Just before the end of the year, I took my brother to a famous Japanese hot spring for his first onsen experience. I chose for us to stay at the Kamigoten Ryokan (traditional Japanese inn) in Wakayama Prefecture, south of Osaka. What a treat it was!

Getting to the Ryūjin spa town was half of the fun of the experience.  Situated well into the mountains, the simplest way for us to reach the ryokan was via a combination of train (Japan Rail) and bus (Ryūjin bus).

First we rode the Super Kuroshio limited express train along the coastline from Tennōji station to Kii-Tanabe station, which takes just short of 2 hours. Then we purchased tickets for the Ryūjin bus to the onsen town at the counter just outside the station. About 15 minutes later, we boarded the bus at the adjacent bus stand (labeled in Japanese and English) and rode it until reaching our destination stop, which was a mere two minutes’ walk to the ryokan. The 1-1/2 hour bus ride into the beautiful mountains that separate Kii-Tanabe from the famous Mount Kōya was breathtaking. The vistas into the canyons were stunning, even in the months of winter.  I can only speculate how pretty it must be during the spring or autumn.

Upon reaching the final stop, we walked the short distance to the Kamigoten ryokan. The inn, built in 1657, is deceptively simple on the outside.  But moments after seeing the polished wood floors upon entering, one realizes the real beauty and splendor of the building. It’s easy to miss the reception room upon entering if the staff take you directly to your room, but it’s worth stopping to see the polished tables and the original scrolls that dot the wall in this room. Unlike a hotel, the rooms are named instead of numbered; alas, I did not remember to ask what was the naming convention for the rooms.

The Japanese-style guest rooms are beautiful in their simplicity, with immaculate tatami mats as well as a manicured tokonoma that included a rather large caligraphic scroll as well as a kadō flower arrangement.

We settled in for the evening and were told that dinner and breakfast would both be served in the room. We changed into the yukata and uwagi provided by the ryokan, which we wore for the remainder of our stay.

Before dinner, I unpacked a small 13×13 Go board that I’d brought along for the trip and set it up in the drawing room of our quarters, which overlooked a small, crystal-clear mountain stream that passes through this onsen town. The enjoyable game of Go that my brother and I played while relaxing was followed by more such games during the course of our stay. We both have a lot to learn about the game, but playing in such a rarefied atmosphere really enhanced the game, regardless of our level of ability.

Dinner arrived precisely on schedule, and I must say that it was nothing short of exceptional. The menu was:

• Boiled wasabi and soy sauce
• Itadori (Japanese knotweed) with sesame sauce
• Chestnut, ume (a pickled apricot-type fruit often translated as plum), cucumber with butterbur and miso sauce
• Sesame tofu
• Lightly grilled deer meat with tataki sauce
• Shiitake mushrooms, royal fern, carrot, bamboo shoots, pea pods (mangetout), kabocha squash (Japanese pumpkin)
• Amago trout and Ayu (Sweetfish)
• Hitomi manju (bun of rice covered with a mix of minced chicken and potatoes)
• Vegetable tempura (eggplant, kabocha squash, pea pods, shiitake mushrooms, and king trumpet mushroom)
• Wild boar nabe (“hot pot” stew)
• Devil’s tongue (arum root) jelly with sweet vinegar
• Fruit jelly with mango sauce and strawberry sauce, both locally produced

After dinner (and a slight pause for digestion), we retired to the onsen and soaked in the mineral-laden waters for nearly an hour. By the time we finished, we were so relaxed that I’m surprised we had the energy to make it back to the room!

(sleep… Zzzzz…)

In the morning, we woke up bright and early at about 10 minutes before 6 AM. You see, the ryokan has both indoor and outdoor onsen.  There are separate indoor onsen for men and women, but there is only one outdoor bath, which is intended for use by families or individuals on a one-at-a-time basis, with a 20-minute time limit.  Therefore, we woke up early in order to be the first to enter the outdoor onsen, thereby avoiding waiting in line in the cold.

Alas, we were not the first ones there: by 6:05, when we arrived, someone was already in the outdoor onsen and had locked the entry gate.  However, by around 6:20 it had been vacated again and we were therefore able to spend our 20 minutes in the stone bath that directly overlooked the stream.  By now it was starting to get slightly light outside, and the view was spectacular.  The fresh mountain air blowing on one’s face while submerged in a pool of quite hot spring water is something not to be missed.

After the onsen, we returned to the room and rested.  But eventually the clock turned to 9 AM; we knew it was time to pack our bags, check out and take a ride on the Ryujin bus back to Kii-Tanabe train station for the onward trip home to Osaka. I will always treasure this, my first ryokan experience, and hope to return again, for it was an amazing time.