Travel in Style-Part Two

Chapter 3 – Onsen and Meandering

A Journey Through Kusatsu’s Healing Waters and the Art of Serendipitous Encounters

I am always drawn to staying in a quintessential Onsen hotel, savoring kaiseki cuisine or wrapping myself in an authentic Onsen for its soothing, healing, and beauty powers. I have visited several Onsen destinations in Japan (Hakone, Izu, Hokkaido, etc.,), but Kusatsu Onsen exceeded my expectations and took my Onsen experience to new heights.

In hindsight, it was very clever of me to choose an Onsen hotel located in the town center, which allowed me to enjoy the vibrant nightlife of the Onsen town. Kusatsu is a two-hour bus ride away from Karuizawa.I checked into Urakusatsu TOU, a newly built Onsen hotel that blends modern comfort with traditional Japanese aesthetics, with a bit of a MuJi vibe, haha. The Onsen boasts both high temperature and acidity, standing out from its competitive peers. I admit, I was sold by its ranking as the country’s No. 1 hot spring in Japan!  After the Onsen, I donned a yukata and wooden sandals, carrying a basket as I meandered through the town center.

Here, I experienced a magical moment in my life. It was around 7 pm.  I soaked in the onsen scent as I walked from the hotel to the town, where I marveled at the splendour and magnificence of Yubatake (Hot Water Field)—a central meeting and sightseeing spot in Kusatsu Onsen. As night settled in, Yubatake evoked a surreal, fairytale-like wonder. I couldn’t help but conjure up the bath scene from Studio Ghibli’s Spirited Away.

The next day, I continued strolling around the town, which I found fairly crowded, yet this injected vibrancy to the quintessentially Japanese atmosphere. My head finally stopped spinning as I indulged in a luxurious half-day of meandering through a foreign, secluded area. I ran into a lovely local lady at a honey shop, where we had a delightful conversation in Japanese about the beauty and healing power of kusatsu onsen. That afternoon, I returned to Karuizawa, where I embarked on a three-hour culinary journey at night, in a restaurant named Yukawatan. I may not be equipped to critique cuisine from a culinary perspective, but I’m innately drawn to experiential events. My night culminated in a symphony assembled by gastronomy, nature, and architecture.

The next day in Karuizawa, I serendipitously walked along a route where the hongye (autumn leaves) were in full bloom. I further explored a vintage café in the Karuizawa  forest, where I had the best "me time".

Chapter 4 – An Ode to Frienhship

An Epic Reunion Woven into Tokyo's Serenity and Splendour

I no longer claim myself a pure solo traveler since my friend relocated to Tokyo this year. We both made conscious efforts to make our reunion in Tokyo happen. With each reunion, we surpass the magic of the last, and  top epicness of the previous. What made our second reunion in Tokyo extra special was celebrating my friend’s birthday in advance. I planned a Tokyo Aman day for my friend. My underlying thought was to maximize our experience by amalgamating two distinct yet complementary spaces: Aman Café for lunch, an urban oasis, and Aman Lounge for afternoon tea, an architectural marvel. Since Aman Tokyo is at the top of my hotel wish list, curating a birthday experience for my friend  there just naturally emerged. I’m at a stage where I’m further examining my relationship with my environment, people, and myself. While architecture refines my eye to appreciate the physical world, it is the core element of human connection that truly ties me to humanity and greatness.

On that day, our conversations intertwined with the inner grandeur and gravitas of Aman’s architectural embrace. Time seemed to stand still, creating a sense of eternity and illumination.

https://www.lifedesignerwithjingyuchen.com/