Published date: April 18, 2025
[Solo Travel Journal] A Hotel Standing in the Rice Fields, Experiencing Art with All Senses
Room Type Stayed
Some info has been automatically translated by AI.
Experience of the stay
■Transportation
・About 1 hour from Haneda Airport to Shonai Airport.
・About 20 minutes from Shonai Airport to Science Park.
(The bus departs according to the arrival of the flights, so it’s reassuring.)
■Room
・A simple design mainly in beige and brown tones.
・Nothing excessive, but the interior and furniture are well-crafted and notable.
・The view from the window is just rice fields and a single cherry tree, which is very calming.
・Amenities include only a toothbrush.
・There was water and drip coffee provided.
■SPA
・Natural hot springs and Finnish sauna.
・Outside is pitch dark, and the view from the outdoor bath is only rice fields; you can hear car noises in the distance, but it’s otherwise very quiet.
・I only used the onsen, but the sauna users seemed to really enjoy the cold plunge as they prepared.
・The men's and women's baths are switched at scheduled times, so you can enjoy different baths in the night and morning.
・After the bath, I bought ice cream made from Yamagata milk at the shop. It was delicious and refreshing as it didn’t contain eggs.
■Library
・There are library spaces throughout the facility where you can enjoy various books.
・The interior and book arrangements are lovely. I found it inspiring and would love to emulate it.
■Restaurant
・I had breakfast. There were more varieties than expected; I could enjoy various dishes.
・The menu was centered around Japanese cuisine, but there were some breads as well.
・The drinks included various fruit juices, green smoothies, and coffee.
・The spiced curry and vegetable soup were also delicious.
・There were many accompaniments for rice, which made it hard to choose.
・I enjoyed Yuta-hime brown rice, salted fermented soybeans, and pickled plum.
・While I was taking pictures of the view from the window, a staff member kindly informed me, "You can go out to the terrace."
・From the terrace, I could see a beautiful mountain in the distance.
Experiences during the trip
[Day 1]
- Took a bus from Shonai Airport to Tsuruoka Station.
- Had a fruit tart and apple yogurt drink at Aomoriya, a fruit shop in front of the station.
- Walked to the Akagawa embankment and enjoyed the full bloom of cherry blossoms.
- Then walked to the hotel. I ended up walking a lot!
- Found a small cinema. I hope to visit it next time if I have the chance!
- For dinner, I had a pork cutlet (mixed platter) set meal at Hirata Farm, about a 10-minute walk from the hotel.
- I could get in right away before 6:00 PM, but since it was a Saturday, the seats filled up quickly. When I left, there were a few groups waiting.
- After dinner, I relaxed in the hotel's hot spring and enjoyed some reading.
[Day 2]
- Had a breakfast buffet at the hotel restaurant from 6:30 AM.
- Drinks at the buffet could be taken back to the room in paper cups.
- I read in the library space.
- Returned to my room for a bit and then went back to the hot spring. The outdoor bath in the morning felt great.
- Prepared myself and checked out at 10:00 AM.
- Walked to Tsuruoka Park.
- Strolled slowly through the park, which was full of cherry blossoms in full bloom.
- There was a cherry blossom festival happening, with many stalls set up. Many families were there.
- I bought and ate meat-wrapped rice balls and tornado potatoes while walking around.
- Then walked to Tsuruoka Station.
- Took a bus from Tsuruoka Station to Shonai Airport.
- Bought souvenirs at Kiyokawaya inside the airport and headed home.
- If you add Shonai Airport’s LINE as a friend, you can receive a coupon for Kiyokawaya. On this day, I was able to use a coupon for 200 yen off when I purchased over 1000 yen.