Work was pretty full on today – we were looking at integrated transport solutions in Nagoya and then had to make our way to Shizuoka which took longer than anticipated… we have found the SatNav in the car to be variously reliable. It gives us decent information on route options and is usually accurate on the cost of tolls, (which are seriously prohibitive considering they barely save you any time at all on some occasions), but we don’t think is always operating on real time traffic data. We have had a couple of instances where the tolls route had a lot of congestion and ended up taking much longer than the no tolls route would have taken. C’est la vie. Live and learn.

We stayed for the night at Migiwaya in Yaizu Harbour in Shizuoka in a lovely little ryokan known for the fresh and crystal clear onsen water. We had a quiet little garden villa at the back of the properly in a tucked away secluded little spot.

The room was enormous – I think these newer ryokan establishments have realised how people from the cramped larger cities of the country enjoy a bit of space for restful and relaxation.

The living room was also quite large – had enormous closets and the lovely little half height rocking chairs that were really comfortable.

The tea making space was well equipped and the fridge stocked with complimentary beer, highball and non alcoholic drinks.His and her yukata for the stay.and his and her towels. The blue is for boys, and pink is for girls really is ubiquitous. Outside was a lovely deck overlooking a private garden. Not as established as some gardens but will be lovely in a few years as the plants mature. Dressing room:Bathroom:Snackage and drinks: Before scubbing off the road and into the onsen. It was a very warm 41C – which probably only felt warm because the ambient temp was closer to 20C than 10C this close to the coastline. The water really is crystal clear, and while not as soft as some others, was lovely and refreshing. After a couple of dips in the bath (in between getting some work done) it was time to go for dinner. Here was the menu for the evening, laid out in a lovely autumnal design:

Appetisers of wheat bread and persimmon mixed with walnut paste, roasted duck, smoked salmon, Japanese radish, red turnip pickle and citrus seasoned grilled fish. So tasty.Maguro sashimi – this was delicious. Lovely three different cuts of tuna of varying grades. <3 Big fan! Had to try the local saké of course – cute little saké jug.Shimonita leek soup. Followed by a house speciality – deep fried tuna cheek. This was possibly the most flavourful cooked piece of tuna I’ve ever had in my life. I’m not super fond of tuna once it’s more than lightly seared, but this was fantastic.Local fish with Chinese cabbage served with seaweed sauce.Simmered Shrim Potatoes.Marinated steak with malted rice paste.

Steamed rice with fried Sakura shrimp, served with miso soup and pickles. It’s interesting to see how the flavours in miso soup change so much from region to region.

For dessert, a small brown sugar pudding and some local fruits.

Another delicious meal, and so beautifully presented… 10/10 would dine here again.

After dinner we had a reservation in a different, larger, private onsen… so we made our way down the garden paths to a private little cabana-like space. It had a double dressing room, a double shower room and this lovely large onsen. Only we found it to be rather too well lit and took care of that pronto…much nicer without a spotlight overhead, and just the garden lights left on.
This was actually an odd space to be bathing in – it has all the appearance and feel of privacy, but probably had the actual privacy of a tent! People couldn’t see in, but you definitely got the impression with the open air space that your voices would carry, though the ryokan was not full and we saw only two other parties at dinner.

After this it was time for a much need, good night sleep with the sounds of the ocean not far away. We both woke up bright and early – our deck faced predominantly east, and even though we had remembered to close all the blinds, we found ourselves waking early. Never mind, that just gave more time to have another soak in the onsen on the deck before breakfast in the dining room.

Breakfast that comprised of a cast of a thousand dishes!
Grilled Japanese horse mackerel with fish sausage and wasabi.Tuna sashimi for breakfast! How decadent.Tamago with pickled broth sauce.

Plus a bunch of other delicious things – they seem determined to fill us up at breakfasts here, which works well – if you skip lunch!
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