Hot Springs - Kusatsu

Kozue and I took a bullet train and then a bus to this lovely hot springs town. As everywhere in Japan, we take our shoes off when entering the hotel. The hostess immediately serves us coffee and a pastry while she collects information -- in Japanese of course. 

Our room is simple, large, very simple and elegant. There is a sliding paper door separating the beds from a small sitting area, and another wooden sliding door taking  you to the toilet and sink. New slippers are required for each room it seems. 

The hot springs are downstairs and they are hot! IBut wait! We are given kimonos, sashes (very long) and overcoats to wear while we're in town. Kozue and I went out last night in our kimonos and explored town. 

But the hot springs -- I know now how crabs must feel in the pot -- the water is so hot, it is hard to stay submerged for more than a few  moments at a time. Kozue explained to me (via iphone translate, the principle of heat shock protein, which cancure you of most illnesses it seems. So this hotel has it in the "heat" and "shock" department.

We had dinner in our kimonos and what a dinner! I counted 19 dishes and have them cataloged.

Dinner

Plum wine

Corn and yuba

Lettuce caviar roll

Sashimi perilla

Pepper mushroom

Scallop squash

Inagi

Soybean

Green bean, x,x

Okra

Pork

Chicken bitter melon

Food gras

Pork belly salad

Beef with citron pepper

Noodles chicken hot pot

Akadashi Miso soup and rice

Matcha jello

Go chichi and sencha

After that dinner, we went back to the room and immediately fell asleep. I believe it was 8:30 PM!

To make up for it, we woke up early and went down for an additional boiing.  

Then, breakfast! More food! And it was just as delicious as dinner with multiple courses. The consistent thing with Japanese breakfast is miso soup, fish, and rice (and green tea of course).

The weather couldn't be lovelier!