Kosankaku, one of the best ryokans in Ginzan Onsen

Ginzan Onsen is a beautiful onsen district in Yamagata Prefecture. Kosankaku, a ryokan in Ginzan onsen, has a great view and delicious food, and nice private onsen.

Brief description of Kosankaku

Kosankaku is located at near the foot bath.

Kosankaku is one of the oldest ryokans in Ginzan Onsen. It has been operated from Edo period, which means more than 100 years. The exterior is decorated with paintings of Japanese traditional items.

Items and interior of Kosankaku have nostalgic atmosphere.

The big table in the lobby.

Old telephone. Surprisingly, this sign says that it is still in use!

The stairs going to the upper floor

Kosankaku’s room was cozy tatami room

The room was traditional tatami room. I could look down the lovely street of Ginzan Onsen from the window.

Cozy tatami room of Kosankaku.

Pretty room key!

Dinner and breakfast of Kosankaku

Dinner was traditional kaiseki course cuisine.

Kosankaku’s Kaiseki dinner

Sashimi dish

The plate of side dish, tempura, fried lotus root, fish cake, and shrimp.

Yamagata style dumplings.

Breakfast was traditional Japanese style with rice and miso soup, plus many small dishes. Very healthy and nutritiously rich.

Many plates with traditional dish!

Private onsen of Kosankaku

Kosankaku had a big public bath on the ground floor, and two private baths, indoor bath and outdoor bath, on the third floor. Private bath could be used anytime without reservation. If the sign says “available”, you can use the baths freely.

Have a relaxing time at Ginzan Onsen!

There are about ten other ryokans in Ginzan Onsen. Kosankaku has only ten rooms, so the ryokan is very quiet and protected with privacy. Have a relaxing time.

Comments

Kerun in Sakata, Yamagata - the birthplace of "Yukiguni," the most famous Japanese cocktail

I had a chance to visit a cafe/bar called Kerun in Sakata, Yamagata. The bar is the birthplace of a cocktail called "Yukiguni." I was amazed by the flavor of the cocktail. Its tender, sweet, yet cold icy feeling reminded me of Tohoku's snowy scenery. Yukiguni's recipe is very simple. Its ingredients are vodka, Cointreau, and lime juice, with a green cherry and sugar for the rim. This simplicity is the reason why it became one of Japan's most famous standard cocktails. You can order Yukiguni at most bars not only in Japan but also anywhere in the world. Keiichi Iyama, who owned the cafe/bar Kerun, created Yukiguni in 1959. He worked at the bar as a bartender until 2020, which was just a year before he passed away at 95 years old. I really would have loved it if I could see him in person. Kerun is now run by Keiichi's son, preserving the same atmosphere and flavor that has not changed since. Kerun https://goo.gl/maps/y3ic4NwPkYhWHLJUA A documentary film...

Hiking Mt. Nabewari - walking up over 1,200 for a hot bowl of udon

As practicing hiking as my hobby, Mt. Nabewari was one of my top-list of trails that I had been willing to visit someday. Mt. Nabewari is not famous for its trails nor shrines; it's known for a hot bowl of udon noodles served at the rest house at the peak of the mountain. I waited until the beginning of December to fully enjoy a warm bowl of udon and leeches. Tanzawa Mountain Range, which includes Mt. Nabewari, is a habitat of leeches, and I heard many people bit by leeches during summer. So I decided to hike Mt. Nabewari on the first Saturday in December 2020. The weather forecast was sunny, but it turned out to be rain, which made it a tough hike. I left my house at 4:40 AM to catch the earliest bus from Odakyu Line Shibusawa Station to Okura Bus Stop. Okura Bus Stop is the most common bus stop to hike Mt. Nabewari. There is a building with a shop, benches, and restrooms near the bus stop where hikers can prepare to start hiking. You can also submit hiking registrati...

Hiking Mt. Fuji via Yoshida Trail - August 2022

Back in August, I hiked Mt. Fuji for the first time with my friends. Mt. Fuji is probably the mountain I’ve seen the most - it’s apparent from various places in the greater Kanto area. I was fortunate that I was able to hike in nice weather. The forecast did not look good until two days before the planned day, which made me worry, and I wasn’t sure if I could go until the day before. As a result, we could enjoy hiking in beautiful weather, which turned out to be one of the best hiking experiences ever. The hiking route was well-maintained with many signs, and every restroom was clean, as it’s a world heritage. I was surprised to see some mountain huts even sell clothes! I stayed at the closest mountain hut from the summit, called the eighth station Tomoe-kan. Although it was mostly cloudy, I could see the sunrise and hike around the Ohachi-Meguri trail to the highest point in Japan, Kengamine. Day1 We arrived at the Fuji Subaru Line 5th Station around 11:00 AM wi...

Glimpses of Japan

Search This Blog