The best renovated old folk house inn near Tokyo - Shirokabe Amagi Yugashima Onsen, Izu JAPAN

We stayed at Shirakabe, a long-established inn in Amagi Yugashima Onsen.

Shirakabe was founded in 1944. It was originally called Shirakabe-so and was a famous inn loved by writers such as Yasushi Inoue. It is also known as the inn where the lyricist and composer of Ishikawa Sayuri's "Amagigoe" wrote the song. It was renovated in 2019 and reopened as Shirakabe.

It is a routine to look for hot spring inns while referring to reviews in magazines and reservation sites, and the first thing you notice is the comments in the reviews. Many of them say that the customer service of the foreign waitresses is excellent.

We were skeptical, but we realized that it was true as soon as we arrived. The waitresses were energetic and spoke in a loud voice, using polite language. We were able to check in comfortably.

The interior of the building, which has been finished in a modern style while retaining the good qualities of an old house, is decorated with tasteful interiors and creates a calm atmosphere. Although the design is old and the flow of people tends to be long, it is a fun old-style inn to just walk around the building.

The highlight of the inn is the giant tree and rock bath, the largest in Japan. You can enjoy the fresh water of Yugashima Onsen, which flows directly from the source. The giant tree bath was carved out of an African rosewood tree that is said to be 1200 years old. You can enjoy a bath of a size that you would never believe was made from a single tree. The rock bath was carved out of 53 tons of lava, and both are the largest in Japan. I never thought there would be a place where you could enjoy such an interesting bath deep in the mountains of Amagi.

The meals are kaiseki cuisine that puts wasabi at the forefront. The highest quality Izu wasabi was served at both dinner and breakfast, and it is delicious to grate wasabi on many dishes, including the specialty wasabi hotpot. I don't think you often get to taste fresh, top-quality wasabi, but this was a wonderful dish that allowed you to experience its deliciousness. An inn that serves a distinctive dinner is attractive in itself.

A rare inn where foreign waitresses provide pleasant service from start to finish. Shirakabe provides thorough training to foreign employees, including VISA support. The other day, the waitress said that she had supported her husband by issuing him a visa and even finding him another job. Shirakabe is the embodiment of that compassion. It has been reported that many domestic inns are struggling with a shortage of staff, and I feel like I have seen one of the most complete forms of this.

As we were leaving, the waitress waved her hand and said, "Please come again!" I look forward to seeing how they grow and will visit again.

■Hot spring details
Calcium, sodium sulfate spring
Free-flowing from the source

■Shirakabe
https://www.shirakabeso.jp/

Some of the information in the video is based on information collected online.
Permission has been granted to film the hot spring.
Normally video/photo shooting inside bath is not allowed.

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