渋温泉　Shibu Onsen

This is a really cool traditional onsen town. There are 10 public baths in this town and you can buy a souvenir towel to collect stamps from each of the 10 public baths. The public baths and ryokans (traditional Japanese inn) buildings are very traditional looking. Guests of the ryokans walk along the narrow cobblestone street in their yukatas and getas (traditional Japanese elevated wooden clogs) to go to the public baths. You feel like you've been transported back to ancient Japan.
Our ryokan 松屋 Matsu-ya.

We received a welcome tea and onsen tamago (soft-boiled eggs cooked in the onsen). You can see the public bath stamps collection souvenir towel hanging on the wall.

The girls' room with a balcony overlooking the street.

The ryokan was so nice! They lent us girls pretty yukatas to wear (instead of the standard drab white and blue ryokan yukata) free of charge! There is usually a rental fee. There were about 15 different yukatas for us to choose from. They were really happy to have us foreigners as their guests.

(L-R): Keiko, me and Myhanh in our pretty yukatas

Us and the mama-san (seriously, that's what they call the female owners of ryokans and karaoke bars) who dressed us.

Dinner was a feast! There was sashimi, tempura, beef nabe, wakame (seaweed appetizer), grilled salmon, simmered eggplant, chawan mushi (steamed egg), miso soup, soba, porridge with mushrooms, ume shu (plum wine), fruits and I've forgotten what other things they served. The thing about these feasts that ryokans serve is that everytime you think that that must be the end, they bring another dish in! The food was so good!

This soba container was really cool. Soba at the bottom layer, wasabi and spring onions in the middle and the corked lid actually contains the soba sauce.

After dinner, we took a walk. It was really nice seeing everyone in yukatas and clicking-clacking in their getas on the street.

Guests soaking in the foot bath

(L-R): Lopaka, Myhanh, Keiko, Martin, me, Russell, and Matt.

The building in the background was apparently Hayao Miyazaki's inspiration for one of his films, the name of which I cannot remember although Keiko told me.

This photo is a bit low cos we had to perch the camera on the bridge railing, but the lanterns in the background read Shibu onsen (name of the town).