I stayed at Japan’s Onsen Ryokan ‘Azumaso’ with a Cat Landlady | Tendo Yamagata

I stayed at Japan’s Onsen Ryokan ‘Azumaso’ with a Cat Landlady | Tendo Yamagata

This time, I’m staying at the “Azumaso” ryokan in Yamagata Prefecture. Enjoy till the end! Hello everyone! 🐯 I’m in Yamagata Station! It’s about a 50-minute trip by train and on foot from Yamagata Station to the hot springs, covering 15km. First, I’ll take a train from Yamagata Station to Tendo Station.

I’m boarding the JR Ou Main Line bound for Shinjo (240 yen/$1.63). It takes about 20 minutes to get from Yamagata Station to Tendo Station. Departing! It’s a weekday noon, but there are many people on the train. Arrived! It was a quick 20-minute journey. It seems there are many students around this time!

After exiting the ticket gate, I head to the East exit! Oh? Shogi pieces! Tendo City is known as Japan’s number one producer of shogi pieces. From here, I’ll walk to the ryokan. It’s about a 20-minute walk. Ah! Found another one! It’s fun to look for shogi pieces 😂 After walking a bit, I found “Eishundo,” a shogi piece demonstration and sales shop. You can watch artisans hand-carving the pieces inside the store. Let’s take a quick look inside.

It’s the oldest shop in Tendo City’s hot spring area. Workshop You can also experience making your own pieces. You can buy pieces handmade by the shop’s artisans. Prices start from 98,000 yen ($667). The wood used for the pieces is from Tsuge trees on Mikurajima Island.

It’s known for its rarity and is a high-quality wood. Now, I’m heading to the ryokan. Oh! It’s huge! 😲 As expected of the shogi town. I’ve entered the hot spring town. There seem to be cafes and restaurants around. I’ve arrived at the ryokan. This ryokan was founded in 1911 (Meiji 44). It’s a ryokan with over 100 years of history, yet it doesn’t feel old.

The lobby is decorated with cat figurines and dolls everywhere. They look so real and cute! 🐱 The reason for so many cat figures is because the ryokan actually has a cat landlady named “Mai”! There are specific visiting hours, so I’ll book a time to meet her during check-in (first-come, first-served).

The cost for staying here alone for one night is 20,000 yen. The room I’m staying in is called “Rikyu”. It’s a 10-tatami mat Japanese-style room. It’s spacious enough for one person. You can view the garden from the room. Let’s start the room tour! 👏 Humidifier, tissues TV and safe Kettle Tea ceremony set

Air conditioner and TV remotes, safe key Jewelry box Welcome sweets They are sugar candies called “Karikari Koron”. Guide to the ryokan You can see introductions to the hot springs and a map of the ryokan. There’s also a mystery-solving game! 😲

If you figure out what shape fits this ?, you can get a Mai towel! Can you all figure it out?? Let’s check out the washbasin. It’s very clean. Hand towels, hand wash Makeup remover, peeling, all-in-one gel Hairdryer Laundry basket, trash can Bath with a shower Seems like there’s no shampoo or body soap…

Toilet Equipped with a washlet Lastly, the refrigerator There are bottles of water inside. ??? It’s a shogi piece bottle opener. There’s shogi here too! 😄 Now, I’ll change into a yukata and go take a bath! Since the Big bath and open-air bath are in different locations, I’ll start with the Big bath.

I passed by here earlier, but there is a resting area. There are stuffed cat here too! 🐱 Though they are just figures, cats really match the Japanese atmosphere. Next to it are ornaments and photos of the cat landlady, Mai. There are shogi pieces again!

The name of the hot spring is carved into them. There are koi in the garden. It’s a bit hard to see them because of the net. There’s a Japanese-style room. Here, you can choose and wear your favorite kimono. There are options for men too. There are many types of obi (belts), so

It seems fun to choose one. There are instructions on how to wear a kimono. No problem for first-timers. Oh!? There are indoor clothes here too. Sizes range from S to LL. There are amenities as well. All are available for free use. Ah! Here are the body soap and shampoo.

That’s why they weren’t in the bath in the room. 😲 There’s something else below. Tabi socks are included. Everything you need is here. Have you been noticing a sound like a bell ringing? (Sound of a bell) It was a bell cricket sound-making ornament.

At first, I was puzzled about what the sound was, haha. Now, I’ll head to the bath. The large bath is at the end of this corridor. Hm? Found cat paw prints. And here’s a cat! It’s playful and fun. I’ve arrived at the large bath.

The front is for women, and the back is for men. There’s a cat here too, haha. I’ll go inside now~ Oh, it’s quite spacious. The spring quality is sulfate spring (self-sourced). Effective for cuts, burns, chronic skin diseases, and neuralgia. The temperature is just right, warming me to the core.

I’ll also go to the open-air bath! The open-air bath is located away from the large bath. Oh… it’s cold. Apparently, this is the only roofless bath in Tendo Hot Springs. It has a different atmosphere from the indoor bath, which is nice. That’s all for the bath!

Now, I’d like to explore inside the ryokan. There’s a space called “CHICHIRIN TERRACE” in the lobby. You can relax here, You can relax here, and enjoy free coffee. Juice and oolong tea are also available. There’s a soft ice cream machine. It’s paid, but I’ll try it later! Further inside, there’s a rest area.

Up the stairs, it feels like a hideaway. It’s a stylish space. This table… is designed for playing shogi. 😦 Shogi pieces are here. Not just shogi pieces, but also many board games are available. There are magazines next to it. I’ll go outside. A spacious and stylish courtyard.

This is a different courtyard from the one seen from my room. It’s a bit cold, but I think I’ll eat ice cream here. Ice cream is available for purchase at the front desk. I bought matcha ice cream (350 yen/$2.39). Set the ice cream cup, and once the container is set, it’s ready.

Press the switch, and the ice cream automatically comes out. Matcha ice cream is ready. Back to the terrace! The matcha flavor is rich and delicious. But it’s quite cold, so I’ll go inside, haha. Lastly, I’ll introduce another interesting room! “Azuma Nook” !? Sound effects from Dragon Quest and

Game screen-like text are written here. 😯 Funny, haha. Game characters are here. Oh, lots of manga. There’s a variety, so manga lovers can enjoy all day. There is also a space for reading books. It’s a ryokan full of playful spirit. Since there’s some time before dinner,

I’m thinking of going to an izakaya recommended by the ryokan staff. It’s about a 5-minute walk away. I’ve arrived. This place serves lunch during the day and operates as an izakaya at night. I ordered a highball. A drink after the bath is the best!!

For a snack, I ordered Zha Cai Pakuchi (580 yen). I love both Zha Cai and Pakuchi, so it’s a perfect combination. Delicious~ I’ve never tried this combination before, but it pairs well. Makes me want to drink more, haha. They also seem to have sake.

I ordered a sake called “Tsuraragi” from Otokoyama Brewery in Yamagata Prefecture. It’s dry but very easy to drink. Delicious! Alcohol hits faster after a bath… 🥵 Since it’s before dinner, I’ll just have this drink and snack and then head back! When I left the shop, it was already dark outside.

The days are getting shorter. Now I’ll head to dinner. Dinner will be served in a private room on the second floor. The staff was waiting for me. The private room was bigger than I expected. Luxurious dishes are already arranged. Sashimi, soba, beautifully plated appetizers, Yonezawa beef sukiyaki, abalone butter fry,

I’ll start with scallop sashimi. Sweet and delicious. I ordered more sake. A Yamagata sake called “Tenma”. It’s a beautiful sake cup. When I ordered a dry sake, this was recommended. It’s very smooth and delicious. The sukiyaki seems to be ready. It looks fantastic, haha. Soft and tasty!!

Sukiyaki on a cold day is the best. The abalone is also cooked now. It’s very tender. The aroma of butter is 👍. Finally, rice. Everything was delicious, a very satisfying dinner! Next, I’ll go meet Mai, the cat landlady. 🐱 Meeting Mai is by reservation only,

And you can meet her for 15 minutes from the reserved time. We were supposed to meet in the lobby, but where could she be?? Ah! There she is. 🐱 This is Mai-chan, the cat landlady of Azumaso. Mai was ranked first in the national hot spring cat ranking in 2018.

She has a very calm personality. Mai is 13 years old this year. She has seen many guests over the years. She used to walk around the ryokan regardless of time, but now she’s an elderly cat in her late 60s in human years. Her meeting time is limited,

But even now, Mai continues her job of meeting guests. I hope she continues to bring comfort to guests. 🐱 She seems tired, so I’m going to return to my room. I’m back in my room. I think I’ll go to sleep now. Good night. Good morning.

Breakfast will also be served in the same private room as yesterday. The morning is also luxurious. Grilled fish, pickles, natto, a typical Japanese breakfast menu. Egg soup, warm soup is delightful. There’s also plenty of rice prepared. Dinner was delicious, but the breakfast was also very satisfying and delicious.

After breakfast, it’s time to check out. It’s time to check out. The total cost, including the stay, ice cream, and alcohol, was 21,020 yen ($143). That’s all for this time! I hope you enjoyed it. Let’s meet again on my next trip. Thank you for watching! 🐯

Thank you for watching!!🐯
This timeI stayed at Azumasou in Tendo City, Yamagata Prefecture! Azumasou is famous for its cat landlady ‘Mai’ who was voted number one in a popularity poll in 2018.

Accommodation fee for this time 20,000 yen($136) per night with 2 meals

Azumaso(あづま荘) Offecial website ↓
https://www.azumaso.com/

[Chapter List]

00:00 Opening
01:03 Arrived at Tendo Station
01:59 Shogi Eishundo
03:14 Arrived at Ryokan
04:17 Room Tour
06:41 Heading to the Hot Springs
09:31 Big Bath
10:11 Open-Air Bath
10:48 Tour Inside the Ryokan
13:59 Heading to an Izakaya
14:16 Izakaya Charisu
15:52 Dinner
17:39 Meeting the Cat Landlady
18:56 Going to Sleep
19:16 Waking Up
19:30 Breakfast
20:05 Check-Out

#ToraTravel #Onsen #Cat