Lampu No Yado – Aoni Onsen

Aoni Onsen and Hirosaki
February 20-22
Aoni and Hirosaki Aomori
-3 to 0C, Snow, Snow and Snow

Its only been 2 month since the start of  the work year, yet I’ve never felt so tired and stressed.  The economy, uncertain future, my savings portfolio tanking,  survivor’s guilt  after witnessing many friends getting laid off and revenue pressures at work are taking a toll.  So given I have a goal to live a full and pain free life until I turn 103, it was time to take care of myself.

I’ve always wanted to go to the tip of  Honshu Island (it’s the main island of Japan where Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka are located) to Aomori.  It supposed to be old Japan where the main industry is agriculture. – namely apples.  I’ve also been told that that area gets the most snow of all Japan including more than Hokkaido.   I read about an interesting Onsen (hot spring) located in a remote mountain region in Aomori.  It’s called Aoni Onsen and is known as Lampu no Yado  (The Lamp Inn) because they use oil lamps for lighting.  I’ve seen pictures of it in winter and it looked absolutely beautiful.   I find snow and the ocean to be calming and cleansing.  So I decided to organize a trip to Aoni Onsen.  I didn’t think any of my friends in Japan wanted to go so was prepared to go solo but Dima who is always up for an adventure gave me an enthusiastic “YES” when I told her about the trip so I planned the trip for both of us.

We decided on the weekend of Feb 20-22, 2009 as it was still the middle of winter in Aomori and (sad for me but good for  Dima), Dima has to return back to the States for an exciting new position the second week of March.  Fortunately, I was able to get the last room available for that weekend.   We also decided to take the train as a) planes get cancelled quite often due to snow in that area and b) it will be more fun.  The folks at JTB (Japan Travel Bureau) who helped me organize the trip was worried because no English is spoken in that area and it required we take 3 train and 2 buses to get there .  (Well, JTB told me 2 trains and 3 buses but we found out they gave us the wrong information!)   Anyhow, off we were on early morning February 20, 2009 to Aoni Onsen.

A bit about Lampu no Yado

Lampu no Yado was established in Showa 4 which translates to  1929.  Apparently, many people knew about this hot spring deep  in the mountains during the old days and during the civil war in Japan.  Many of the samurai rested and healed in the special waters of the mountains.  It is located deep in the mountains so was very difficult to get to for a long time.  Lampu no Yado was always closed during the winter because the passes were dangerous and they did not have electricity.  However, about 10 years ago they renovated the inn and a road was built so that a bus can take guests directly to the inn.   During the renovation electricity was added for safety reasons and made it possible to be open during the harsh winter of Aoni. 

Friday February 20, 2009
Day One of our trip

We decided to meet at 8am at Nihombashi gate for the Tohoku shinkansen (bullet train) in Tokyo Station.  As expected though, finding the gate was not easy at Tokyo Station and I was a bit worried I would not be able to find Dima.  But as I was walking to the gate, I saw her walk directly towards me so we were very lucky to find each other.  We took that as a good omen for the trip because thousands of people go through Tokyo Station every day and to find each other in that fashion is unheard of!  We then found the entrance to the shinkansen albeit it was confusing and made it to our seats on time for our first leg of our trip. 

The first leg of our trip – Tokyo Station

The Shinkansen took us to Hachinohe station, which is about a 3 hour ride from Tokyo.  About an hour into the ride, I noticed less and less buildings and snow started to fall.  Two hours into the ride we were in snow country.  I could feel the tension in me start to melt away.  The scenery was breathtaking.  We arrived on time at Hachinohe station to a snowy and cold day. 

We then found our next train, which took us to Hirosaki.   It was about a 1.5 hour train ride again surrounded with beautiful scenery.  It was hard to take photos but the train rode along a stream and forest blanketed with white snow.  As we got close to Aomori though, buildings started to appear albeit with a lot of space and nature in between.  Before we knew it we were at Hirosaki. 

The second leg of our trip – Hachinohe Station

Scenery from the train:  Hachinohe to Hirosaki

Now, JTB told me to take a bus to Kuro Ishi Station.  Since we did not know how to take the bus, we stopped at the tourist office and asked.  Well, that’s when we found out we had to take a train!  Anyhow, it wasn’t too complicated and since we had about 1.5 hours to spare before the train left, we decided to go for lunch.  It was cold in Hirosaki so instead of venturing  far from the station, we decided to go to the Best Western hotel for lunch which was adjacent to the city.  Once we got to the restaurant, we realized it was probably THE fanciest restaurant in this little town as it had an extensive wine list and quite an Italian menu.  We both decided to have Caesar’s salad, which was one of the best I had in Japan.  I then had seafood croquettes that were delicious as a main course and Dima had Italian rice balls as her main course.  It was then time to catch our train to Kuro Ishi.  We chatted a bit too long during lunch so we had to rush to get to the train.  The people were so nice to help us buy the tickets because nothing was in English .  When we got to the platform covered in snow, we saw our train that only had 3 cars!  It was the cutest train.  Every one in our car stared at us as we were the only foreigners in the train.  I believe many foreigners do not venture to this part of town so it’s a rare site.

Train to Kuro Ishi – Hirosaki Station

We arrived in very snowy Kuro ishi, which also was a very small train station and then walked to the bus station.  Everyone was so nice at the bus station and the ticket lady took time explaining to me why it’s better to get a roundtrip ticket and explained the process (basically I had to get a stamp from Lampu no Yado).  We waited at the bus station for about 10 minutes.   I notice some locals carrying on a conversation in the local dialect.  I could not understand a SINGLE word!  The bus arrived and we all boarded the tiny bus with our luggage.  It was a good 40 minute ride through the town of Kuro Ishi to our next bus stop Nijino-ko.  The town of Kuro-ishi is cute.  If I had time, I would have loved to explore it.  It seems the town is famous for Kokeshi dolls (Japanese wooden dolls).  No high rises and no Starbucks and McDonalds.  As a matter of fact, we did not even see a Starbucks in Hirosaki!

Kuro Ishi as seen from the bus

We arrived at Nijino-ko around 4pm to even more snow!  There the bus to Lampu no Yado was waiting for us.  Our driver was very cute and first asked us to go inside the rest area and fill up some paper work.  After the paperwork we got on the bus for the 7km ride to the inn.  It took us about 30 minutes to go the 7km because the road was icy  and the weather was snowy,  and very windy.  We went up the mountain and then slightly down through this remote valley.  The scenery was breathtaking.  I could feel myself breath easier.  I knew then that I was going to love this inn. During the ride, the bus driver acted as a tour guide but since I was sitting in the back, I could not hear a lot of what he was saying.  I did hear though that they were not getting enough snowfall which was hard to believe as there was at least 5 meters of snow everywhere!  He said so far, they have only received less than 50% of the average.  Not good news for the water supply of Japan!

The bus that took us to Nijino-ko:  Nijino-ko Bus Station

The bus that took us to Lampu No Yado

30 minutes later we were at the inn.  It was magical.  Dima and I looked at each other with a big smile.  We were very happy.  The entrance was lit by oil lamps.  We got our keys to our room and believe we got the best room as it was on the second floor (there are only 2 floors) and at the corner so we had a view of the stream, the mountains and a waterfall.  There was a battery powered heater in our room and an oil lamp for light.   We then had to check out the bathroom.  Dima was worried it would be Japanese style and that’s what JTB  told me…. BUT surprise surprise, there was one Western Style toilet and it was a TOTO with a heated seat!  So now Dima is happy and I am also relieved as I can do the Japanese style toilet but I do prefer the Western ones!  After admiring our room and the scenery, we decided to go to our first onsen before dinner. 

Entrance to our room

Our only light source was this oil lamp

View from our room

Another view from our room

Lampu no Yado consists of 4 onsens: 
1) indoor male/female segregated onsen
2) waterfall view segregated onsen with rotemburo (outdoor onsen)
3) coed rotemburo with a outdoor wooden bath and view of the mountain
4) a larger segregated onsen  with a rotemburo

We decided to go for the waterfall view onsen as our first onsen experience at Lampu no Yado.  Since it was not my first onsen experience, I was pretty comfortable getting naked, washing myself in front of people and soaking in the tub.  Dima was a bit shy at the beginning but since she was committed to the experience she did it and after the first try she really got into it!  The onsen was fantastic.  All the tension melted away and my mind became clean.  We ventured to the rotemburo in front of the waterfall.  The water was lukewarm (body temperature) as its outside and it was -3C but comfortable enough for Dima and I.  Another woman joined us and she was comfortable but 2 other older ladies joined us and thought it was too cold so went back inside.  I can’t tell you what a calming and cleansing experience it is to sit outside in a warm hot spring  surrounded by snow and a waterfall.  All the clutter in your mind disappears.  After about an hour in the onsen, we decided to go to our rooms,  and get ready for the 6pm dinner. 

It was twilight when we walked the path to our first onsen.  The path was lit with candles and oil lamps

We had to cross a stream to get to the waterfall onsen.  Fortunately it was covered so that the bridge does not get icy.  Dima is all bundled up and ready to go.

The entrance to the waterfall viewing onsen.  The ladies entrance is on the right.

The view of the waterfall from the rotemburo.  I could not take a photo of the rotemburo because there were ladies in the bath.

By the time we left the waterfall onsen it was dusk.  The oil lamps and candles lit the path back to our room.

 

We went to the dining hall in our Yukatas and were treated to a fantastic and healthy dinner of barbecued fish, mountain vegetables , duck pot a feu Japanese style, tempura and delicious simmered tofu and vegetables.  Dima and I also decided to have sake with our dinner which was sake made by the inn and delicious!  After eating all of our dinner and although we were sleepy we decided to go to the onsen again since it was only 700pm. 

Our first dinner.

We had grilled Ayu ( a local fish that was caught from the stream surrounding the inn)

Our bus driver said that a blizzard was arriving that night and when we went up to our rooms to get ready for the onsen, we heard the wind howling and saw the snow fall  hard and trees swirling.  So both of us weren’t up to going outside so we decided to try the indoor onsen.  It was OK and the onsen water did the job of making us even more sleepy but we agreed we liked sitting outside the best. 
We went back to our room around 8pm and decided to read.  We also had to figure out how to turn off the heater as it was the rule of the inn (don’t want to get carbon monoxide poisoining!) so I had to go get help on how to do it.   We also found out that we were not to keep the oil lamp burning while sleeping for some reason.  I thought that that would make sleeping difficult but  it didn’t matter anyhow, as we did not do any reading and ended up falling asleep by 9pm!

Saturday February 21, 2009
Aoni Onsen Snow, Snow and Snow

I had a pretty good sleep but did remember hearing the howling wind.  I was up around 530am and had to go to the bathroom but it was SO COLD!!  I toughed it out, put on a hat, muffler and a jacket to go to the bathroom which is across the hall of our room.  The inn is not heated at night so it is cold!!  Anyhow I  make it but am freezing and can’t get warm even when back in the blankets.  We made a mistake of only using one blanket.  Dima heard me and she too was freezing and therefore could not get out of  futon (Japanese bed).  So we turned the heater on and I said that I’m going to the onsen to warm up.  Dima decided to sleep in a bit more instead.

Since I was already cold, I decided to go to the waterfall onsen.  It was a challenge to get there as there was snow everywhere and part of the pathway froze due to the night storm. And it was snowing and snowing hard.  It snowed all day long! Once I got there I quickly got out of the yukata , washed myself in the very hot water and jumped into the onsen.  I thought of going to the rotemburo to admire the waterfall in the morning but the wind was still howling and the pathway was solid ice.  I was surprised to see however, the lady we met yesterday afternoon outside in the rotemburo.  Her head was covered in ice as her hair froze!!  She came in a few minutes later and said it was cold!  She quickly jumped into the hot indoor onsen to warm up.  I was feeling warm and comfortable after about 40 minutes so got up and got dressed for the day.

I saw Dima in the room and she decided to live in her Yukata for the day and went to the indoor onsen for a quick dip before breakfast.  Breakfast was another feast!  We had delicious simmered Ayu (lake fish caught outside and simmered for so long that you can eat the whole thing but I didn’t eat the head), tofu pot a feu, pickles, vegetables, and miso soup.  Dima amazed me as she ate everything and loved it!

Our Breakfast

After breakfast, we decided to read and relax until 11am We agreed to try the co-ed onsen at 11am because from 11-12pm and 5-6pm its ladies only!  We tried taking a walk in the morning but the paths were covered with knee deep snow so passed as we did not want to get lost or fall into the river.  We even tried walking around the building but was told not to because of the danger of snow and icicles falling from the roof.  So we decided to read.  It was so nice to be able to read undisturbed with no TV noise and distractions.  I started reading in our room but them moved to the lounge which had an irori (Japanese fireplace).

Some photos from our walk.  We could not find the path as it was covered in knee deep snow.  But our intention was to find a nearby lake.

 

An interesting window from a shack that belongs to the inn.

Dima's photo of me during our "walk"

We tried walking around the inn but were told not to due to danger of getting hit by sheets of ice and snow accumulated on the roof.

The lounge with an irori – Japanese fireplace

While relaxing in the lounge I looked outside to see one of the cooks catching fish.  He put his catch in the small pool specially made to hold fish.

   

It was then time for our onsen.  We walked the short but very cold walk to the rotemburo .  When we walked in there was no one there but we could not find a changing area.  We then found a small hut but it was outside so we were FREEZING getting undressed.  Our teeth chattered while undressing so as soon as we were done we jumped into the rotemburo.  It was fantastic.  Dima and I agreed it was our favorite.  Part of it is in a cave but you also had a fantastic view of the mountains.   The water was not super hot like the indoor ones but not lukewarm like the one by the waterfall.  It was perfect as long as your whole body was in the water.  About 20 minutes later, an older lady came by and we thought she was going to join us in the rotemburo but instead got into the wooden tub that I thought was for housing water to wash yourself with.  She loved it as she had a big grin on her face.  Apparently it was put there so one can have a private moment to enjoy the scenery.  So of course, we had to try it too.  As soon as she got out, I jumped in the tub.  The water was much warmer but it was so  relaxing as it felt like you were surrounded by snow.  Dima got a picture of me.  It was then Dima’s turn.  She loved it!  She has become a total onsen fan.  We both agreed we are doing this onsen again at 5pm!

Our favorite rotemburo – the Co-Ed Onsen

 

Dima enjoying the tub surrounded with snow

Me, enjoying the tub.  It snowed the whole time we were there.  You can see the snow accumulate on my head.

Since we really got into the onsen spirit, we decided to go to the 4th onsen which is in front of the building.  We found the changing area to be big and the indoor onsen was indeed the largest.  We also ventured to the rotemburo which was small but very nice.  There was a screen that shielded the view ( I later found out there is a campsite across from it which is closed at winter but will have full view of the rotemburo in any other season without the screen.  Next to the rotemburo is a huge cauldron which is filled with onsen water and pours into the rotemburo.  Dima and I were thinking we can jump into it like the wooden bath in the other rotemburo but because it was a cauldron we decided not to go for it. 

Our second favorite onsen.  I could not get a photo of the rotemburo because some ladies were enjoying it.

I spent the rest of the afternoon reading  and napping and did one exercise break.  That is, I walked to the gift shop and bought  an apple snack (we were surrounded by ads for apples from Hirosaki to Aoni because that is what they are famous for!) and sake.  I bought the sake that we had last night and found out that it was specially brewed sake for Lampu no Yado so cannot be bought anywhere else.  The lady of the house was very talkative in explaining to me the benefits of the sake and then said that she will sell me a big bottle for only 500 yen more.   The big bottle is for restaurant use only but she will make an exception.  Since it was double the size of the bottle I was going to buy for I took her up on the offer.  I also bought a special herb tea which is supposed to be good for the health.

Then all of a sudden it was 5pm so time for the “co-ed” rotemburo but was ladies only between 5-6pm.  As we were entering we saw 2 older men leave.  When we entered 2 young women were already in the rotemburo.  We quickly undressed as it was still snowing and cold and while Dima jumped into the rotemburo I jumped into the wooden bath.  Then all of a sudden the Japanese ladies told me that I was not to go into it!  We corrected them but I saw doubt in their face.  After I thoroughly enjoyed the experience, Dima went in and I talked to them in the rotemburo.  I explained that we met an elder lady who told us it was OK.  They were still doubtful until after Dima finished and a Japanese lady entered and first thing she did was jump in the wooden bath.  It was funny that we had to explain to the Japanese ladies that it was there to enjoy the onsen water while being surrounded by snow.  As we enjoyed the rotemburo, our elder lady friend who taught us about the wooden bath showed up.  She too again got into the wooden bath as soon as it became available.  After about 50 minutes, we decided to get out, get dressed and then get ready for dinner.  Somehow, Dima’s hat disappeared though!  I think somebody mistakenly took it as there were quite a few women who decided to take the “co-ed” rotemburo during the 5-6pm ladies time only.

After we got dressed we went to dinner which was another feast albeit mostly the same food from the night before.  We did however, enjoy the sake again.  We were so relaxed and content that we got sleepy again but we decided to go for the onsens as it was our last night.  We went to the waterfall onsen first as the snow stopped and we saw one star so hoped that maybe we could see the waterfall at night.  Unfortunately it did not happen but since I was there I braved the cold and the frozen pathway and jumped in the rotemburo.  It was lukewarm but tolerable for about 10 minutes.  I started feeling my hair freeze so went back inside to the onsen to thaw out.   We then decided to go to the rotemburo/onsen in front of the house.  That one was not as crowded and after warming up in the large indoor onsen, Dima and I went to the rotemburo to thoroughly relax and wish we could stay here forever!

By the time we got back to the room it was 8pm.  We decided to read but that did not work and after we turned off the heater, we both fell into a deep sleep by 9pm.

Sunday February 22, 2009
Aoni and Hirasaki, Snow

I got up early again (5am) to go to the bathroom.  I slept soundly as there was no wind and was warm.  I don’t remember the last time I slept so soundly!  However, once I got to the freezing bathroom, I was cold!!  So I turned on the heater and ended up waking  up Dima.   I could not get warm again so told her that I was going to the onsen to warm up.  I decided to go to our second favorite onsen ( the one in front of the  building) as it is big and also has a nice rotemburo.  I had the whole place to myself which was fantastic!  As I was getting ready to leave, Dima came in and she too enjoyed her last day in a fabulous onsen and rotemburo.

We had another fantastic breakfast and chatted a bit with the elder lady that taught us about the wooden bath.  I found out that she traveled alone since she was in junior high school and has been all over Japan except for Okinawa.  I asked her what her favorite place is and she said Noto Peninsula as that is where she grew up.  Its one of the places I really want to go to.  Not sure I’ll have the opportunity though. 

As I was getting to leave and packing in our room, I look out the window and I see a guy with a basket of towels and Dima’s hat!!  I go run downstairs to find the man but can’t find him.  I see Dima coming up the stairs and tell her I saw your hat but can’t find the man that has it!  A few minutes later, a man comes to our room with Dima’s hat.  Dima is now happy but we are both very sad to leave this special place.  Our minds are clear and we are relaxed.  I believe it was a special Japanese experience for Dima and I am so hoping to return here before my assignment is up.

The sun setting:  View from our room

The gift shop.  Again lit by oil lamps.

The "chandelier" at the entrance of the inn.

 

As we leave on the 820am bus the snow starts falling again and we take the beautiful snow covered mountain road to the bus station .  As the winds have died down and the snow is gentle we see many animal tracks in the snow.   The driver tells us they are rabbit tracks, but in the spring, summer and fall one can see bear tracks and wild boar tracks on the hiking trails.  Now I’m thinking I really have to go back to this special place.

We take the reverse course back to Hirosaki where we also say goodbye to the elder lady that we met.  She too is from Tokyo but she is stopping at Moriaka for eating and shopping.  We decided to spend about 3 hours in Hirosaki to do some sightseeing.

After putting our luggage in the lockers at the train station, we do the 2 km or so walk to our first sightseeing destination of HIrosaki  – the Hirosaki castle.  As we are walking a light snow starts falling.  First thing we notice is how quite and empty the streets are for a Sunday .  We loved it.  On the way, we notice the beautiful manhole covers that are unique to each city.  In Hirosaki, the manhole covers have the Buddhist symbol.  So we were very surprised to see a Christian Church on our way to the castle.  We considered going inside but since it was in middle of mass, we decide to pass and head to our destination , the castle instead.

The Christian church in Hirosaki

We arrive at the castle and we both now understand why its famous for cherry blossom viewing.  The moat around the castle is surrounded with cherry blossoms!  As we enter the grounds , larger snow flakes start falling and we notice we practically have the whole place to ourselves except for a handful of people.  It was beautiful.  The snow covered grounds were beautiful and snow covered the castle.  Although we were cold and were getting wet, we thoroughly enjoyed the walk.

The entrance to the grounds of Hirosaki castle

The grounds of Hirosaki castle

The moat that is surrounded by old cherry blossom trees.  Must be gorgeous in the spring.

The remains of part of the castle

The entrance to the shrine of the castle.  It started snowing hard and we were getting cold so we decided to head back instead of exploring more of the grounds.

Since everything was closed for winter, we headed to the nearest exist and since we were wet from the snow, we started getting cold.  We decided to walk toward the patisserie we saw on the way to the castle.  As we were walking, we found ourselves in front of a boulangerie.  Since it was so inviting we went in for a hot beverage and a snack.  It was owned by a couple who baked everything that was sold in the store.  I had their curry pan (bread stuffed with curry) and Dima had 2 of their breads.  We both had a hot cup of tea.  The boulangerie was warm that after about 5 minutes we were no longer cold.  After warming up, we decided to head out.  The owner of the store then came to us with 2 umbrellas!  He knew we were soaked so gave then to us for free!  They were so so nice!

The bakery owned by a couple.  If ever in Hirosaki, you must stop by here as everything is made on the premises.

Because we had umbrellas and since the sun was out, we were not as cold and decided to walk back to the station.  But we got distracted by an “omiyage” (gifts) sign so we decided to stop at the shop.  We find out that it’s not one shop but a complex of traditional gift shops and  a museum.

We decide to go to the museum as it is a Nebuta museum.  Every year in August, Hirosaki is host to one of the most famous festivals in Japan called the Nebuta festival.  Its supposed to be one of the wildest festivals in Japan.  It takes place during the first week of August.  During the festival, the townsfolk of Hirosaki parade about 60 large lanterns down the streets.  No one is sure of the origins but one of the most widely accepted view is that the festival emerged from a custom of ancient farmers.   When the farmers became sleepy, they neglected their duties and sometimes suffered accidents.  To avoid this they placed small lanterns on the river, vessels to carry their sleepiness downstream.  Over the years, the custom gradually evolved into a festival.  The word “neputa” is said to have derived from “neputejaa” which is the word for drowsiness in the Tsugaru dialect which is spoken in this region. 
The lanterns are huge, colorful and violent.  On one side of each lantern is a beautiful woman.  However the other side always depicts a violent scene.  I found the artwork to be wild.

Nebuta Museum:  The drum is to the right of the flutist.  He gave us a lesson in drumming and gave us an introduction of the place

Some of the lanterns are huge!  They are made of paper and handpainted.  Gorgeous but violent

Always a beautiful woman on one side of the large lanterns

Kingyo Neputa:  This is modeled after the Tsugaru Nishiki, a goldfist species unique to Tsugaru.  The goldfish has been revered as a harbinger of good luck from ancient times. 

Close Ups of the paintings on the Lanterns.

 

Thought this was interesting as she had pierced earrings.  I've never seen this in Japan before where piercing is still frowned upon in many places in Japan (EG, can't get a job at the infamous Hotel Okura if you have pierced ears, tattoo or dyed hair)

 

As we walked through the museum, we entered “Takumi” which is a workshop.   The building was a rice granary about 400 years ago and has been converted to a workshop for the production of the folk handicrafts of Tsugaru (Hirosaki area). 

My favorite was the Tsugaru-Nuri workshop.  This is the leading crafts of Tsugaru.  Its lacquerware specific to the region and is very time consuming to make as it requires 40 coats.  The end result is magnificent!  I bought a small picture frame as a souvenir that will remind me of this place.  Other workshops include the kokeshi doll, embroidery, pottery, and kites. 

Tsugaru-Nuri Workshop.

Kokeshi Workshop

Embroidery Workshop.

After we admired the workshop we went to the Tsugaru Shamisen center where we saw a free 10 minute concert.  The shamisen is said to have originated from the Chinese sanshin, a three stringed lute made from snakeskin, introduced into the present day Okinawa.  In the latter half of the 16th century, it crossed the sea and landed in a city of flourishing trade known as Sakai (present day Osaka).  As the shamisen spread to different parts of the country, it slowly evolved in design and form.  Today the Tsugaru-Shamisen is considered a leading art and culture of all of Japan.

Tsugaru Shamisen concert

After the concert, we walked through the courtyard to the gift center and then took a taxi back to the train station.  Dima bought some local blend tea and then we boarded our bullet train back to Tokyo.   Around 7pm we were back to the city lights and bustling Tokyo.  Realty begin to set in and 10 minutes into Tokyo, I was longing for the peace and quiet of Lampu No Yado.

Dima and Janet outside Aoni Onsen – Lampu No Yado