Ito- to chill

I have seen something like 16 places in Japan. All this traveling has been a bit taxing. I met a woman in Kagoshima that told me about this onsen in Ito. She teaches english near Tokyo and told me she comes here to relax. Soak, read, sleep recycle. Sounded good to me. This place is a 100 year old wooden building, with 3 soaking tubs: 2 private, one public, kitchen, laundry, lounge areas, and tv room. And it's a hostel on top of all that(= cheap)!

My room is on the 3rd floor second from the left. It's a female dorm but I am the only one in it.

Inside

My room

My deck over looking the river

The public bath

The private one

Mom would have loved this place and she deserved the pampering.

My first night here I sat in the lounge drinking tea after my onsen. I met this gentleman from Denmark in Japan for his second time for vacation and taking Japanese lessons. We talked for a bit. He too had experienced some family tragedy. We discussed our different coping mechanisms. He told me that our conversation was the deepest he'd had his whole time in Japan or even this year.  Turns out he's a sound engineer for the theater. Mom loved the performing arts. I don't think my mom had ever been to Denmark. Ken's taking her there.