On Friday we left Karuizawa and made our was to Zao Onsen via Yamagata. This was a simple trip on the Shinkansen from Karuizawa to Omiya switching trains to another Shinkansen to Yamagata and then catching a bus to Zao Onsen. We just caught the train to Omiya but that allowed us to have a long 45 minute lay-over to grab lunch and Starbucks. I waited for the bags and J played hunter gatherer. After about 25 minutes he came back with treats, lovely bento boxes, coffee for him and tea for me, and the coup de grace “CHOCOCRO”. We discovered this wonderful shop on prior visits but it is basically a chain of coffee shops called St.Marc’s Cafe Harukaju – they specialize is magnificent dark chocolate croissants. There was a little surprise – a matcha cream croissant. The train ride from Karuizawa to Omiya was not very exciting, but from Omiya to Yamagata was very lovely. Right now as I write we are on the same line just having left Yamagata and heading back to Tokyo. The Yamagata branch of the Shinkansen cuts through the mountains – I think the Bandai Kogen National forest might be to our left. Fall colors seem to be peaking this time in Japan and I wish I could take pictures but the train is moving too fast. It is not the fastest Shinkansen route but it is very beautiful cutting through valleys with mountains on either side and behind them more purple peaks seems to layer off the distance. Right now I can see a valley of farms with mountains and mist rising on all sides. It is very bucolic.
We ended up staying at Zao Onsen – a ski resort and Onsen town in the mountains above Yamagata. It is a 40 minute bus ride from Yamagata, but with the Hot Springs, Crater lake for a hikes I thought it would be a good place to stay.
Most of the hotels were very expensive and being lazy and a bit short on cash (see the first posting about loosing my wallet) I made a reservation a place online that would take VISA. This turned-out to be a mediocre decision. I am sure we could have found a more atmospheric place, but many of the traditional ryokans we $100 more and didn’t take credit cards so it worked in the end. Most of the hotels and inns in Zao Onsen have their own hot springs. Zao had a nice rotemboro which is an outdoor bath – relaxing and sulfurous. The say that the volcanic waters are good for arthritis and other aches and pains. The water is very hot and often needs to be cooled before using. This small image is from the website.
We never did make it to Zao’s famous rotemboro in a ravine overlooking the valley.
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