Tokyo, Japan - Boarding in Hakone Shinanoki Ichinoyu

No trip to Hakone is complete without a soak in its renowned onsen. But ryokans in Hakone are crazily expensive during spring, and a small room for 2 could easily cost up to 400 SGD per night.

After much research, we found the Ichinoyu hotel chain, which offers affordable lodgings along with free breakfast and optional dinner services. More importantly, the ryokan has a kotatsu (foot warmer) table!! I have always wanted to try one after reading how comfortable it is in Nodame no Cantabile.

(Kotatsu from Nodame no Cantabile)

Ichinoyu has a total of 8 branches in different parts of Hakone. I chose Shinanoki Ichinoyu as it offers private onsen (for body-conscious Singaporeans); and is situated along the bus routes to most major sights.

Our first night is in the standard room (155 SGD) with no dinner plan since we intended to have our dinner at the Gotemba Outlet. We switched room on the next night to a type 2 room (300 SGD) with private open-air bath and dinner. This was the most expensive night during our 9 day trip, but I regretted nothing!

 

 

The food was great and the onsen was awesome. I even managed to overcome my initial  shyness and took a soak in the public onsen (gender segregated).

Breakfast was a sumptuous affair with rice, grilled Salmon, a hot pot of miso and various condiments. We tried to eat the fermented beans, called natto, which is a Japanese breakfast staple, but just a whiff of its smell, and it was 'thanks, but no thanks'. Frankly, I think it smells shockingly like the SKII facial treatment essence. Perhaps I could substitute SKII with natto to save up on the price difference?

Dinner was sukiyaki with grilled pork and local vegetable. The staff also changed our breakfast menu on the 2nd day to grilled Saba and onsen Tamogo.

While we were in lodging in Ichinoyu, the news channel kept issuing a nation-wide Tsunami warning due to the earthquake in Chile. I had to assure mom over and over again that we were in the mountains, and no, that's not the sea, that's lake Ashinoko.

Ichinoyu Shinanoki Details 
http://english.ichinoyu.co.jp/shinanoki/index.html

Access:
Take bus T opposite of the Hakone Yumoto Station
Disembark at the Hakone Highland Hotel stop.
The Ryokan is right across the street.