More sightseeing in 新発田 Shibata & 月岡温泉 Tsukioka onsen

諏訪神社 Suwa shrine

清水園 Shimizu Garden. beautiful and tranquil. Completed in 1700, this used to be the garden of the official residence of the Mizoguchi feudal lord family. Beautiful and tranquil, there are 5 little tea rooms built around a large pond.

Tea room "Yuka-tei"

Next to Shimizu Garden, there's 北長屋 Kitanagaya (North Long House) - the only remaining long house. The long house is partitioned into 8 units. Each unit has a small living room, bedroom, kitchen and toilet. There used to be many such long houses for soldiers to live in.

Irori (fire pit) in the small living room

Small bedroom

Shimizu Garden on the left; long house on the right

Then, we headed to 月岡温泉 Tsukioka onsen town. Tsukioka onsen, which is emerald GREEN, is renowned for leaving your skin soft and smooth (it's really true!). We went to the town's public bath - 美人の泉 Bijin-no-izumi (Spring of beautiful people).

On the way back, stopped at Nagaoka for shopping and then had dinner at 濱の屋 Hama-no-ya ramen restaurant recommended by one of my teachers. Huge bowl...but the tonkotsu soup base was really good and rich!