The Highest-Rated Hot Spring Ryokan in Japan | Niigata Shiratama-no-Yu KAHOU

The Highest-Rated Hot Spring Ryokan in Japan | Niigata Shiratama-no-Yu KAHOU

Over 100 years of history, the “Beauty Skin Hot Spring.” Niigata Prefecture, Tsukioka Onsen. To the No.1 ryokan in Japan’s ryokan rankings, chosen by professionals. Enjoy Japan’s hospitality, green onsen, and Niigata’s exquisite cuisine to the fullest. Come and experience the charm of the No.1 ryokan through this video. Hello from the Shinkansen! Today, we’re staying at one of the most highly-rated ryokans in Japan for 2024. The location is Tsukioka Onsen, in Shibata City, Niigata Prefecture. Currently, we’re on our way to Niigata Station, about a 2-hour shinkansen ride from Tokyo Station. By the way, Niigata has the third-largest number of hot springs in Japan. Arriving at Niigata Station. It’s mid-February, and it’s still snowing. I wonder what the weather is like today. It’s not Hachiko, it’s Tamako. We’re switching to the Hakushin Line and heading to Toyosaka Station. It’s about a 20-minute ride from Niigata Station. I like standing at the very front or back of the train to enjoy the view. When we arrive at Toyosaka Station, we’ll take the bus. There are five buses a day going to Tsukioka Onsen. It’s a 20-minute ride, and the fare is 300 yen per person. If you ride to the final stop, it will take you right in front of the ryokan. There’s a sister ryokan called Shirotama-no-yu Senkei, which was founded in 1967, nearby. Shirotama-no-yu Kahou, founded in 1997, is newer and a larger ryokan compared to Senkei. We’re happy that so many staff members are greeting us from the entrance. As for what this ryokan was highly rated for, it was its hospitality, cuisine, and facilities. I wonder how amazing it must be. Here is the front desk. The luxurious lobby and lounge overlook the garden. The high ceiling is amazing. It’s so beautiful. We’re led to seats with a garden view through large windows. A Japanese garden of about 20,000 square feet. With more than 100 guest rooms, the hotel itself is quite large. There’s a free service area like this. hey offer a variety of drinks, including hot beverages. Drinks are available until 10, and sweets until 4. Let’s grab some now. Macarons and cake! Yay! Pancakes to cook ourselves?! I’ve never seen so many Japanese sweets in a free service area before. Savory snacks are good too. But I can’t resist picking the sweet ones. And then there’s a wine and sake server. Four types of craft beer! And it’s all free. Red bean jelly with purple sweet potato. The lobby is on the second floor. Take the stairs or elevator to the first floor. The first floor has a restaurant and banquet hall. The open atrium in front of the large bath is amazing. Each floor is decorated with paintings. We can step out into the garden. It looks like there’s a stage here. There’s a large pond, and it feels like it’s floating on water. The contrast between the green and white is beautiful. The surface of the pond is frozen, but it’s not quite skateable. I wonder if we can walk across that bridge? >> Staff: Thank you very much for visiting us today. >> Staff: We’re on the second floor now. >> Staff: Your room is on the 10th floor. The atrium we saw from the first floor. It’s even more amazing when viewed from the elevator. The 10th floor is the top floor. >> Staff: Your room is Room 3104. The door isn’t auto-locking. The part of the entrance hall has a gentle slope. When you enter, it’s very spacious and clean. It has traditional Japanese touches, but the modern design keeps it comfortable. When you open the curtains, you can see a peaceful rural landscape surrounded by mountains. >> Staff: Thank you very much for visiting us today. >> Staff: The public bath is on the first floor. >> Staff: The bath is available until midnight. >> Staff: In the early morning, it opens at 5:30 AM. >> Staff: That concludes the introduction. Is everything alright? >> Staff: Please enjoy your stay. On the table… I found more Japanese sweets! Since it has the name “Kaho” printed on it, is it their original? A mooncake. Inside is white bean paste with azuki beans. Paper balloons. How nostalgic. Niigata is Japan’s top rice-producing region, so it’s full of rice fields. What are those white dots in the water? Those are swans. In the Tsukioka Onsen area, there are foot baths and souvenir shops nearby. It’s about a 10-minute walk, so if the weather is good, it’s worth checking out. Next to the sofa is a mini-bar. A capsule coffee machine. Bottled water. There’s also a free drink service in the lounge. But since the lounge is a bit far on the 10th floor, so it’s nice to have so much in the room. Here, we also have a TV and a hanging chair. The entire guest room is quite spacious, about 99㎡. There are two double beds and a 12-tatami mat Japanese-style room. I wonder what this is. A cute polka dot-patterned walk-in closet. It has great storage capacity. Men’s yukata and tabi socks.
(The rabbit is mine.) There are three sizes available. On the second shelf, women’s yukata. The pattern is cute. In addition to yukata, there are samue robes. On the shelf, there’s a sewing kit. It’s helpful in case of emergencies. The walk-in closet has two doors. You can also exit into the hallway in front of the entrance through this door. A spacious, clean toilet with a sink. Next to the toilet, there’s a washbasin. It’s also very spacious. The amenities include basic items as well as foam nets and hair clips. Oh, there’s laundry detergent too. Hot spring facial masks. There’s also a lot of skincare products. They have Refa hair straighteners, curling irons, and hair dryers. It’s amazing. They even have a facial roller! Moving further in, first, there’s the shower room. This is the cold plunge bath. It’s pretty deep. It maintains a temperature of around 16℃(60.8 °F) with a chiller. The bath is outdoors. Wow, the outside air is so cold. The water here isn’t hot spring water. I wonder what the view would be like if there were no snow. The swans are talking. And here is the private sauna. It’s hot. It’s spacious and can comfortably fit several people. You can choose from various aromas and do a self-Löyly. It’s so hot. Sweat is pouring out. There’s a chair to relax in, and you can enjoy the outdoor bath with a snowy view. It’s so open, I’m worried about being seen from outside. But since it’s on the 10th floor, I guess it’s okay. The outdoor bath is pretty hot. It’s spacious enough for two adults to soak together. At night, only a few streetlights and car lights shine. If it were clear, we might have seen the stars. The yukata is made of an incredibly soft material, unlike any I’ve worn before. Dinner is at the restaurant on the first floor. The entrance is magnificent. All the dining areas are private rooms. Our seats are towards the back. The restaurant is so large, and we have to follow a winding path. We’re following the guide to avoid getting lost… There’s a small garden at the back, and we have a spacious room. There’s a blanket here. I can feel the hospitality everywhere. The menu has a playful touch. First, the appetizer. Tofu. Wakasagi fish marinated in vinegar, and more. Squid pickled and chrysanthemum. Local sake, “Yume.” The aperitif is a non-alcoholic plum wine and tea cocktail. Let’s eat. The salted squid is a specialty with a secret local miso ingredient. This is sesame tofu made with milk. It’s so chewy. The pattern on the door is cute. The dishes are brought one by one. >> Staff: This is sashimi made with tai, red tuna, winter yellowtail, and white shrimp. Oh, a cute rabbit🐇! And there’s also crab. This is Japanese clear dashi soup. First, the yellowtail. Gooood. The sake goes down so well. Snow crab with crab miso sauce. Mmm… Rich and delicious. The grilled dish has been lit. A Japanese steamed custard with foie gras mochi. It’s like a savory version of pudding. Radish and underneath it, a mochi filled with foie gras. The grilled dish is ready. The miso is spread thinly on the leaves, with the vegetables placed on top. Vegetables like taro are dipped into a fragrant grilled miso. It’s super hot and super delicious. Next is sukiyaki! First, the vegetables simmer. The special Japanese Black Wagyu. Beautiful. Wow! It looks amazing. At the end, we get square cotton candy. >> Staff: It’s like sukiyaki with snow falling on it. >> Staff: If you melt it, it will thicken. >> Staff: After flipping it, mix it with the broth and enjoy. Dip it in the egg mixed with grated yam. It melts and it’s so good! Along with seasonal vegetables and tofu. It’s irresistible. Sukiyaki is characterized by a sweet and savory flavor from sugar and soy sauce. Have you ever had sukiyaki? Finally, we have Niigata-grown Koshihikari rice! >> Staff: Grown with delicious water from the foothills, this rice is very tasty. One of the pleasures of staying in Niigata is getting to eat such delicious rice. There are three types of pickles. Nameko mushroom miso soup. Finally, the dessert. >> Staff: The matcha tiramisu tastes best when you eat the matcha powder, mascarpone, and sponge together. >> Staff: So, please make sure to dip the spoon all the way to the bottom. Fluffy and creamy. Not too sweet, just perfect. It was luxurious until the very end. We also had coffee. It was a wonderful meal, thank you. We came to the garden at night. It’s beautiful with the lights on, but… it’s too cold, so we are heading back. Let’s go to the hot spring. Let’s warm up. Oh, there’s an arcade! It seems to be open from 2 PM to 10 PM. Well, what should I try? As expected, the classic “Crocodile Panic” game. Today’s 4th place (not the best result). Let’s go to the public bath. Permission was granted to film outside of business hours. The changing room is huge, with high ceilings. The vanity area is amazing. There’s skincare, of course, and each seat has a Refa hairdryer and Steam facial equipment. And a manicure station. The self-source is a strong, sulfur-rich hot spring. The indoor bath is intentionally just regular hot water, not a hot spring. Still, it’s huge. And the ceiling is high. The shower area has Refa showerheads at every seat. The outdoor hot spring is a strong sulfur spring, so I’ll warm up in the indoor bath first. Once I’m warmed up, I’ll head to the outdoor bath! The self-source “Shiratama-no-Yu.” The water is sulfur, sodium, chloride, and sulfate, and it has a greenish color. It helps dissolve old dead skin cells, leaving the skin smooth. The large rock bath is connected by a wooden deck. There are several large rocks in the bath, creating a charming atmosphere. The green water turns milky white depending on the season and weather. The subtle sulfur smell and the thick water are so relaxing. (It might look like I’m swimming, but I’m not! You’re not meant to swim in a public bath). Btw, the men’s and women’s baths have the same layout, and there’s no changeover. The outdoor bath has a roof, so you can enjoy it no matter the weather. The surroundings are like a Japanese garden. If you keep going, you’ll find the hot spring spout. Since the sulfur content is among the highest in the country… I can already feel my skin becoming smoother. It’s amazing. There are still more outdoor hot spring baths to explore. This one is a reclining bath. It’s shallow, and you can relax by lying down. This one is a deep bath. When you stand, the water comes up to about your chest. In the deep water, you can really feel the pressure, which is very pleasant. The indoor bath also has a dry sauna and cold plunge pool. There’s so much variety. I could stay here forever. We came to the lounge at night! You can enjoy drinks including alcohol, and popsicles. Got melon soda flavor. We’ve returned to the room on the 10th floor. In the resting area next to the public bath, there are drinks and miso soup. So it’s nice to relax there after the bath. There are so many relaxing spaces and services here. I think it’s a great place, even for giving the gift of travel. There’s a ping pong room on the second floor, but it was crowded. So, we decided to play something else in the room. There are two double beds. They’ve provided blankets. Good night. Good morning. It looks like it snowed a little again last night. The snow is piling up today, making things tough. But waking up early and walking the garden path sounds nice. Breakfast is a buffet in the large hall. There are so many seats. It’s luxurious. It feels like a party venue. There are about 90 different dishes. They use mainly local Niigata ingredients for Japanese dishes. Some kind of Japanese stew. A salad with local vegetables. Here are some Western dishes like sausages and scrambled eggs. I love hash browns. Fried egg. Roast beef. Melon bread! Yay! The seafood don was amazing. Since it’s a buffet, you can pile on as much seafood as you want. Ikura! Let’s go for more. The dessert corner has cakes, fruits, and drinkable yogurt. Let’s eat! Self-made fresh waffles. Seafood don. It’s so fresh and good. For those who find there are few Japanese course meals or set meals, the buffet is a better option. The flavors are mild, and everything is delicious. Thank you for the meal. Back in the room for coffee time. The lounge cafe opens at 8:30 AM. But today, we decided to spend a quiet morning in the room. We reserved the private outdoor bath for 9 AM♨️. It was so popular that this was the only available time when we checked last evening. The price is 4,400 yen for 60 minutes. There are two types of private outdoor baths, and we’ll be using “Tsuki-no-Fune.” Wow, the changing room is spacious. There’s also a tatami area. The hairdryer is a Dyson. The changing room connects directly to the bath without any steps. It’s amazing to have such a big private bath with a garden. The water is also from the self-source hot spring. It’s a green sulfur spring with excellent beauty effects. It’s big enough for a few adults, so it’s perfect for booking with family or friends. The accommodation fee for two people with two meals was 87,494 yen (585.96 USD / €541.59). It was a wonderful stay. There were so many warm, heartfelt services. I’d love to stay here again. There’s also a shuttle bus to the station, so we’ll take it back. Thank you for watching! Please check out our other travel videos. See you next time!

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💻Shiratama no yu KAHOU
Website: https://www.kahou.com/en/
*This video was filmed with the hotel’s permission.

🗒 How to book
Agoda: https://px.a8.net/svt/ejp?a8mat=3TLBA5+BIDQL6+4X1W+BW0YB&a8ejpredirect=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.agoda.com%2Fspa-resort-kahou-h10564925%2Fhotel%2Fniigata-jp.html%3Fcid%3D1844104%26ds%3Dkb1kSbfs%252BEkra14g
Trip.com: https://www.trip.com/t/NyE2P5m7EP2
Expedia: https://expedia.com/affiliate/ZtzNxcs
Hotels.com: https://www.hotels.com/affiliate/4jKaO6U

🚃🚶‍♀️How to Get There
Around a 20-minute shuttle bus ride from Toyosaka Station.
MAP: https://maps.app.goo.gl/mc6jJ1DAgNa5b5nL7

💰 Price
87,494 yen (585.96 USD / €541.59) for 2 people with 2 meals.
*Prices may vary depending on the season and room type.

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⌛️ Timestamps
0:00 Opening
0:49 How to get there
3:02 What’s praised about this ryokan?
3:38 Lobby and Lounge
5:51 Exploring the hotel
6:16 Garden tour
7:04 Room introduction
9:31 Room tour
16:31 Dinner
24:27 Night garden
24:50 Game corner
25:51 Public bath
30:33 Night lounge
31:23 Relaxing in the room at night
32:14 Breakfast
35:33 Coffee time
36:05 Private outdoor bath
37:35 Checkout

#onsen #niigata #japan #japantravel #asmr #cc_for_subtitle

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・Titles, descriptions, and subtitles are provided by automatic translation and may contain inaccuracies.
・The prices in the video are based on the exchange rate at the time of editing.
・Prices may vary with the season.
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