Natural Hot Spring and Lovely Swans! Taste Local Sake at Ibaraki’s “Kanpo No Yado Itako”

Taste local sake from several selected sake breweries

“Kanpo no Yado Itako” is located close to Tokawa Port, which was featured in the popular Japanese TV series “Miotsukushi”, and to Ooarai Port, known for its abundant catch of skipjack tuna and goosefish. At the inn’s restaurant you can eat fresh seafood and local Hitachi beef while enjoying the tranquil view of the lakeside Suigo region from the windows. One of the highlights is the “sake tasting set” in which you’re served several sake brands from selected local breweries to taste and compare! They come with explanation card and are served in a Japanese wooden measuring box. You can get the sake for just 1000 JPY! This is a great occasion to try local Japanese sake and food delicacies.

Note: The content and the price of the set may differ according to the season. Please check the official website of the inn in the memo below.

Walk around the garden with the autumn colors and enjoy your relaxing time

There are many splendid autumn colored trees in the garden in front of the inn’s restaurant. Here you can spend a leisurely and relaxing time. You’ll even find a hand-made table with chairs between the trees where you can sit and quietly enjoy the beauty that surrounds you. In the evenings there is an illumination and from late November on there’s even a Christmas tree! In winter the swans come around so this garden is a really wonderful place.

The natural hot spring bath at the top level with a view to the entire Suigo area

From the natural hot spring baths at the top level of the inn you can see the entire Lake Kitaura. The panorama is truly magnificent! There are two baths – “Yunagi no Yu” and “Choyo no Yu” – where men and women enter in shifts. A day trip hot spring costs 600 JPY so during the day many local people also come here, but if you’re lucky you might be all alone in the bath. The water is rich in sodium chloride and has a dark-reddish brown color. It’s good for treating nerve pain and exhaustion, so you can feel refreshed after taking a bath. There are two pools – one with lukewarm water and one with hot water. Choose your preferred temperature.

To the Swan Village where you can see the messengers of winter

While swans come to the inn too, the best place to see them is the nearby “Swan Village” at the shores of Lake Kitaura. Every winter various water birds and migratory birds gather here, but the number of swans has been especially big ever since their first visit in 1981 and now over 50 swans reside in this “Swan Village”. On the photo you can see many of them and various lovely water birds which all come to you when you feed them. You can also have the opportunity to take a picture of swans elegantly floating over the glittering lake surface. The birds stay here from November to March every year. This is a great chance to be in touch with nature during the winter.