Tsuchiyu Satonoyu
This onsen ryokan has been on my list for an age ever since I stumbled upon photos of it floating around Instagram. It was one of those places that I always had at the back of my mind, and since travel for me was pretty much restricted to Japan until borders reopen again, I began to research more local adventures. When Tokyo was included into using the Go To Travel discount campaign (and I managed to figure out the headache of the Go To Travel Japanese website - not fun) I was lucky enough to secure a booking here when some other plans fell through.
Tsuchiyu Bettei Satonoyu onsen ryokan is located in Fukushima Prefecture in Tsuchiyu Onsen town, in the Bandai Asahi National Park. Built amidst the trees,It’s a boutique onsen ryokan with only 9 rooms available (1 being a separate villa). I love small boutique onsen ryokans so! Originally we were meant to have more time to explore the surrounding areas however with the heavy snowfall and train delays we JUST managed to make it in time for check in at Satonoyu. Exhausted from our rushed travel and the cold, we decided to just simply enjoy the ryokan. Hopefully one day we can return to properly explore the area, and I can give a more indepth blog of what to do in Fukushima.
TSUCHIYU SATONOYU
Upon entering Tsuchiyu, you can feel the warmth of the beautiful wood and the clean, simple lines of stunning craftmanship.
It does what Japan has always done well, understated minimal luxury. The rooms (we were in a semi-luxury room: matsu) are large and spacious with every attention to detail given. Complimentary snacks are available in the fridge, the bath in your room has it’s own onsen water so you can have an onsen anytime you want. It is the epitome of the phrase, “less is more.”
DELICIOUS SOMEN
Generally ryokans only offer breakfast & dinner meals, and one normally ventures out to town to grab a bite to eat for lunch.
With all the rushed travel making connections after delays, hubby and I were unable to have lunch. We are both the type of people who get hangry and don’t function well on empty bellies - especially hubby. By the time we had arrived, local restaurants had also stopped lunch time service.
Thankfully, Satonoyu were so kind, and their chef took some time to prepare a delicious meal of somen & tempura for us.
MEALS
Our meals at Satonoyu were held in a private dining room, some rooms your meals are served in your room. I was a little bit sad, as I do enjoy having ryokan meals in one room - there’s something so nostalgic about it. However it was actually a good decision to have it in the private room, as one of our dishes was sizzling wagyu which was divine but also meant we did come out smelling slightly foodie…
The food at Satonoyu is beautifully presented and features premium local seasonal produce served in their area’s distinct style. It was a pleasing amount of food and I just love all the colours of their Kaiseki. Kaiseki in itself is an art form, filled with vibrant colors of the season. Below are just some snapshots of some of our dishes.
THE BATHS AT SATONOYU
There are 3 onsen bath areas available for all the guests: SEIRAN, HAJIZOME & SHINPEKI.
The beauty of Satonoyu is that all these baths are private, so you have no fear of bathing with strangers! When you arrive to Satonoyu - the staff there will schedule you in to enjoy the baths. Each bathing time is for 30-40 mins, my only wish is that the times could be longer as with pre-washing before entering the onsen baths, I would love more time to properly soak (I can easily spend over an hour in an onsen).
TIP: Pre wash in your bathroom before heading to the baths, remember the bath in your room is also an onsen bath.
SEIRAN (photos above and below)
Featuring a simple alkalescent hot spring, effective for neuralgia, sore, cold sensitivity, and fatigue; Seiran has two baths for you to enjoy. An indoor hinoki bath (the pre washing area is here too) with a beautiful wide window to enjoy the scenery, and if you need a breath of fresh air, open the sliding door and walk around to the semi open air bath where you can enjoy the winter breeze on your face and appreciate the beauty of a winter in Japan.
Seiran also has a lovely vanity area, with all the skincare you need for both men and women
HAJIZOME (photo below)
The largest onsen of the 3 bath areas available. It is an indoor hiba bath, perfect for night soaking especially after stuffing one’s belly with a delicious meal, which is exactly what we did.
SHINPEKI (photos above & below)
My favourite baths of the 3 available. Take a little winding walk to reach this bathhouse set in the mountain valley, and you will discover Shinpeki. It features two outdoor baths, a stunning larger stone rotemburo and then a short walk down to a lower level is the smaller octagonal bath with stunning views of the surroundings. We were lucky to have it in the morning, as I wanted to see it in daylight however I do wish we had been able to stay 2 nights so I could fully enjoy the beauty of this bath when it was full daylight.
My only wish is that we had longer than 30-40mins to appreciate both baths, for after walking down, changing etc, it leaves you perhaps 20mins to fully enjoy both. I would happily sit in both baths for 20mins easily. The photos below show you the little walk you embark on to reach the bathhouse, and the first glimpse of the baths as you slide open the doors.
BREAKFAST TIME
A delightful meal to start the day, filled with delicious local seasonal produce. Again we ate in a private dining area.
Glimpses below of the Tsuchiyu Onsen town, we didn’t have enough time to explore, next time!
MY PERSONAL THOUGHTS
FOOD
A delightful fine dining Kaiseki experience with all our meals in our private dining room. Wonderful seasonal produce and local dishes. Always love learning about and trying each prefecture’s take on certain dishes and their specialties. Especially grateful, that the chef was so kind to make us an emergency lunch as we were so hungry. My only wish would be that it would have been lovely to have our meals in our own room, to really have that nostalgic ryokan experience, especially as this is a higher end ryokan.
ONSEN
Wonderful! To have the 3 types of baths guaranteed for yourself is divine. My favourite by far is the Shinpeki outdoor baths, if I could - I would have visited that one multiple times. Ideally for me personally, I would have loved to have more time at them and the choice to book times even before we arrived.
ROOM AMBIANCE
Beautifully simplistic, spacious luxury and you can see the attention to detail in every bit of the room. Was lovely as well to have everything in the fridge included, so perfect for snacking during the day or night with a choice of beverages and some light snacks.
VENUE AMBIANCE
Every time I enter Ryokans, each has its own distinct personality, whether it’s a touch rustic, modern luxury, ol’ school traditional, and sometimes its a perfect blend of all. Satonoyu is what I would classify a modern Japanese luxury ryokan as it’s taken the craftmanship, artisan skills of Japanese traditions and fused them into a modern subtle design. Its the attention to detail that you notice, everything chosen you know must be of a certain quality. The luxury is not overpowering or in your face. It’s serene, and peaceful with a small reception as you enter, and around the corner a sweet little reading area. Hubby was delighted with the complimentary snacks, and range of beverages in the foyer as he was starving.
SURROUNDING AREA
Unfortunately due to the time constraints, we were unable to explore the surrounding area, however Tsuchiyu Onsen town is meant to be a lovely little place with local shops and businesses to explore, and I believe with the opportunity to do some Kokeshi doll workshops, so one day I hope to return to explore.
TSUCHIYU SATONOYU FACTS (at time of stay)
COST: starting from ~45000JPY+ per person per night
MEALS INCLUDED: Breakfast & Dinner
CHECK IN/CHECK OUT TIME: 1500 / 1030
HOLIDAYS: Tuesday & Wednesday (except in peak season)
PAYMENT: cash & credit card accepted
ROOMS: 9 (all Japanese style rooms of various sizes - 2 with their own private onsen baths & 1 independent cottage)
ENGLISH SPEAKING STAFF: Manager & his wife do - lovely couple.
WEBSITE: Satonoyu
