! Truly an excellent souvenir to bring home with.

DIY your very own face hydrating mist spray with hot spring waters.

(3) Tamayugawa 玉湯川

Tamayugawa runs across this hot spring town and flows into Shinji-ko (Lake Shinji 宍道湖). One particular point I like about Tamatsukuri Onsen is the effort taken by the locals to beautify the surroundings of this natural waterway. Boardwalk and pavements are constructed on the river banks for pedestrians to walk alongside the river; there are also two footbath spots along the river to stop by to soothe the legs. Intricate bronze statues depicting local legends and adjacent lanterns describing these stories are scattered throughout the hot spring town. Try to identify as many comma shaped symbols as possible while strolling around the area, and you will be surprised to find some hidden in the least unexpected places. After a full up dinner course, we headed out again to the dimly lighted street and immersed ourselves into the tranquility and serenity that the charming little town had to offer.

One of the two footbaths sighted alongside Tamayugawa.

Pedestrian walkways constructed on both sides of the river.

Numerous bronze statues depicting local legends. 

How many comma shaped pictures/items can you spot in the town?

(4) Yu~Yu ゆ～ゆ
Opening hrs: 1000 - 2200 hrs (last entry at 2120 hrs)

Bathing fee = 500 yen (adult), 250 yen (child)

http://www.tama-yuuyu.com/

This is a public bathhouse where locals come here to enjoy their routine hot spring water therapy.  Equipped with both indoor, outdoor pools and sauna, the large indoor pool is designed to be comma shaped, which is analogous to Tamatsukuri Onsen. We did not visit the public bathhouse since we could do so in our hotel. Instead, we dropped by its farmers’ market where fresh agricultural produce and local souvenirs can be purchased. And of course, we could not resist not savouring a delectable cherry flavored soft serve cone just before heading back to Kai Izumo.

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Tamatsukuri Onsen 玉造温泉 
島根県松江市玉湯町
https://www.kankou-matsue.jp/onsen/tamatsukuri-onsen.html
http://tamayado.com/

How to get there?

(1) By local bus.
Board Ichibata Bus Tamatsukuri line 一畑バス玉造線 from either Matsue JR Station 松江駅 or Tamatsukuri Onsen JR Station 玉造温泉駅 heading for Tamatsukuri Onsen.
From Matsue JR Station, it takes about 30 minutes by bus.
From the bus stop nearest to Tamatsukuri Onsen JR Station, it takes about 7 minutes by bus.
Bus schedule: https://www.ichibata.co.jp/bus/rosen/tamayu.html

(2) By taxi.
Journey takes about 5 minutes from Tamatsukuri Onsen JR Station. Taxi fare = 850 yen

(3) By foot. It takes about 35 minutes from Tamatsukuri Onsen JR Station.

Chugoku Sanyo, San-in 中国地方山陽、山陰 - Kai Izumo 界 出雲

Stayed 21.04.2015 (1 night)

Reserved thru' Jalan.net.

3 pax/room, inclusive of half board = 27,000 yen/pax + 150 yen/pax (bathing tax) 

Debut stay! Have read a lot of exceptional reviews on hotels and ryokans under Hoshino group in numerous travel guidebooks. One of their brands - Kai aims to bring out the "omotenashi" (hospitality) spirit of Japanese and elevate traditional hot springs ryokans in Japan to a whole new level of experience. And finally in this episode of my travel series of Japan, I found the chance to stay in Kai Izumo (界 出雲) situated in Tamatsukuri Onsen, a well known hot spring town in Shimane Prefecture. In fact, this extraordinary experience has also fueled my decisions during later trips to Japan to stay with Kai when opportunities arise - in 2016, Kai Tsugaru (界 津軽) in Aomori Prefecture, and Kai Matsumoto (界 松本) in Nagano Prefecture; in 2017, Kai Kaga (界 加賀) in Kanazawa Prefecture, Kai Izu (界 伊豆) and Kai Enshu (界 遠州), both in Shizuoka Prefecture. Despite staying in Kai on so many occasions, I am still looking forward to do so in future. What exactly make Kai so endearing and outstanding? 

Bridge connecting the lobby to the guestrooms.

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Highlights

Lobby.

Omotenashi. Took a taxi from Tamatsukuri Onsen JR Station and arrived at the doorstep of Kai Izumo just before 3 pm. What amazed me was there was already a staff standing by at the entrance to assist us (as if she knew that we were coming)! The staff helped us to carry some of our luggage and led us to the lobby where we told to sit down to wait for her colleague who will take care of our check-in procedure. While waiting, hot towel and green tea was served. Knowing that we were not locals, a staff who could converse in English was assigned to serve us. First, he ensured my particulars were correct and requested politely for our passports as part of check-in procedure. Next, he returned with a map of the ryokan and pointed out to us where the main facilities such as bathhouse and dining area were. Lastly, he checked with us what were our preferred dinning timings for both meals and whether we had any food allergies that they should take note of. After that, he brought us to our room which was located on the second floor of the building.

When we were in the room, he invited us to sit down around the center table and continued to explain to us patiently what were the features available in the room, where the yutaka were kept and check with us whether the size of the yutaka was right. He did all these while seated in the formal Japanese way, with the legs tucked under the butt. After affirming that he had addressed all our concerns, he thanked us for staying with them and hoped that we would enjoy our stay here. His next action impressed me most! Instead of standing up to walk out of the room, he maintained his kneeling position with his front facing us and shifted himself out of the room. Just before he closed the sliding door, he bowed to us again with a humble smile. This was the first time I felt such a strong sense of hospitality from any hotel/ryokan I have stayed with and even till today, the entire process still remained vividly in the mind.

Participated in the outdoor Japanese tea ceremony.

Tradition. After check in, we were informed that there was an outdoor tea ceremony which we could attend. This is an activity held daily, between 1530 to 1830 hours, and is unique to Kai Izumo. Japanese tea ceremony culture is deeply rooted in Matsue city (where Kai Izumo is located in) due to strong influence by Matsudaira Harusato (松平不昧公), a feudal lord who ruled Matsue domain in the 18th century. Came to a garden located in the center of the compound and sat around an elevated tatami laid platform where a professional tea master was waiting to serve us. After we exchanged greetings, he pulled out a tray of confectionery from a small wooden shelf and asked us to enjoy the sweets while he prepared the matcha. He executed all the procedure skillfully in a sitting kneel posture; scooping the right amount of matcha powder and water into a bowl, and whisking the mixture till the right consistency was achieved. After the matcha was served, he even demonstrated to us how we should enjoy our drink. Looks simple but Japanese tea ceremony is a culture that requires precision to execute and patience to fully appreciate the entire process.

Top right: Hot spring tub in our room.

Room and facilities. Kai Izumo has 24 rooms and every room has its dedicated outdoor hot spring enclosure where guests can enjoy anytime in their own private space. We were assigned to a room on the second level, which is relatively less expensive than the rooms on the first floor. The hot spring tub is lined with Shigaraki yaki (信楽焼) ceramic tiles which is originated from Shiga Prefecture. Within the building, there is also a library where guests can sit around to read travel books and enjoy a cup of coffee/tea while browsing. This was a place I like to hang out at after meals or comfortable soak.

Library.

Indoor hot spring pool.

Rejuvenating hot spring. The hot spring source in Tamatsukuri Onsen is well known for its rejuvenating effects on the skin and is especially popular among women. Guests can enjoy soaking into the beautification spring either in their room or the communal bathrooms. There are two bathrooms which are separated by gender and each has its own indoor and outdoor sections. In the center of the indoor pool, there is a small, exquisite ornament which resembles Izumo Taisha and hot spring waters is continuously flowing out from it to the pool. Towels are available in the communal bathhouse, therefore you do not need to bring the ones provided in the guestrooms.

What is the best thing to do after a soak? For me, I always like to hydrate myself with chilled water which is typically provided in the changing room or common area. In Kai Izumo, guests are treated to tea, juice and even ice lollies which are made in house! For a moment I felt like a kid all over again; excited to see a ice cream freezer and pampered by these small delectable treats! 

Exceptional meals. In Kai, the menu varies with seasons and is attentively designed to simulate both your tastebuds and vision. Love the way they make use of seasonal ingredients and present food unique to that region/area where the ryokan is situated in. For every dish served on the table, the staff would explain the dish in detail and recommend the best way to savor the food. Enjoyed myself thoroughly, from the start to the end, in all aspects that I can think of - taste, visual and ambience.  

- Appetizer: Raw mosa shrimp, caught from the Sea of Japan by bottom trawling, with several condiments to accompany with; flavoured salt, olive oil and sudachi lime.

- An assortment of eight delicacies (Hassun 八寸): Hassun is beautifully plated dish made up of delicacies harvested from the land and sea. Sakura shrimp in Matsukaze sauce, soramame beans jelly dumplings with Jyunsai plant, Akagai clams and scallions in miso, trout sushi with Japanese pepper on the top, Nanohana flowers in sesame dressing, five coloured potato fritters and Aigamo duck tenderloin were served.

- Soup: Clear soup with shrimp dumpling, Sakura mochi Kogomi fern sprout topped with Japanese pepper.

- Sashimi: Assorted array of fresh local fish (such as horse mackerel, seabass, tuna and seabream) and sea urchin.

- Tempura (agemono): Deep fried minced shrimp balls in shinbiki flour and wild plants, accompanied with green tea salt and lemon.

- Steamed dish (Futamono): Steamed eggplant and ground chicken layered in Hakata style served with colourful vegetable sauce and tomato miso.

- Main dish: We could choose either Shinjiko shijimi clams cooked in Cataplana pan or grilled wagyu beef tenderloin, sirloin and thinly sliced round steak served with three kinds of sauce. 

- Rice: Bamboo shoots seasoned rice served with tsukemono (pickled vegetables) and miso soup.

- Dessert: We chose three out of the five from the menu. I had cheese soufflé drizzled with raspberry sauce, while my parents had plum wine jelly with fruits and assorted ice cream and sherbet with jellied sweets. When we stayed with Kai Izumo that time, light snacks were served as supper -  coloured mochi accompanied with kombu tea.

Breakfast on the following day was equally amazing as well. An elegant tray with food contained in/put on exquisite bowls and plates was served - tofu cooked in flying fish soup, grilled sailfin sandfish, warabi wrapped with Kanpyo, chicken and tofu ball, boiled chinese yam and miso soup with Shijimi clams harvested from nearby Lake Shinji (宍道湖).

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Kai Izumo 界 出雲
〒699-0201 島根県松江市玉湯町玉造1237
https://kai-ryokan.jp/izumo/

How to get there?

(1) By local bus. Unfortunately, Kai Izumo does not provide complimentary shuttle service from Tamatsukuri Onsen JR Station (玉造温泉駅). Board Ichibata Bus Tamatsukuri line (玉造線) from either Matsue JR Station or Tamatsukuri Onsen JR Station heading for Tamatsukuri Onsen.
From Matsue JR Station, it takes about 30 minutes by bus.
From the bus stop nearest to Tamatsukuri Onsen JR Station, it takes about 7 minutes by bus.
Bus schedule: https://www.ichibata.co.jp/bus/rosen/tamayu.html

(2) By taxi.
Journey takes about 5 minutes from Tamatsukuri Onsen JR Station. Taxi fare = 850 yen

(3) By foot. It takes about 35 minutes from Tamatsukuri Onsen JR Station.

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Videos: