Yamanashi 2018 山梨県の旅 - Toyoko Inn Kofu Eki Minami Guchi 2 東横イン甲府駅南口2

Stayed 3 nights: 12.10.2018 (Fri), 13.10.2018 (Sat), 17.10.2018 (Wed)
Booked thru’ Toyoko Inn website.
- Single room: 6,175 yen/night
- Twin room: 9,500 yen/night
* Price inclusive of 5% member discount.

First choice. After multiple trips to Japan, Toyoko Inn has become my top choice of hotel whenever possible. This time round, we stayed in Kofu Eki Minami Guchi 2 on all the nights in Kofu-shi, because of its ideal location near the train station. Currently, there are only two branches of Toyoko Inn in Yamanashi Prefecture and both of them are found within Kofu-shi and within walking distance from Kofu JR Station South Exit. Location wise, Kofu Ekimae Minami Guchi 2 has a greater advantage since it is just right opposite the train station - the distinct building can be easily identified once upon exiting from the train station. On the other hand, Minami Guchi 1 is about 7 minutes walk from the train station, located closer to Maizuru Jo Koen.

Ample walking space within room.

Interior of single room.

Interior of single room.

Perks. Will not elaborate much on the accommodation since the business model has been quite consistent among all Toyoko Inn branches I have stayed so far, and there has not been any changes since I last stayed with Toyoko Inn (when I visited Ibaraki Prefecture) a year ago. One of the perks enjoyed by a Toyoko Inn Club member is a free one night stay (in a single room) being awarded after the 10th stay. Being an avid supporter of Toyoko Inn, I have also accumulated enough points from previous trips to redeem a free one night stay this time round.

Toyoko Inn Club membership: https://www.toyoko-inn.com/club/

Highlights. If you are staying on the higher levels of the hotel, a good view of Maizuru Jo Koen / Maizuru Castle Park 舞鶴城公園 can be seen from the window at one end of the corridor. And if you are lucky enough, you can even spot the majestic Fuji-san from the hotel as well! Complimentary breakfast is served in the morning starting from 0630 hrs till around 0900 hrs. Here, the local specialty, Houtou ほうとう, was served in replacement of miso soup, which I felt was a thoughtful gesture by the hotel to introduce this well known local noodle dish to its guests. All in all, I can always count on Toyoko Inn for a good night rest during my stay in Japan!

Maizuru Castle Park viewed from 12th storey of hotel.

Lobby and dinning area.

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What’s nearby?

(1) Kofu JR Station 甲府駅 and Bus Terminal バスターミナル, a stone throw away from the hotel.

(2) Maizuru Jo Koen 舞鶴城公園, less than 3 minutes walk away from the hotel.
A public park now; was originally the site of Maizuru Castle 舞鶴城 (or Kofu Castle 甲府城), which would have been 400 years old if it existed. Though the castle keep tower or tenshukaku 天守閣 is no longer around, the stone laid fortress is still well preserved and its relatively high elevation makes it an excellent observatory to capture a good 360 degree overview of Kofu city.
https://www.city.kofu.yamanashi.jp/welcome/rekishi/kofujyou.html

Yamanashi Prefectural Office.

(3) Museum of Modern Yamanashi Historical Figures 山梨近代人物館, just across the main road.
Designated as a cultural property, the annex of Yamanashi prefectural office houses a museum documenting the achievements of famous people originated from Yamanashi Prefecture and their contributions in various fields of work such as politics, finance, education, agriculture, international relations, arts, research, etc.
- Free admission
https://www.pref.yamanashi.jp/ykj/index.html

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Toyoko Inn Kofu Eki Minami Guchi 2 東横イン甲府駅南口2
〒400-0031  山梨県甲府市丸の内2-3-2
https://www.toyoko-inn.com/search/detail/00132

How to get there?

(1) By foot. 1 minute walk from Kofu JR Station South Exit.

Yamanashi 2018 山梨県の旅 - Kofu JR Station 甲府駅, Aeon Mall Kofu Showa イオンモール甲府昭和

Kofu JR Station 甲府駅, is located along Chuo main line 中央線 and the terminus station for Minobe line 身延線. Kofu is the capital city of Yamanashi Prefecture and it takes approx 1.5 hours to reach here by limited express trains from Shinjuku Station 新宿駅. Kofu was also the focal point during my 9 days stay in Yamanashi Prefecture. From here, we visited nearby symbolic landmarks such as Kai Zenkoji 甲斐善光寺 and Takeda Jinja 武田神社; travelled northwards from here by bus to explore Shosenkyo 昇仙峡; eastwards to Fuji five lakes area 富士五湖 and Fuefukigawa Onsen 笛吹川温泉; westwards to Kiyosato Kogen 清里高原.

Limited express trains serving this train station include:
(1) Ltd Exp Azusa あずさ and Super Azusa スーパーあずさ, commute between Shinjuku and Matsuyama 松山駅, located in Nagano Prefecture.
(2) Ltd Exp Kaiji かいじ, commutes between Shinjuku and Kofu.

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What’s nearby?

(1) Tourist information center, located within Kofu Station South Exit Bus Terminal building. 

(2) Bus terminal. There are two bus terminals, one on each exit of the train station. 

North Exit Bus Stop 2, for buses heading towards Takeda Jinja.

North Exit / Kita Guchi 北口:
- Bus Stop 3 for Yamanashi Kotsu Bus 山梨交通バス heading for Takeda Jinja 武田神社

South Exit Bus Terminal. Tourist information center located within bus terminal building.

South Exit / Minami Guchi 南口:

- Bus Stop 2 for Aeon Mall Kofu Showa Shuttle Bus イオンモール甲府昭和シャトルバス.

- Bus Stop 4 for Yamanashi Kotsu Bus 山梨交通バス heading for Shosenkyo 昇仙峡.

- Bus Stop 5 for Fujikyuko Bus 富士急行バス heading for Fujisan Station 富士山駅, passing by Isawa Onsen 石和温泉 and Kawaguchiko Station 河口湖駅. 

- Bus Stop 6 for express/highway buses heading for Shinjuku, Haneda Airport, Narita Airport, Yokohama, Osaka, Kyoto, Nagoya or Shizuoka.

Aeon Mall Kofu Showa イオンモール甲府昭和
〒409-3852 山梨県中巨摩郡昭和町飯喰1505-1

http://kofushowa-aeonmall.com/

Ironically, there are no large scale shopping malls in the vicinity of the train station. If you are thinking of doing some shopping, Aeon Mall Kofu Showa is an excellent place to head down to. As it was still early after visiting Takeda Jinja 武田神社 on Day 2, I decided to utilise the dedicated shuttle bus, departing from Kofu Station Bus Terminal, to explore this mega shopping mall located about 30 minutes away by bus from the city center. At Aeon Mall Kofu Showa, international brands such as H&M, Gap and Zara and local household brands such as GU, MUJI, Seria (100 yen shop) can be found. Apart from restaurants, the shopping mall also houses TOHO cinema and a food court, named Food Forest (on the third storey), where we settled our dinner here before hopping back onto the shuttle bus heading for Kofu JR Station.
Bus fare = 210 yen (one way)

(3) Shopping malls

- Celeo セレオ, a JR managed shopping mall connected seamlessly to the train station.
Here, you can find souvenir shops selling goods originated from this prefecture, such as the signature Kikyo Shingen Mochi 桔梗信玄餅 - bite sized mochi covered with soy bean powder (kinako) and drizzled with brown sugar syrup. In fact, the huge popularity of Kikyo Shingen Mochi has coined an extensive array of merchandise bearing similar flavour as its predecessor, such as ice-cream, pudding, langue de chat and even Kit Kat! Rest assured that you will definitely be spoilt for choice when doing last minute shopping for souvenirs to bring back home at the train station. There is also a good variety of restaurants such as Aoba Ramen, Saizeriya, etc, located on the fifth storey of the shopping mall which are opened for business till 2130 hrs.
https://www.celeo.co.jp/shiten/index.php?scd=5

- Yamako Departmental Store 山交百貨店, located less than a minute walk away from South Exit.
There is a Starbucks located on the ground floor and a supermarket housed in the basement of the shopping mall.
https://www.yamako-dept.jp/

(4) Kofu Ekimae Post Office 甲府駅前郵便局, located less than a minute walk away from South Exit.
For Postacollect fans, remember to grab exclusive postcards released for Yamanashi Prefecture here!
https://map.japanpost.jp/p/search/dtl/300108186000/

Japan Autumn Nov 2017 一人で日本の旅 - Unoshima Villa 日立・太田尻海岸 うのしまヴィラ

Stayed 10.11.2017 (Fri)
Booked thru ikyu.com
Single: 19,995 yen (half board)

Feeling of home. To facilitate my visit to Hananuki Gorge / Hananuki Keikou (花貫渓谷) in Takahagi on a morning, I decided to stay in a nearby accommodation the night before. The first one which caught my attention was Unomisaki 鵜の岬 located along the coastline facing Pacific Ocean. Later I found out that this lodging has an impressive track record of emerging top out of all Kokumin Shukusha (国民宿舎) in Japan, in terms of occupancy rate, for 27 consecutive years. However, this hotel only accepts reservation through phone which kind of deter me away. Continued my search and stumbled upon Unoshima Villa in ikyu.com. Sound strange, but I will have to call this "love at first sight" as the outlook of this seaside accommodation looks so comfy and scenic to my liking. Without further ado, I proceeded to make my reservation online and was looking forward to my stay in Unoshima Villa at the halfway mark of my holidays.

Private beach, sunrise and star gazing! Arrived at Unoshima Villa just before sunset and was instantly welcomed by a cooling sea breeze. Before heading into the main building to check in, I decided to spend some time admiring the remaining moment of sunset at the beach. Comprised of two buildings - the main one is where the front desk, Sea-ne シーネ restaurant and communal bathhouse are housed in, while the guestrooms are located separately in an adjacent two storey lodging building. Unoshima Villa was formerly known as Unoshima Onsen Ryokan which was heavily destroyed by the tsunami as a result of Mar 2011 Tohoku Earthquake. 2/3 of the existing premises were tore down and the remaining building structures were refurbished for re-opening in Apr 2014. Being strategically located near the seaside, Unoshima Villa naturally has it own private beach and promises a panoramic view of the Pacific Ocean all year long. On a clear day, guests should wake up slightly earlier than usual to catch the sun surfacing from the horizon. Unfortunately, I was not granted that spectacular moment as it was rather cloudy when I woke up in the morning. However, I was already very contented to stumble upon a star glittering sky on the night of my stay! In Singapore, star gazing with bare eyes is always a feat due to light interference from the ground. Therefore, it was considered a rare experience for me to witness a star filled sky and its beauty is truly beyond words to describe.

Room and facilities. Unoshima Villa is a small scale accommodation with a capacity of only seven rooms. As I happened to be the only guest, I could have the restaurant and communal bathhouse all to myself during my stay! The room assigned to me was a spacious Japanese style tatami laid room which came with an unobstructed sea view, located on the second floor of the lodging building. There are a total of three such similar rooms and they are not equipped with toilet and showering facilities. Guests will have to utilise the common toilet and shower rooms located on the same floor. There are also coin operated washing and drying machines made conveniently available at the ground level of the lodging building. 

The communal bathhouse, separated by gender, is located on the second floor of the main building and only indoor facility is available. Though the source of the water in the bathhouse is not from a hot spring source, soaking into this temperature regulated water after a bath helps to wear down the tiredness accumulated over the trip. If you are taking a soak in the morning, do keep a lookout for the sea view from the bathroom which becomes visible in the day. In the rest area located just outside the communal bathhouse, there are bookshelves filled with photography books and travel guidebooks for guests to refer to while chilling/cooling down. From a design perspective, the modern style wood house with alike interior furnishing created this comfortable ambience for guests to relax in and the design was something I will love to have it in my own house!

Admiring this beautifully prepared tray of appetiser.

Maguro carpaccio served with fresh greens and Hishio.

Impressed by this Hitachi-gyu steak!

Thumb-up. Meals were the highlight of my stay in Unoshima Villa. Love both meals were served in Sea-ne restaurant and were prepared with care by the owner, Mr and Mrs Harada-san. Utilising locally produced ingredients, the couple aimed to create local cuisine with a touch of novelty and most importantly, beneficial to health. From plating to the choice of ingredients employed to prepare the entire meal course, and the meticulous explanation by Mr Harada-san on each and every dishes placed in front of me, I can strongly feel the immense effort put in to attain their desired objective.

Dinner commenced with a beautifully plated appetiser served on a wooden tray - a modern interpretation of a hassun (八寸) utilising ingredients harvested from the land, mountain and sea. Next was maguro carpaccio, accompanied with fresh greens and Hishio, a traditional Japanese fermented seasoning. The maguro was perfectly seared on the outside with the dark red meat still intact, and such cooking style reminded me of tataki maguro. This was followed by a rich and flavourful cup of pumpkin soup, piping hot, crunchy tempura of assorted seasonal vegetables and cold udon made from moroheiya, a type of wild vegetable known for its high nutritious value and grown locally in Mito, served with dashi. Main course was Hitachi-gyu steak drizzled with Hishio. When Harada-san came by to ask me how the beef was, I could only compliment him with a gesture of thumb-up. Hitachi-gyu is the pride of Ibaraki Prefecture and are only harvested from Japanese black cattle raised for more than 30 months. The marbled meat is known for its tenderness and rich flavours and I could fully relate to this claim after savouring this well-executed piece of steak. The penultimate dish was rice flavoured with mushrooms. Knowing that I was already quite full up, Harada-san proposed to make onigri from the remaining rice for me to take away. The onigri, despite cold, still tasted nice and moist when I had it in the afternoon while onboard the train.

Luxury. Breakfast was yet another luxurious moment for me as the restaurant overlooked the beach and Pacific Ocean with sun rays pouring through the glass panels into the room. Reverting to a more Japanese style breakfast accompanied by a panoramic sea view, my pace of eating automatically slowed down and my appetite grew as I requested for another bowl of fragrant rice! It was a moment I wished that time can stand still and I could prolong my extraordinary experience at Unoshima Villa. One most important attribute to this wonderful stay was the warm and immaculate hospitality displayed by both Mr and Mrs Harada-san throughout my entire stay, which today, still remained vividly in my mind. 本当にありがとうございました。

In short, the feeling of home comes naturally right from the first moment you step onto the grounds of Unoshima Villa, a phenomenon which I have not felt strongly from my past travelling experiences in Japan. A place I would highly recommend all to stop by, even for a simple meal, when you come to Hitachi city.

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Unoshima Villa 日立・太田尻海岸 うのしまヴィラ
〒317-0052 茨城県日立市東滑川町5-10-1　
https://unoshima-villa.com/

How to get there? 

(1) By bus and walk
From Hitachi JR Station Central Exit (Chuo Guchi) 日立駅中央口 Bus Stop 2, hop onto either Hitachi Dentetsu Kotsu Bus 日立電鉄交通バス 75 or 77 and alight at Iwaizaki 祝崎. Bus journey takes approx 10 minutes.
From the bus stop, head for the seaside and it takes another 5 - 7 minutes walk before finally arriving at Unoshima Villa.
Bus schedule: http://www.hitachi-dentetsu.co.jp/bus/bus_jikokuhyou_h/20181001/g181001h_75_77.html

Yamanashi 2018 山梨県の旅 - Day 9 Hokuto-shi 北杜市, Kiyosato Kogen 清里高原

Day 9: 20.10.2018 (Sat)

Breakfast: Seisenryo 清泉寮

Trekked Seseragi no komichi せせらぎの小径.

Visited Yamane Museum やまねミュージアム.

Seisenryo 清泉寮 (1125 hrs) > Kiyosato JR 清里駅 (1135 hrs)
by Seisenryo complimentary shuttle service.

Kiyosato JR 清里駅 > Doryu no taki 吐竜の滝.
by taxi. [1,000 yen]

Visited Doryu no taki 吐竜の滝.
https://www.hokuto-kanko.jp/sp/autumn_doryu-no-taki_waterfall

Walked back to Kiyosato JR Station. Approx. 1 hr. 

Lunch: Rock ロック, in Moegi no mura 萌木の村
https://rock1971.jp/

Kiyosato JR 清里駅 (1550 hrs) > Kobuchizawa JR 小淵沢駅 (1612 hrs)
by local train, along Koumi line 小海線.

Kobuchizawa JR 小淵沢駅 (1622 hrs) > Kofu JR 甲府駅 (1712 hrs)
by local train, along Chuo line 中央線. [Total = 970 yen]

Kofu JR 甲府駅 (1805 hrs) > Shinjuku JR 新宿駅 (1936 hrs)
by Ltd Exp Super Azusa スーパーあずさ 28. [3,610 yen, non-reserved seats]

- End of Yamanashi 2018 trip - 

Yamanashi 2018 山梨県の旅 - Day 8 Hokuto-shi 北杜市, Kiyosato Kogen 清里高原

Day 8: 19.10.2018 (Fri)

Breakfast: Fuefukigawa Onsen Bettei Zabo 笛吹川温泉 別邸 坐忘

Complimentary shuttle service to Enzan JR Station 塩山駅.

Enzan JR 塩山駅 (0926 hrs) > Kobuchizawa JR 小淵沢駅 (1027 hrs)
by local train, transiting at Kofu JR Station. [970 yen]

Kobuchizawa JR 小淵沢駅 (1030 hrs) > Nobeyama JR 野辺山駅 (1105 hrs)
by High Rail ハイレール 1375, via Koumi line 小海線. [1,320 yen]
https://www.jreast.co.jp/nagano/highrail/intro.html

Nobeyama JR 野辺山駅 (1156 hrs) > Kiyosato JR 清里駅 (1204 hrs)
by local train, via Koumi line 小海線. [190 yen]

Visited Moegi no mura 萌木の村.
https://www.moeginomura.co.jp/

Break: Carole キャロル, in Moegi no mura 萌木の村
https://www.moeginomura.co.jp/tenant/carol/

Kiyosato JR > Seisenryo 清泉寮
by taxi. [820 yen]

Checked in: Seisenryo 清泉寮
https://www.seisenryo.jp/

Dinner: Seisenryo 清泉寮

- End of Day 8 -

Yamanashi 2018 山梨県の旅 - Day 7 Koshu-shi 甲州市, Fuefukigawa Onsen 笛吹川温泉

Day 7: 18.10.2018 (Thu)

Breakfast 1: Toyoko Inn Kofu Eki Minami Guchi 2 東横イン甲府駅南口２

Breakfast 2: Akito Coffee あきとコーヒー
https://akitocoffee.com/

Visited Kofu City Hall / Kofu-shiyakusho 甲府市役所; observatory on the 11th floor. [Free admission]
https://www.city.kofu.yamanashi.jp/kanzai/shise/gaiyo/chosha/tenbo.html

Kofu JR 甲府駅 (0938 hrs) > Katsunuma Budokyo JR 勝沼ぶどう郷駅 (1003 hrs)
🚆 by local train. [410 yen]

Katsunuma Budokyo Ekimae 勝沼ぶどう郷駅前 (1043 hrs) > Todoroki Kominkan mae 等々力公民館前 (1103 hrs)
🚍 by Budo Course Bus 1 ぶどうコースバス１. [300 yen]

Visited Hougyokuen 芳玉園.
http://www.geocities.jp/hogyokuen/

Lunch: Tsugurasha つぐら舎
https://tugurasya.business.site/

Katsunuma Shisho 勝沼支所 (1307 hrs) > Katsunuma Budokyo Ekimae 勝沼ぶどう郷駅前 (1324 hrs)
🚍 by Budo Course Bus 2 ぶどうコースバス２.

Katsunuma Budokyo JR 勝沼ぶどう郷駅 (1338 hrs) > Enzan JR 塩山駅 (1343 hrs)
🚆 by local train. [190 yen]

Enzan JR 塩山駅 > Fuefukigawa Onsen Bettei Zabo 笛吹川温泉 別邸 坐忘
by hotel complimentary pick up service.

🏨 Checked in: Fuefukigawa Onsen Bettei Zabo 笛吹川温泉 別邸 坐忘
http://www.fuefukigawaonsen.com/

Visited Marquis Winery まるき葡萄酒.
http://www.marukiwine.co.jp/index.html

Dinner: Fuefukigawa Onsen Bettei Zabo 笛吹川温泉 別邸 坐忘

Visited Fuefukigawa Fruits Koen 笛吹川フルーツ公園, for night view.
https://fuefukigawafp.co.jp/

- End of Day 7 -