Last installment of Katsuragi no Sato in Takayama, Gifu.
After the lovely breakfast, we had a little bit of time to visit each other's room before checking out. Here's C. and A.'s room. They were trying to take a photo of me and hubby but kept making us laugh our heads off ^.^
Their room was totally different with ours. For example, this vanity corner with a table and a mirror that opened and folded close (left). They also had a separate tea room, but instead of a floor hearth they had a square table hearth, very much like the one in the private dining room.
Their open-air private in the backyard was bigger than ours too. That said, their shower was also outside. I do wonder how that works in the winter. Brrr...
From the private looking left at the guest room (left) and looking right at the neighboring guest room (right).
Finally, it was check out time and one of the staff members kindly offered to take a group photo for us in front of the entrance gate.
After checking out, there were still more time to burn before our bus arrived, so we gave ourselves a tour around the onsen ryokan as well as the onsen town itself.
Here's the rest house we stumbled upon the night before.
Oddly enough, beyond the onsen ryokan gate, we found ourselves a deserted ghost town. Walking around, we saw not a single soul and there was nothing but silence. I mean, it was a Sunday (we'd spent Saturday night at the ryokan), so where was everybody?
Here's the street leading to the festival area the night before. All the shops were closed, and yet they hilariously left many of their things outside! Check out the fresh fruits, vegetables, and even bottled drinks, all kept cool in a bath of brisk spring water, just hanging out there along with signs showing prices. I guess if we wanted, we could have left however much money it cost and take whatever suited our fancy. See what I mean when I said Japan runs on and is dependent on trust? C. was pretty amazed, and frankly so was I.
Found a several Jizo statues and a mini shrine. Actually, read this lovely article on Jizo via the NYT, published just this past January 6!
The town's pond had kois in it!
I think this was the entrance to a neighboring onsen ryokan to Katsuragi no Sato.
The festival ground from the night before.
Another thing we noticed about the town was the many water fountains, not for drinking but for splashing water onto one's hands or face.
We got on the bus a little past midday, and I kept my promise to myself to stay awake on the way down the mountain. Sure, I was able to catch some pretty nice shots, but most of the spectacular views were on the other side of the road on the way up, which I'd missed while nodding off. I guess that's more reasons for me and hubby to go back, right? Would we go back to Katsuragi no Sato again? Absolutely! I'd wholeheartedly recommend this place too if you're looking for an authentic onsen experience. And remember to stay awake on the way up!!!
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