Ureshino and Itoshima

By the time we were in Takeo Onsen, it was just past 3 pm. Many restaurants were closed. I went to the café across the street to take a chance. Well, it was a cat café. I’m not sure whether the cat or dog cafes in Hong Kong were originally introduced by the Japanese. Meow! This small café has a few cats and only serves drinks.

We eventually spotted Sushiro nearby, which was a good surprise because I never thought of queuing for this sashimi restaurant in Hong Kong. In this small town, we did not have to wait and could enjoy our meals comfortably. The fresh tuna sushi melted in my mouth. The menu was full of all sorts of salmon sushi –  salmon with shredded onions, salmon with cheese, etc. The crab meat ramen did have a quarter of a crab in the bowl. The four of us had a satisfying meal, and it cost less than 100 Hong Kong dollars per person, a truly rewarding meal to start our journey.

 

It takes around 1/2 hour to drive from Takeo Onsen to Ureshino. Did I book Taishoya for day 1 and day 2? Not only when we arrived did I find out that we were actually staying in Taishoya Seiryu instead, a sister Ryokan (Japanese traditional inn) of Taishoya. 

Luckily, we made it to the right parking lot which was just a few minutes’ walk from the Ryokan. The staff can speak some English. With the help of body language and simple questions, we can find out the answers to most of our questions. 

Taishoya Seiryu is a two-story building – the reception, a self-service drink station and a sitting area are located on the ground floor. The middle of the building is a garden, therefore all rooms and the sitting area enjoy an admiring view of the neatly arranged trees and flowers.

Our room is also located on the ground floor, a few steps from the onsen (Japanese hot spring). It is fantastic to chill out and relax in the sitting area with various options of free soft drinks, coffee and tea. Lawson is 10 minutes’ walk from the Ryokan. 

The rooms at Taishoya Seiryu are spacious with big windows. Waking up with such a close, garden view is simply refreshing and pleasant. Grab a cup of coffee at the self-service station and breathe in the garden scenery can instantly calm the mind.

All guests staying in Taishoya can use the hot springs in its affiliated ryokans for free. Among them, Shiibasanso onsen is a famous attraction in the area. 

In early November, leaves have just started to turn red. Shiibaanso onsen is just 10 minutes by car from Taishoya Seiryu, its surroundings are calm and superb. Taishoya Seiryu provides several free shuttle buses to get there from late afternoon onwards. Be careful of the hilly road if you drive.

At around 5pm, the four of us eventually enjoyed the semi-open-air hot springs in Taishoya Seiryu. The hot spring seemed to be dedicated to our private use at that time. The water was so hot and it was even more pleasant to be in the outdoor part of the hot spring. A quick dip followed by a rest is just relaxing. 

We enjoyed dinner at 7pm at the hotel, which included delicate appetizers, sashimi, beef, vegetables, and rice, among other dishes. The waiter at the restaurant made an effort to speak English. It appeared to me that the aisle seat facing the door was the “master” seat. He tried so hard to explain the dinner arrangements to my friend sitting there.

Each of our rooms has two double rooms. The mattress is just right— not too soft or hard. The pillow filled with plastic beads is way too low for us and very uncomfortable. I wish we could ask for an extra pillow. Well, there are no better solutions but to be creative – adding towels? Folding the pillow?  Although the outdoor temperature was cool late at night, the rooms only had heat but no air conditioning, so we ended up sweating while asleep.

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Day 2

Many tourists who visit Ureshino may not stay overnight, as it is quite a small town. For their day trip, they either choose to go to the famous public hot springs or one of the ryokans to enjoy the refreshing hot spring. There are also several public foot baths and foot steam facilities for free. Travellers can always keep their bodies warm in Ureshino.

I woke up early in the morning and enjoyed a hot spring alone before going out for a walk. I did not care just wearing a T-shirt as I felt my body so warm that I wasn’t afraid of the cool temperature outdoors. I passed by a shrine, a river, foot steam facilities and the public hot spring which looks like a European building. Nearby there is a bridge connecting to a park by the river.

A local man had a pleasant walk with his dog in the park. The pace of life is so slow in Ureshino. Hot spring ryokans are plenty there, and tourists have no problem enjoying a hot bath for their day sightseeing trip.

An ideal booking with Ryokan is to opt for a night with breakfast and dinner. Try booking via Rakuten as many English sites only offer bookings for an overnight stay. The breakfast is a traditional Japanese style, delicately placed in a bento box, including fish, vegetables, and some side dishes. Rice and miso soup are always served in Japanese breakfast as well. My friends enjoyed the soy milk latte as soy milk is famous for its ultrarich soy taste in Ureshino.

I showed my friend the town since I just explored the town early in the morning. It’s quite a typical touristy town, but the river view assembles the European one. Tranquil, peaceful and pretty! There are hardly any Chinese-speaking tourists. Superb! A true vacation. We had a great time strolling in the park, and even went up to the big stage there, amusing ourselves with group exercises and dances. We simply enjoyed spending time together and breathing in fresh air.

There is another bridge connecting the park to the town from the other end. 

When we crossed the bridge, my friends suddenly turned to “shopping mode.” They started with buying fresh fruits, followed by Japanese paper and magazines in a stationary store. They were delighted with the additional small gifts given by the shop owner. 

We then proceeded to a Japanese handcraft store for handmade bags and leather bookmarks. A brewery is located right in the middle of the town, free wine tasting was always like a good treat! My friends made a great effort to pack the sake wine home. These are good sake though.  

The weather was unexpectedly warm, so additional T-shirts would be useful. Maybe we were in a good mood. All of us bought a vest, towels and handkerchiefs as souvenirs in a small boutique. All in all, the morning turned out to be fruitful. We strolled and shopped, it was soon lunchtime.  

We couldn’t agree on our lunch option but upon returning to the hotel, we had the energy to think and decided to go for the famous tofu restaurant on the corner. Don’t forget to register your name at the entrance. Simply queuing up doesn’t count. It was a half an hour wait for us before its closing time at 3pm. Then the food order was quite slow but it was worth the wait. 

The local tofu was truly exceptional, with a smooth texture and a rich soybean flavour. No taste of gypsum powder. By the time we finished this awesome meal, it was well past 3pm.

My friends were eager to visit a drugstore but I could only find a 100-yen store. Nevertheless, everyone was excited to have a chance to shop. Not only till an hour later that these ladies finished shopping. We still had one more stop to make before calling it a day – the hot spring in Shiibaanso.

By the time we arrived, the parking lots were full of vehicles from different prefectures in Kyushu. I could see this onsen must be famous as there were queues for showers. All aimed to refresh themselves in the open-air hot spring located in the mountains. This hot spring shapes a different atmosphere as compared to the small hot spring in the ryokan we’re staying. 

The hot water gives a warm sensation throughout the body, lasting for almost an hour, successfully withstanding the cool weather in the evening. Days were gone so fast. It was dinner time in the Ryokan again. This time, we settled at another table which was served by a waitress who could speak some English. Such a relief. No more jokes but chat and chill over dinner.

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Day 3

Waking up early again, I wandered into the lobby and found a leaflet about autumn leaves. Although we did not see hues of stunning red in the landscapes along the roads, my gut feeling was to give it a try. 

After a 30-minute drive, we headed towards the Japanese Garden Keishu-en which is close to Mifuneyama Rakuen. Keishu-en is a combination of a Japanese garden and a tea plantation. We had a break in the tea house after walking around. The red tea was just right to wake me up. We were lucky to have a quiet and soothing moment, looking at the magnificent view with a cup of tea in the tea house as there were no other customers. 

Since we’re back in Saga, my friend suggested roasted meat for lunch again. She might not have realised that this small city centre only serves roasted meat at nighttime. I craved dumplings all of a sudden and suggested looking for a gyoza restaurant. The small dumpling shop, however, was packed with customers as a result of the TV promo. No wonder many customers were willing to queue for lunch there. The restaurant is famous for using bread dough to seal off juicy meat inside. The images of crispy dumplings are embedded in my head.

We didn’t want to have a late lunch again and hence switched to a local ramen shop. The ramen sets including noodles and rice are a good deal at 900 yen only. We took the ramen and ordered a vegetable dish as the portion was too big. Despite its price, the ramen was a heartwarming meal.  

I eventually located a drugstore in Saga Onsen where we happily shopped for over an hour. It is always a pleasant shopping experience when you find yourself free from the crowd in the city. So the mission of stocking skincare and cosmetic products is accomplished! But there is more shopping to do for the rest of the trip.

After leaving the hot spring area, we drove towards the coastal islands to the north, which took about 1.5 hours. Food is so important that my friend urged me to find a live fish restaurant. I located one on Google Maps, and upon arriving at the hotel, we asked the front desk staff to make a reservation for us. He tried to speak to us, although he knew little English. We were told that the restaurant closes at 7:00 pm, so a reservation was made at 5:30 pm. Truly, could I eat again?

When I researched the accommodation in Ishitoma, I was looking forward to staying in this hotel because of the modern design of its website. The rooms are 18 square feet with perfect air conditioning, just big enough to put 2 medium-sized suitcases on the table. Outside the public bath facility was a table and a few desks for guests to chill and relax.

The live fish restaurant is about a 20-minute drive from the hotel. The waitress hardly knows any English, it’s time for us to use body language, along with the help of Google Translate. Luckily, we managed to place our order and would not be starved to death.

A plate of live squid was right in front of us on the table. Its body was sliced into pieces as sashimi, but its blood kept flowing around its head and body. Unbelievable! After all the sashimi was gone, its body was turned into tempura. No one denied how tasty it was but it’s an odd feeling to put pieces of sashimi in the mouth. 

I ordered a local speciality, oyster rice. The raw rice was cooked for half an hour when served, absorbing all the flavours of the oysters. So satisfying. Because of the miscommunication, my friend’s order of a large sea bream didn’t arrive. To be honest, I did not know who could eat more at this early dinner. The seafood meal was reasonably priced, that’s why many people go to Japan, not only for shopping but the food and sightseeing as well.

That night, my friends had a great chat over Japanese wine. It’s better to make use of the table outside the hotel’s public bath area, as the hotel rooms are so small. There was no sight of any Hong Kong guests in the hotel, so we could talk freely. Water, tea bags, cookies, and snacks are just on the corner for free. We spent the next two hours sipping our drinks, having a good chat and laughing. Another day was gone.  

The pillows are comfy in this hotel. I could finally have a good night’s sleep in a cool room.

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Day 4

Parking lots are abundant close to the sightseeing spots in Itoshima. Charges are affordable.  Sakurai Futamigaura’s Couple Stones is the number 1 attraction, people queued to enter the public parking lot. We tried to take the private parking lot nearby but the furious old man who managed the parking scared us. So just take the public parking car, it’s not a long wait.

Another sightseeing spot is also related to marriage – Itoshima Sakurai Shrine, where you can pray for love and marriage. Along the coastal areas, we found London Bus Café, the sunset beach house and the angel’s wings.

Cafés and restaurants are plenty. We had lunch at Current, which is situated on a small hill, opposite the London Bus Café, therefore embracing a fantastic sea view. Free parking spaces are reserved for customers. The lunch set starts with a salad, followed by a main course and desserts. A drink, including beer, is included. 

We started with a round of non-alcoholic beer, which was most needed on a warm afternoon of around 25 C. The sunny weather plus the beach view was just perfect. We finished our lunch with a selection of cakes. I love the fact that we can enjoy our lunch as long as we like. I could enjoy the view the whole afternoon. So we enjoyed our meal at an incredibly slow pace, gazing at the sea and saying hello to the dogs next to our table.

We planned to return to the hotel early and visit the Everyday Fitness in its vicinity. Guests staying at the Glocal Hotel can use its hot spring facilities for free. Since it was a Sunday, the Fitness Club was packed with locals and hotel guests. The indoor hot springs are spacious and of great variety – a hot, cold, and warm bath, as well as salt steam rooms, and a jacuzzi.

Massage services are available, but reservations are required. Luckily, we managed to find a young man who spoke a little English and helped us book a massage session. Two time slots were available, so two of my friends returned to have a rest at the hotel.

The massage I had was similar to physiotherapy and a gentle version of Chinese massage. The environment is delightful and comfy with Western background music. The best thing is to enjoy the space of the entire room yourself (around 400 sq ft). The young male massage therapist is very professional and takes the massage seriously while the massage session in Hong Kong is interrupted by phone calls. This Japanese therapist simply focused on his work at all times. 

The charge is highly valued at around HKD 200 / hour. So why not give it a try? Be aware that such services are not available in the evening as the Japanese also prioritise work-life balance in Itoshima.

My friend was determined to have roasted beef after all and asked for hotel recommendations. So we went to Sumibi Yaki Itoshima (phone: 092-322-4551) as recommended by the hotel receptionist, a local restaurant which is just a 20-minute walk from the hotel. We then gave up the thought of walking as the streets were so dark and decided to drive there. Surprisingly, a few restaurants are found inside a small alley though not many open in the evening. 

Sumibi Yaki Itoshima offers several A5 Wagyu beef sets. They are just so delicious. We even added an extra plate of premium beef, making the meal truly satisfying. I highly recommend any travellers to try it. That night my friends were happily preparing for shopping in Fukuoka city the next day.

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Day 5

Yeah, the day we finally headed to Fukuoka City. We tried curry rice for breakfast to replenish energy for the shopping day. On a drizzly morning, I relaxed since my friend took charge of this mission. She researched the department store and its parking lot. They aimed to go to Hankyu to buy designer handbags while I planned to get some souvenirs at nearby shopping malls.

This gang of ladies was so focused on shopping that they never left the ground floor of Hankyu which has dedicated counters for LV, Loewe, Prada, and more. After over an hour, I joined them at LV to wait for their “trophies”. It was quite a “scene” – inside an oversized 2kg LV box was a leather backpack that was half the size of its packing. The packing is not counted as a carry-on but has to be checked in at the airport. I was also thrilled to get some souvenirs back to Hong Kong in just an hour. With the exchange rate of 1 yen to 0.55 HKD, shopping is so satisfying!

All in all this 5-day trip was taking a slow pace without being packed with activities. There are quite a few attractions in Saga Onsen but I needed to check it out when travelling with friends who like to explore.

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